LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus | Book Review - Spoiler Free

Nixreads
4 Sept 202309:00
EducationalLearning
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TLDRIn this book review, the narrator shares their thoughts on 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmas, a popular novel set in the 1960s following the life of female scientist Elizabeth. Despite enjoying the book's fast-paced dialogue and humor, they critique the publisher's misleading marketing and the book's exaggerated characters. The review highlights the story's darker themes, including sexual harassment, and the upcoming TV adaptation featuring Brie Larson.

Takeaways
  • 📚 The book 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmas is a popular work of fiction set in the 1960s, following the life of main character Elizabeth, a female scientist and TV cooking show host.
  • 🌟 The reviewer gave the book 3.5 out of 5 stars, enjoying it but having some critique points.
  • 🎨 The marketing and cover design of the book were criticized as misleading, not accurately representing the book's darker themes and content.
  • ⚠️ The book contains mature content, including a trigger warning for sexual harassment and rape.
  • 📖 The story spans 10 to 15 years of Elizabeth's life, with a narrative that includes flashbacks and a focus on her journey to becoming a scientist.
  • 📺 The book is being adapted into a TV show on Apple TV starring Brie Larson as Elizabeth.
  • 😃 The reviewer found the book 'compulsively readable' with well-written dialogues and a light tone that offsets the darker aspects of the story.
  • 🐶 Parts of the story are told from a dog's perspective, which the reviewer enjoyed despite acknowledging that it requires suspending disbelief.
  • 🎭 The characters in the book are seen as exaggerated representations of their roles, lacking nuance, with Elizabeth portrayed as a highly logical and modern-thinking feminist.
  • 👧 Elizabeth's daughter, Meline, is depicted as exceptionally intelligent for her age, but her character does not read as a typical four or five-year-old.
  • 🌟 The reviewer praises Bonnie Garmas' debut novel and expresses hope for more nuanced character development in her future works.
Q & A

  • What is the main theme of 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus?

    -The main theme of 'Lessons in Chemistry' revolves around the life of Elizabeth Zott, a female scientist in the 1960s, as she navigates through key moments of her life, including her career, personal relationships, and societal challenges.

  • How does the book's marketing differ from its actual content?

    -The marketing for 'Lessons in Chemistry' has been criticized for being misleading. It suggests a light-hearted romcom focused on Elizabeth's TV cooking show, while the book actually explores darker themes, including sexual harassment and rape, with a significant focus on her journey as a scientist and feminist.

  • What is the significance of the book cover in the context of the story?

    -The book cover, particularly the US and Canadian version, has been a point of contention as it uses bright colors and a chick-lit style, which does not align with the darker tone of the story. The author, Bonnie Garmus, agreed with this sentiment, but noted that the publisher believed it was an effective approach to attract readers.

  • How does the author use humor in 'Lessons in Chemistry'?

    -Bonnie Garmus employs humor as a device to offset the grim parts of Elizabeth's life. The lightness in tone and well-written dialogues contribute to an entertaining and engaging reading experience, despite the serious themes addressed in the book.

  • What is unique about the perspective from which parts of the story are told?

    -Parts of 'Lessons in Chemistry' are told from a dog's perspective, which adds a unique and entertaining element to the narrative. While some readers may find this unconventional, it fits the tone of the story and offers a fresh viewpoint.

  • How does the character of Elizabeth Zott differ from other characters in the book?

    -Elizabeth Zott is portrayed as an exaggeration or stereotype of a scientist and a feminist. She is highly logical, often avoids facing her emotions, and has a modern outlook that sets her apart from other characters in the book, who are also exaggerated in their roles as either supportive or antagonistic figures.

  • What is the role of Elizabeth's daughter, Meline, in the story?

    -Meline, Elizabeth's daughter, is depicted as an exceptionally intelligent child who reads and speaks like an older individual. Her interactions with Elizabeth and others add a layer of humor and complexity to the narrative.

  • How does the book address societal expectations and challenges faced by women in the 1960s?

    -The book explores societal expectations and challenges through Elizabeth's experiences as a female scientist in a male-dominated field. It touches on themes of sexism, sexual harassment, and the struggle for women's rights, reflecting the social climate of the 1960s.

  • What are the reviewer's thoughts on the pacing and dialogue of the book?

    -The reviewer found the book to be fast-paced and compulsively readable, with dialogues that were engaging and entertaining. The lightness in tone helps to balance the darker aspects of the story.

  • What is the reviewer's opinion on the adaptation of the book into a TV show?

    -The reviewer is impressed with the adaptation of 'Lessons in Chemistry' into a TV show, particularly noting that Brie Larson has been cast as Elizabeth, which they believe is a good fit. However, they express uncertainty about watching it due to their general preference for not following book adaptations.

  • What are the reviewer's expectations for Bonnie Garmus's future work?

    -The reviewer hopes that Bonnie Garmus's future work will include more nuanced characters, building upon the engaging storytelling and humor that made 'Lessons in Chemistry' enjoyable.

Outlines
00:00
📚 Introduction and Overview of 'Lessons in Chemistry'

The video begins with the host of the bookish channel, Nix, welcoming viewers and encouraging them to subscribe for more book-related content. The host shares their experience of reading 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmas, a book that has gained significant popularity. Despite initial expectations of rating it highly, the host settled on 3.5 stars due to some critical points. The book follows the life of Elizabeth S, a female scientist in the 1960s, over a span of 10 to 15 years. The narrative includes flashbacks and covers her journey from being a scientist to hosting a TV cooking show called 'Supper at 6'. The host expresses disappointment with the book's marketing, which they find misleading, as the story is much darker than the cover and promotional materials suggest. The book includes a trigger warning for instances of rape and sexual harassment, which are graphically described.

