Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
This book is the latest literary phenomenon – it has sold millions of copies, has been well received by the critics and inspires loyalty and affection in it devoted readers…oh, and it is touted to be turned into a glossy television series. So, why am I less than knocked out by it?
Well it’s not the Sally Rooney problem. Unlike that over-rated and humourless navel gazer, whose overweening sense of self is cloaked in her books by fragile self-esteem and mental health issues, Garmus’ book is bracingly positive. In fact, its central character Elizabeth Lott is a heroic woman who is determined to forge a place for herself as a scientist and single mother in 1950s and 60s’ patriarchal, socially conservative America. She may be idiosyncratically direct, single-minded, with a scientific approach that she brings to all parts of her life but she is also lacking in self-pity and takes charge of her life against all the odds. She has empathy and integrity which pulls other marginalised and downtrodden groups of people along with her as she breaks down the restrictions and prejudices of society. She is an inspiration. So, what’s my problem? Am I just a grouch? Well, if you’ve read some of my previous reviews, I would call it the ‘Still Life’ quandary. That book by Sarah Winman was received by readers and critics alike in a similar way to this book. And the pleasures and irritations that I found with that book are, in my opinion, prevalent in this one.
So, if you loved ‘Still Life’, I suggest you stop reading now.
Before I get to my irritations, let me provide a synopsis of the story because there is a sugar rush pleasure in reading the book. The problems began when I stopped reading.
Elizabeth is a very bright young woman whose determination and commitment to science should guarantee her a glittering career working in the chemistry department of a prestigious university research institute. Except, as already stated, this is Eisenhower era America. Therefore, she is unable to finish her degree course due to appalling behaviour by her professor, and ends up in a lowly job at the Hastings Research Institute undertaking lowly laboratory tasks because she is a woman. Then Calvin Evans comes into her life. Like her he is brilliant but different and he is also Hastings only Nobel-prize nominated academic. After an amusing false start, romance blossoms between them because he takes Elizabeth and her work seriously. They have proper chemistry.
Their romance is, however, short-lived and Elizabeth is forced to pick up her life as a single mother in a judgemental country who don’t want or believe women should forge their own independent lives working in science. However, after scraping a living secretly undertaking research for her former male colleagues at Hasting for which they get the credit, her life takes an unexpected turn.
After a chance encounter with another lost figure, Walter, a widowed single father at her daughter’s school who works in television, she ends up with her own cooking programme. This quickly becomes a ‘must see’ daily show for the women of America: Elizabeth treats it initially as a programme about chemistry via cooking and then about how to live life in a full and purposeful manner. It is a hit because she ignores the bland conventions of unthreatening early evening programmes and treats her viewers as thoughtful and curious adults.
Whilst this show gives her some measure of satisfaction and financial security, she is frustrated that she is unable to do the work she really wants to do – serious scientific research. However, her precocious daughter, Mad, initiates some research into her father’s past as part of a project on ‘my family’ that leads to a triumphant denouement for Elizabeth and the unconventional family she has gathered around her.
This book was great fun whilst reading it and with some very funny set pieces. At the end, the ghastly, predatory men who use their authority to belittle women get their comeuppance in various satisfying ways. Yet, like Winman’s book, not all the male characters are toxic. Several are kind and well-meaning if ineffective – actually, every character is ineffective in comparison to superwoman, Elizabeth Lott. The political message is positive and one we still need to heed today even if things are vastly different than in the 50s and 60s. All of this makes it an upbeat, well intentioned and enjoyable story; but it’s a fairy story. There are one or two dark things in this book but there is little real sense of jeopardy. Elizabeth is too strong, clever and determined for that; and the reader just knows that the developing minor plot strand in the background is always going to resolve things.
Again, similar to Winman’s book, Elizabeth gathers around her a group of outsiders to create a more modern, inclusive family – lovely but it didn’t ring true for me. Oh, and after that bloody parrot in ‘Still Life’ there’s a magical dog. I know dog owners love their dogs – I’ve been covered many times when out walking by crap and slobber from dogs jumping up at me as their owners look on admiringly at how friendly and clever they are – and that’s fine. Owners can project whatever they want to onto their dogs’ behaviour if it gives them pleasure, but I don’t want to read stories where the plot is driven at key moments by the behaviour of a dog with a higher IQ than several of the human characters.
As I say, a fairy story. I understand, however, if you the reader, especially if you’re a dog owner, might want to disagree and answer my earlier question by saying: “Yes, you are a grouch.”