Discussion Questions:
Questions ahead contain spoilers !
1. Did you enjoy Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus? What rating out of 5 stars would you give it?
2. Elizabeth stated that ”cooking is a serious science. In fact, it’s chemistry.” Does this make you look at cooking differently?
3. Did you like Elizabeth? Why and Why not?
4. Elizabeth wears a pencil in her hair. What does this represent to you?
5. Is Dr. Meyers or Phil Lebensmal, believable characters or more like caricatures? They both were demeaning, controlling and tried to dominate Elizabeth.
6. Elizabeth faced a lot of professional hardship. What do you think of the challenges women faced in 1950s as compared to now? How far has gender inequalities and sexism in the workplace changed? Is there room for more improvement?
7. What was your favorite quote? Why did it stick out to you?
8. Which character did you relate to the most? Why? Who was your favorite character?
9. When Calvin proposed to Elizabeth, she said no. What does she mean when she said she didn’t want to be like Mileva Einstein or EstherLederberg? Do you think she should have said yes?
10. Were you surprised that Calvin Evans was killed off so quickly, near the beginning of the book?
11. ‘Super at Six’ was a very popular show, particularly with the female audience. Why do you think that it was so successful? What was it that made it different from other shows?
12. What is the significance of rowing in this book? What is rowing a metaphor for?
13. There are many themes in the book, such as family, friendship, gender inequality and stereotyping, faith and religion, chemistry, and social norms to name a few. Which theme stood out to you the most?
Enhance Your Book Club:
Check out Studyguide: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, for plot summary, chapter summary and analysis, themes, characters, quotes and topics of discussions!
Check out the interview with Bonnie Garmus as she talks about her book Lessons In Chemistry.