05:00
🎨 Critique of Characterization and Storytelling in 'Lessons in Chemistry'

The host critiques the characterization in 'Lessons in Chemistry', noting that the characters, including Elizabeth, are one-dimensional and lack nuance. Elizabeth is portrayed as a feminist with modern views, but the reasons for her unique perspective are not explored in depth. The supporting characters are also seen as caricatures, with the good characters being overly good and the bad excessively bad. The host expresses a desire for a greater focus on Elizabeth's story and finds the inclusion of a mystery element unnecessary. Despite these criticisms, the host praises the book's fast-paced narrative, engaging dialogue, and the lightness of tone that offsets the darker themes. The host also appreciates the unique perspective of a dog character, which adds to the story's charm. The video concludes with the host's thoughts on the book's adaptation into a TV show, featuring Brie Larson as Elizabeth, and invites viewers to share their opinions on the book.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Nix's Reads
Nix's Reads is a reference to the book review channel run by the speaker, where they share their thoughts and critiques on various books. It is the platform through which the video content is delivered, and it is central to understanding the context of the discussion.
💡Lessons in Chemistry
Lessons in Chemistry is the book being reviewed in the video. It is a work of fiction that has gained significant popularity since its release. The book is set in the 1960s and follows the life of a female scientist named Elizabeth, who also hosts a TV cooking show.
💡Book Review
A book review is a critical assessment of the content, style, and overall quality of a book. In the context of the video, the speaker provides a short book review, sharing their personal opinions, likes, and critiques about 'Lessons in Chemistry'.
💡Marketing Misleading
Marketing misleading refers to the practice of promoting a product in a way that gives consumers an incorrect or distorted impression of what they are purchasing. In the video, the speaker criticizes the marketing of 'Lessons in Chemistry' for being deceptive, as the promotional materials and plot summary do not accurately represent the book's content and tone.
💡Trigger Warning
A trigger warning is a content warning that gives the reader or viewer a heads-up about potentially disturbing or traumatic material. In the context of the video, the speaker issues a trigger warning for 'Lessons in Chemistry' due to its graphic depictions of sexual harassment and rape.
💡Book Cover
The book cover is the visual representation of a book's front cover, which often includes the title, author's name, and an image or design that represents the book's content or theme. In the video, the speaker discusses the book cover of 'Lessons in Chemistry' and its perceived mismatch with the story's tone and content.
💡Characterization
Characterization refers to the way in which a writer creates and develops the personalities, traits, and backgrounds of characters in a story. In the video, the speaker critiques the characterization in 'Lessons in Chemistry,' suggesting that the characters are exaggerated stereotypes and lack nuance.
💡Dialogue
Dialogue refers to the conversations or speech exchanges between characters in a book or other narrative work. The speaker praises the dialogue in 'Lessons in Chemistry' for being well-written and contributing to the book's entertaining and engaging nature.
💡Perspective
Perspective in literature refers to the point of view from which a story is told. In 'Lessons in Chemistry,' the speaker notes that parts of the story are told from a dog's perspective, which is a unique narrative choice that some readers may find enjoyable or jarring.
💡TV Adaptation
A TV adaptation is a television series or program that is based on or inspired by a book, movie, or other forms of media. In the video, the speaker mentions that 'Lessons in Chemistry' is being adapted into a TV show for Apple TV, with Brie Larson cast as Elizabeth.
💡Author's Intent
Author's intent refers to the purpose or message that an author aims to convey through their work. In the video, the speaker discusses the author's (Bonnie Garmas) agreement with the reader's critique about the book cover, showing that the author's intent may not always align with the publisher's marketing decisions.
Highlights

The book 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus has been incredibly popular since its release.

The reviewer expected to give the book a rating between four to five stars but ultimately settled for 3.5 stars.

The main character, Elizabeth, is one of the few female scientists in the 1960s, and the book spans 10 to 15 years of her life.

The book follows Elizabeth through key moments of her life, including her own TV cooking show called 'Supper at 6'.

The marketing for the book is considered misleading by the reviewer, as it downplays the book's darker themes.

The book cover is criticized for not fitting the tone or plot of the story, with the author agreeing with this sentiment.

The book is described as 'compulsively readable' with a light tone that offsets the dark turns in Elizabeth's life.

The dialogue in the book is praised for being well-written and contributing to the story's entertainment and engagement.

Parts of the book are told from a dog's perspective, which the reviewer enjoyed despite the need to suspend disbelief.

The characters in the book are seen as exaggerated representations of what they represent, lacking nuance.

Elizabeth, the protagonist, is portrayed as a highly logical scientist who struggles with her emotions.

The reviewer wishes the book had maintained a stronger focus on Elizabeth until the end, rather than shifting to another character.

The book presents a mystery aspect that the reviewer felt was not necessary.

Bonnie Garmus, the author, wrote the book in her 60s and impressed the reviewer with her debut novel.

The book is being adapted into a TV show on Apple TV with Brie Larson cast as Elizabeth.

The reviewer is unsure if they will watch the TV adaptation, as they often skip adaptations of books they've read.

The video encourages viewers to share their thoughts on 'Lessons in Chemistry' and engage with bookish content.

Transcripts

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