Candy｜2025.01.27

📖 Lessons in Chemistry
✍🏻 Bonnie Garmus 
🖨️ Penguin

一開始看到《Lessons in Chemistry》（中譯本：《化學課》）這個書名時，並沒有太吸引到我，抱着覺得應該是與化學有關的科學小說的心態看了頭幾頁，卻發現劇情挺有趣的，敍事方式也很合我的口味，所以便繼續讀了下去。這本書你當然可以稱它為一本提倡女性主義的小說，因為這是貫穿整個故事不可或缺的訊息。但是，令我驚喜的是當中還有一點懸疑故事的元素，劇情很豐富但沒有冗長的感覺。

故事發生在1960年代的美國，講述化學家Elizabeth Zott作為女性在職場和學術發展上受到各種制肘，在這個被男性主導的化學界中，E的實力一點也不被重視，令她難以進行自己的研究，更別論能在化學界創出自己的一片天。但這一切，都在她遇上當時行業內最有名氣的化學家Calvin Evans後有了轉機。他們相識、相愛，成為了對方的知己，更一起進行研究。很可惜地，他們的幸福並沒有維持很久，一場意外奪走了C的性命，E要再次孤軍作戰，在生活和事業中找到自己的道路，這也是令她後來成為飲食節目”Supper at Six”主持人的開端。

在這個故事中，可以看到E如何不斷經歷人生低谷，卻「關關難過關關過」，最後逐漸找到自己的幸福。在這當中，不得不提的是她那堅毅不屈的性格，以及獨立自主的形象。為了突顯這一點，作者以其他女性角色的各種呈現對比出E的特別。例如，Miss Frask是在E所工作的研究機構中的秘書，她為人帶點機心、喜歡附和男性，她十分不喜歡E，因為E美麗的外貌吸引了很附男性的目光。相反，E完全不着重自己有沒有得到男性的青睞，只想好好發展自己的事業。E在C死後認識並漸成好友的鄰居Harriet也與E的形象全然不同，H給人一種良家婦女形像，然而她一直忍耐暴躁的丈夫，默默承受這不幸福的婚姻多年。這種個性與E截然不同，因為她遇到不忿的事的時候往往都會主動作出改變，令自己脫離任何「有毒」的環境/狀況。在這些女性角色的比較下，E的言行都會讓你知道她不是「一般」女性，並且在當時社會可說是一個「奇怪」的女性。

E後來為了養家糊口而主持起飲食節目，以她獨特的風格，教育廣大家庭婦女寓煮食於化學。這一部份也是我在整本書中最喜歡的劇情，就像在看着她在掀起一場革命，除了煮食及化學知識外，她也在告訴所有女性——你有一切的自由去追尋自己真正的夢想，創造自己的價值；而同時也對男性表明——你們的意見如何其實無人在意。另外，我也很喜歡E會在節目中經常說的一句hook line “Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself.”（「孩子們，你們來擺餐桌、準備餐具，讓媽媽可以有點自己的時間。」）這句說話令我很感動，因為這其實呼應了當初H提醒她生活無論多忙、多混亂，都要每天留一丁點時間給自己。這除了再次令我想起她們之間的友誼外，也說明了E已經領悟到這句話的重要性。她提醒了所有女性都應該有屬於自己的寧靜時刻，這一個不為任何人、只為自己的時間，這也點出了女性和家庭主婦是整個男性主導社會、各個家庭都需要尊重的關鍵角色。

總括而言，個人來說很享受這本小說，當中的轉折雖然不是很新穎和比較容易預測，但也是恰到好處的劇情發展。看完這本小說後，我去看了改編而成的同名劇集，感覺上兩個形式都有好看之處，而劇集中的一些改動我也覺得有昇華故事的作用，所以我也十分推薦先看小說，後看劇集，感受這個故事的不同呈現方法。

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"Lessons in Chemistry" is not a very attractive title for a novel to me initially, as I assumed it must be a story related to science. However, after reading a few pages, I found it captivating not only due to the plot but also the author's narrative style.

The story is set in 1960s America and revolves around the skills and knowledge of a female chemist, Elizabeth Zott, which were consistently underestimated and ignored by her male colleagues and the company she worked for. This made her career path in the chemistry field challenging. However, after she met Calvin Evans, they developed a strong bond, fell in love, and conducted research together. Unfortunately, their happiness was short-lived as Calvin met with a tragic accident. This event prompts Elizabeth to find her own way forward, eventually leading her to host the cooking show "Supper at Six.”

While reading the book, I followed Elizabeth's journey through its ups and downs, and I was impressed by her perseverance and independence. The author effectively highlighted her personality by contrasting her with other female characters in the book. For instance, Miss Frask, the secretary at the Institute where Elizabeth worked, was a people-pleaser who harbored some jealousy towards Elizabeth due to her beauty, which garnered attention from male colleagues. In contrast, Elizabeth prioritized being recognized for her skills as a chemist over how she was perceived as a woman. Another character, Harriet Sloane, Elizabeth's neighbor, presented a different contrast. Harriet, a gentle woman, endured an unhappy marriage without standing up for herself, a choice Elizabeth would not have made, as she would have sought to escape such a toxic situation.

She became a host for a TV cooking show later because of the need to earn a living. I like this part of the story the most because I admired her confidence and the way she integrated her chemistry knowledge into the show, highlighting the scientific aspects of cooking. This added an educational dimension to the show, empowering women viewers with knowledge and emphasizing the importance of confidence and independence.  Elizabeth's catchphrase on the show, "Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself," echoed the support she received from Harriet during challenging times, it made me feel so touched when thinking of their friendship and support to one another. Elizabeth reminded everyone that all women should have their “own” time, the time that is not for others’ good but oneself. This also led to the conclusion that women and housewives played a vital role that should be respected by everyone in the male-oriented society during that era.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While some plot twists may have been predictable, the story's development was engaging. I even watched the TV show adaptation after reading the book, and both were exceptional. In fact, I found certain changes made in the show to be even better than in the book! This story is truly remarkable and highly recommended.

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《Lessons in Chemistry》


ISBN : 9781804990926
BY (AUTHOR) Garmus, Bonnie
PUBLISHER : Transworld Publishers Ltd    
PUBLICATION DATE : March 02, 2023