Lessons in Chemistry / PB

received it dirty, with dirty finger prints and marks

The book arrived in perfect condition but had a bit of dust and dirt on the back. I was able to remove most of it with some wet wipes As for the book itself, I didn’t read it yet

This book has had a huge amount of marketing and appears to have sold a lot of copies which is always great for the writer (and the industry in general). I've also had a few friends read it too and have heard nothing but good. The book is 386 pages split into 46 chapters which makes reading it very easy. I had a look on Amazon before I started and was amused to se that this is the number one book in the "Feminist Criticism" category (there was me thinking it was a novel!). The story starts with Elizabeth as a mother, scientist and TV presenter, juggling her commitments in a way that was unusual for the 1960s. We then go back ten years and begin to understand how she got where she is now. Whilst appearing to be light on the surface, the book quickly moves to much darker territory, showing the sexism and abuse that was accepted as normal. That sums up the beauty of this book - it has an unforgiving hardness at its centre but is wrapped but a thin layer of social predictability making it accessible to read. There is a balance of comedy and serious issues that also makes the book fun. Elizabeth as a character is hard to believe and I thought the author could have softened her more but, let yourself go with the depiction, and she is a great focus for the novel. The story has a big build up before we actually get Elizabeth on TV (which is marketed as the core of the novel) - this feels like a long time but is necessary as it sets the scene. Everyone in the book is a remarkable person for all sorts of reasons - even Six Thirty (the dog) who is taught to recognise hundreds of specific words. Getting further into the book I became more and more aware of how deep the topic is. There is a lot of thought around the equality messages and you can't help but make comparisons to today's society - some problems have been reduced by legislation and gradual society change but many issues are worse than ever. Women appearing on TV today would say that their looks are analysed more than ever before, with the possibilities of feedback not limited to phone calls and letters. Endings of novels are hard to get right but this one is perfectly achieved. There is a lovely amount of emotion mixed in with a good balance of well structured plot.

Utterly brilliant. One of the best I've ever read. Imaginative, clever, totally original and beautifully crafted characters.

Recommended by a friend - not disappointed ! A superb read and now a film I believe

The delivery was as expected (took around a week, but it was the date that was stated and with no delay). The book is amazing. I am also a chemist and row, so I understood the academic world and rowing descriptions that I absolutely loved. But I think anyone can enjoy this book and learn about what life in academia was like and despite the progress in recent years, it still feels like to some extent. Absolutely recommend this book!