Looking to spice up your book club meeting? Well, you’re in luck! Choosing the perfect discussion questions for Lessons In Chemistry is key to ensuring a memorable and engaging book club meeting. Known for its popularity among book clubs, this novel by Bonnie Garmus is a fantastic choice. Making its debut in April 2022 under the Doubleday publishing label, Lessons in Chemistry tells the captivating tale of Elizabeth Zott. Fired from her job as a chemist four years prior, Elizabeth finds herself reinventing her career as an adored cooking show host in 1960s Southern California. The success of this remarkable story even led to its adaptation into an Apple TV+ miniseries which premiered on October 13th, 2023. So grab your copy and get ready for some scintillating discussions!
Top 10 Lessons In Chemistry Book Club Questions
Check out these top ten book club questions for Lessons In Chemistry, voted as the absolute favorites by readers on this site. Feel free to choose your own for your next book club gathering.
- Elizabeth is incredibly determined to live life on her own terms, including how she raises her child. How does this benefit her, and what challenges does it present?
- What are the contrasting perspectives on men held by Elizabeth and Harriett?
- Can you spare ten minutes discussing the incredible nature of Six Thirty? In what way was he pivotal to the narrative? Is your furry friend well-versed in a wide range of words?
- So, check it out! This book is like a blast from the past, filled with all sorts of outdated nonsense. We’re talking about sexism galore, unequal pay, sexual assault, and a major lack of respect for women’s intelligence (including our girl Elizabeth). And you might think this sounds straight out of the 1950s…but hold up! Believe it or not, some of this old-fashioned sexism and sexual harassment still lingers in today’s culture. Can you believe that? Time to take a closer look at why we haven’t completely left these issues behind yet.
- Think about it, do you reckon the novel has any anti-religion vibes? Give me your take on it.
- “Nothing is more frustrating than seeing someone else hog all the happiness, and at Hastings Research Institute, Elizabeth and Calvin seemed to be doing just that.” Like a real-life Mean Girls situation in the office cafeteria, their colleagues couldn’t help but feel jealous or resentful. But why were they reacting this way?
- Take a look at Mad’s family lineage. It’s like something out of a fantastical storybook, but it also holds a lot of truth. Alongside Nefertiti and Sojourner Truth, there’s her grandpa Walter in his prison pajamas, her grandma enjoying some tamales, her deceased uncle, and let’s not forget the acorn. Is Mad just unique? Or do all kids have the ability to speak unfiltered truth like this? Why is it that adults struggle so much with doing the same thing?
- Do you ever see Elizabeth as “going with the flow” to make her life simpler? Can you point out any instances where you think she should have done so?
- So, like, what’s the deal with religion and how it affects women in society? Has it always been a factor or is this a recent thing?
- What are your thoughts on how women have responded to Supper At Six? In your opinion, does Elizabeth have a bigger impact as a Chemist or as an inspirational figure?
11 More Book Club Questions for Lessons In Chemistry
You’re going to want around ten to twelve questions for your next book club get-together. It’s hard to predict which ones will really hit the mark with your crew until you all start chatting away. So just for you, here are some extra book club questions to choose from specifically for Lessons In Chemistry.
- The book frequently explores families, but none of the main characters come from what you’d call a “traditional family.” How does this unconventional family dynamic influence their experiences in the story?
- How do you reckon this would come across on the big screen?
- Would Elizabeth’s television program, “Supper at Six,” truly achieve success during the 1950s or 60s? And how would it fare in today’s world?
- “According to her notebook, when sucrose is heated at 200 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes, one water molecule is lost per mole of sucrose. In a total of 55 minutes, four water molecules are lost. She concluded that this was the reason why the biscuit batter turned out wrong. Frustrated, she tapped her pencil on the countertop and muttered that there were still too many water molecules present. Have you ever resorted to such calculations to figure out why your cake ended up as dry as Tucson in August? Do you rely more on chemistry or artistry when it comes to cooking?”
- Calvin, in a rather well-known incident, ended up puking all over Elizabeth during what can only be described as a disgustingly memorable first encounter. Care to share any similarly revolting tales from your own dating experiences?
- So, imagine this: you’re caught in the middle of a heated debate between Calvin and Wakely discussing God, faith, and science. What’s your play? Whose team are you on?
- So, here’s the deal: remember that time when Mrs. Sloane went to see the priest and he gave her some advice? Yeah, well, turns out it wasn’t exactly what she was hoping for. For like thirty whole years, this priest dude just nodded along and then dropped a bombshell on her – divorce was totally off the table. But hey, he did offer her some other options to consider. Like praying for guidance on how to be a better wife (because apparently that’s all on her), taking a good hard look at herself and figuring out where she went wrong (again, all on her), or maybe even sprucing up her appearance a bit. Talk about tough love! So what do you think of this little nugget of wisdom? Any reactions?
- So, how do you reckon gender expectations have influenced the decisions you’ve made in your own life?
- Do you think this is something that your friends would enjoy? If so, who specifically and why?
- So, how do you feel about this character named Six-Thirty and the part they play in the book? Have you ever come across someone like Six-Thirty in your own life?
- Who is the character you like the most in the book and what makes them your favorite?