Lessons in chemistry - Chiclit with feminism and science stuff

Lessons in chemistry

This book has been all over my feed. On the book forums and the book lover groups, everyone is raving about it. So I decided to read it, and as always it turned out to be over rated. A feminist chic lit with science and drama. The ending a standard plot twist where the good guys always win.  

Buy here - https://amzn.eu/d/bB8lf9S

A funny, feminist book based in 60s in a parallel universe. With world full of quite black and white characters just like the TVs in that era. Everyone is totally good or totally bad. The bad men are rapists and misogynists. The good men are gentlemen and while the beneficiaries of patriarchy continue to be supportive of women. The women all unhappy playing their traditional roles of wives, mothers and secretaries. Interestingly there is an HR lady too but no more than an assistant. 

This could be very well be an episode of Mad Men with quirky Wes Anderson sounds and corporate images. The single women of course has no childhood trauma despite her entire family gone wack. Her only passion is chemistry and only mission to be a scientist. She is clearly the only best looking, intelligent and smart mouth woman in the entire book. Complete package and still not able to break the glass ceiling. 

What surprises me is how she can manage work, motherhood, kitchen and advancing science, and cookery shows as a single mom. It takes a village to raise a child but probably chemistry is enough. She does get God send helpers and supporters. What really gets her thru is her undying fighting spirit. I like her and I also find her too perfect.  That’s probably the thing. Despite what ever be your past, you decide how your present will be. You choose now and you choose the future for yourself. 

The one thing that I completely detest is child characters who over reach their age. Madelyn or Mad is definitely like the junior Anjali of Kuch kuch Hota hai.  Saying over the top, intelligent and opinionated things about science, religion and doing detective work than being a child. 

Most characters have no shades not even Elizabeth. If not for the chemistry and food stuff it could very well be an ordinary chiclit. Although Darcy dies in this one and Elizabeth bannet continues to fight the patriarchy as an unmarried single mom.  It’s a feel good book and all’s well that ends well. Sometimes pure luck and charm get her thru most things like financial penury or being fired from many jobs. 

It did make me wonder about toxic patriarchy. I can understand the past when we lived in jungles where a man’s physical strength set the hierarchy. I wonder why some men make it a personal mission to suppress women. How does a smart outgoing woman become a threat  to their manhood and power? How does she become a walking invite for a sexual desire? How does her stepping outside home and make her own living threaten their self worth? How does her speaking her mind challenge their authority in every subject? 

I wonder if the world was truly different and women were empowered in history of mankind while men managed babies and homes. How will the history turn out? Would men be fighting for their rights and assertive action now? Would we women be thinking how to change for a better life for our sons in future? Would we be trying to respect a man’s body and rights for equality? We would be but there can’t be a world where a man would not immediately dominate and a women not accept. Because there is a certain way nature has created a man and a woman. One is a hunter and the other is a homemaker. To change this you need to change the generations of the traditional roles played. More women out to hunt and more men keeping the house warm. And vice versa. A gender neutral world means a lot of things, it’s equality in every sense. A perfect world. A dream world. An ideal world of Barbies and Kens.