Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I set myself a personal reading challenge to read and review all eight of the novels shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print prize 2023.

I listened to an Audible recording of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, narrated by Miranda Raison, which included an interview with Garmus by Pandora Sykes. In my opinion this novel is a kind of fable. The opening words ‘back in 1961’ are like ‘once upon a time’. Lessons in Chemistry is an entertaining and useful reminder of past struggles told from a place of comparative safety. The male chauvinist attitudes Elizabeth Zott experiences have not gone away, but at least they have been driven underground in many parts of the world.

Elizabeth Zott is a caricature, which is an effective way to present a difficult message. She is a scientific genius, but socially awkward and incapable of adopting the flirtatious mannerisms necessary to appease men. Zott’s beauty would have been a useful tool in progressing her career, but she is unaware of it. As a result she is judged according to prejudices which she cannot understand. Much of the humour in the novel comes from this mismatch. Also, the dialogue is funny and there is a wealth of satire and irony. The reader has the benefit of several points of view, because Garmus cleverly gets inside the head of her characters. One of them is Elizabeth Zott’s dog, and why not? My dog understands every word I say.

In the interview Garmus agrees that not all men are predators, and Sykes comments that at least one of her male characters, Walter Pine, is ‘rather lovely’. Garmus also states that she wanted to salute Zott’s generation of overlooked women and remind herself society has moved forward. She has achieved these objectives superbly. However, there is a scene of sexual violence against a woman and several tragic events, so I found myself growing sad or angry as often as I laughed. Lessons in Chemistry is a comedy in the Shakespearean sense, where dreadful things happen but there is a happy ending.

The winner of the Comedy Women in Print prize will be announced on 17th April. Follow the link below for more details.

https://www.comedywomeninprint.co.uk/2022-prize