Lessons in Chemistry, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Lessons in Chemistry.

Did you enjoy the beginning of the book? I really enjoyed the book, right from the very beginning. Do you like the main characters? I know Elizabeth is kind of prickly and very serious and literal, but I like her a lot. She is so strong and determined, even though she has faced horrible hardships. Calvin also has a lot of quirks, but I like him a lot, too. I think my favorite character by far is Six-Thirty. I love how wise he is, and I love how he is dedicated to taking care of Elizabeth. 

At the beginning of the book, Elizabeth is kicked out of her master's program after she violently assaulted by her professor. But, she stays with chemistry and stays with her research. Are you surprised that she still wanted to stay in the field? That definitely shows her determination and grit. It was so frustrating to read about her experiences as a woman in a male dominated field. It was frustrating when she was taken off of her research project, but then, almost immediately, she is put back it because there is a wealthy donor that wants to focus on her area of study. Do you think that's a coincidence? Do you think we know who the donor is? Are they donating to that cause to help Elizabeth out? It seems suspicious that there is a donor helping Elizabeth when there was also a donor that helped out Calvin when he was a little boy in school. What do you think about it all? 

Did you expect that Calvin and Elizabeth would connect so quickly? I liked reading about the way that Elizabeth fed him. I think the fact that Elizabeth was a cook made her feel like more of an approachable person. She seemed more down to earth when she connected her scientific mind to creating delicious food. What did you think about the fact that Elizabeth turned Calvin down when he asked to marry her? Do you think she eventually came to regret the fact that she didn't marry him? 

I was devastated by Calvin's death. It just seemed to unfair that he would die when it seemed like he and Elizabeth had such promise for a beautiful life together. And, it made me so sad that Elizabeth blamed herself because she made him use a leash. It was just such a freak accident. I couldn't believe it. I also felt so sorry for Six-Thirty. He didn't mean to cause any harm. 

Were you more shocked by Calvin's death or by the fact that Elizabeth ended up being pregnant? I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise that Elizabeth was pregnant since the first chapters talk about Elizabeth cooking food for her daughter's lunchbox, but sometimes, I forget details like that when stories move back and forth in time. I was not surprised when Elizabeth was fired. I knew she wouldn't be able to keep working as a single mother. Do you think it would have been different if she and Calvin had been married? Or, do you think they still would have fired her? I think they were looking for any reason to let her go, so I can't imagine that they wouldn't have fired her either way. What do you think Elizabeth will be like as a mother? How will she be able to take care of a baby and work on her career all by herself? 

What did you think of the way that Elizabeth responded to her grief. I thought the fact that she was trying to teach Six-Thirty a lot of words was interesting. I would never think to teach a dog as many words as possible. But, we know that Six-Thirty is no regular dog, so I'm sure he will be able to learn an incredible amount of words. Elizabeth's homemade lab was also pretty interesting. I guess it was good that she had a lab like that at home since so many people from Hastings came to ask her for help. I wonder what else she will be able to use her lab for. 

What did you think will happen in the next section? Are you anxious to see how Elizabeth reacts to motherhood? Are you curious how cooking and the information from the first chapters will come back into the story? Do you think Elizabeth is finished with Hastings forever? 

Before you go, check out the video below in which author, Bonnie Garmus, talks about finally getting published after being rejected almost 100 times!

Thanks for following along this month! I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the first section. Make sure to read the next 15 chapters before joining us again next week!