Lessons in Chemistry: The modern classic multi-million-copy bestseller

Bonnie Garmus

Apr 2022 · Random House

About this ebook

Discover the must-read Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, the perfect uplifting summer read, now a major Apple TV series starring Brie Larson.

'The most charming, life-enhancing novel I've read in ages' Sunday Times

‘A page-turning and highly satisfying tale’ – Maggie Shipstead, author of Great Circle

___________

Your ability to change everything - including yourself - starts here

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, she would be the first to point out that there is no such thing.

But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take a very unscientific view of equality.

Forced to leave her job at the institute, she soon finds herself the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show, Supper at Six.

But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook.

She's daring them to change the status quo. One molecule at a time.
__________


A Book of the Year for:
Guardian, Times, Sunday Times, New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Woman & Home, Stylist, TLS Oprah Daily, Newsweek, Mail on Sunday, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, India Knight, Hay Festival, Waterstones, Amazon, Books are My Bag and many more!

Author of the Year at the British Book Awards
Winner of the Goodreads Choice Best Debut Novel Award
Winner of the Books are My Bag Reader's Choice Award
Winner of the Books are My Bag Breakthrough Author Award
Shortlisted for the HWA Crown Award


Praise for Lessons in Chemistry:

‘Full of humour, heartbreak and characters who feel like real people’ Red Magazine

'Thought-provoking and stylish' Guardian

'Laugh-out-loud funny and brimming with life, generosity and courage' Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

'I loved Lessons in Chemistry and am devastated to have finished it!' Nigella Lawson

'A novel that sparks joy with every page' Elizabeth Day, author of Magpie

'Witty and sometimes hilarious ... the Catch-22 of early feminism' Stephen King

‘A beautiful, sharp, funny and dark modern classic. I adored it' Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End


Lessons in Chemistry has sold over 6 million copies worldwide across all formats, The Guardian, December 2023

Ratings and reviews

I found this book frustrating because of the lack of growth of the main female lead, overall unbalanced character strengths, and absence of diversity in perspectives. She is never wrong, always knows the truth about life, is excellent at everything, and, of course, attractive. Although I love how the author has characters relating to each other for each scene, other than 1 or 2 characters, there seems to be little personal rather than just philosophical or perhaps scientific growth, depending on your point of view. Her cooking show has her being super respectful towards homemakers, but that doesn't make sense for her character, who doesn't understand women who are housewives. I found the book's representation of children and bullying frustrating

DNF this book, I stopped at the first few chapters. While I empathise with the sexism. that she faced in the STEM field, the protagonist Elizabeth is an incredibly annoying know-it-all and unlikeable person. Calvin is no better. I don't know if it's deliberate for the sake of character development or not.

Zero character growth, the main character is a know it all and never wrong. Somehow all the other characters had no other hobbies but to make her life miserable. If you enjoy shows like "the big bang theory", you might enjoy this read.

About the author

BONNIE GARMUS is the author of Lessons in Chemistry, a number-one global bestseller and winner of several national and international awards, including Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Year, Hay Festival’s Book of the Year, Goodreads Choice Award Debut of the Year, British Book Awards Author of the Year, Waterstones Author of the Year, Books are My Bag Author of the Year Award and Readers’ Choice Award, Germany and Australia’s Booksellers Book of the Year, and many more. It has been on the New York Times, Sunday Times and Der Spiegel bestseller lists for nearly two years. Currently published in forty-two territories, it has sold almost seven million copies.