Lessons in Chemistry The multi-million-copy bestseller

The book piqued my interest because it is about an interesting women that strugles with the norms of society in the timeperiod she’s in. As I began reading, I liked the story, but I also liked the way it is constructed. It starts with something that’s new to the reader, then proceeds to explain what the reader knows from the description on the back of the book. Soon the story continues and the reader has no idea where it takes them. It is not easy to foresee the story, which I like very much. So while reading, I was practically unable to set the book down and on the second night, I wasn’t able to stop. I read through to morning, because it was so so interesting. Do I need to say more?

Das Buch zu lesen hat viel Freude gemacht. Die Personen und zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen sind sehr feinfühlig beschrieben, vor allem aber ist es ein sehr humorvolles Buch. Insbesondere die erste Hälfte - in der zweiten erschienen mir einige Szenen doch etwas klischeehaft. Alles in allem aber ein Lesegenuss und sehr viel mehr als einfach "Emanzipationsliteratur".

Elizabeth Zott is a famous cooking show host in the 1960s. People love the way she beings cooking to their homes which is quite different from what everybody else does. She explains the chemistry behind the food and the processes she operates in the kitchen because, well, cooking is simply chemistry. But this is not what the mother of 10-year-old Madeline had in mind. She wanted to work in a lab and do serious research. However, she was ahead of her time, women were supposed to marry and take care of the home and children but not taken seriously as scientists. Only Calvin Evans, one of her colleagues who is as passionate about chemistry as Elisabeth, recognises her potential and treats her as an equal. They quickly become much more than colleagues. As lovers, they are soulmates and have found the other part they have always missed. Fate, however, had other plans for them. Bonnie Garmus‘ novel is a rollercoaster of emotions which first and foremost lives from the outstanding protagonist who is unique and exceptional in all respects, a feminist long before the word existed in the common knowledge, stubborn and intelligent at the same time. Life is so unfair to her that I wanted to shout at times, but, on the other hand, “Lessons in Chemistry” also highlights what a change a single person can make. Elizabeth has chosen a highly misogynist environment, science labs in the 1950s were no places for women, except for the secretaries. Already the idea that she could have an equal - not to speak of a superior - mind as her male colleague seems unimaginable. But not only does she encounter men who look down on her, harassment and even assaults are normal parts of a woman’s professional life. When she encounters Calvin, things seem to have the potential to change, but he, too, despite being a prodigies and highly regarded, cannot influence his colleagues’ attitudes that much. A female fighter who only briefly after the birth of her daughter goes down, but stands up again. She uses her cooking show to inspire others, to send out her messages ignorant of conventions and the risk of losing her job. She knows that things must change and that women need the same chances as their male colleagues. The fight she has chosen seems unwinnable und futile, but for her, it is worth every setback. A wonderful novel, funny and tragic, oscillating between the emotional extremes, with amazing female characters who even today can inspire and motivate readers since the battle of equality still has not been won.

So zu 100% konnte es mich leider nicht überzeugen, dafür blieb es mir zu sehr an der Oberfläche. Aber wenn Sie ein leichtes, lustiges und kurzweiliges Buch suchen, dann ist "Lessons in chemistry" die richtige Wahl.

Obwohl das Buch sehr gehypt wird, konnte ich es nicht fertig lesen. Ohne zu Spoilern: Eigentlich braucht das Buch eine Trigger Warnung gleich für den Anfang. Es wird auch einfach falsch beworben. Auch liegt mir die Art und Weise, wie das Buch geschrieben ist, überhaupt nicht. Eine Frau aus dem 1950er/60er wird geschrieben wie aus 2020, einige Fakten sind sehr verdreht. Wem es gefällt, mir leider gar nicht.