Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – black and white world and cartoon villains

I am only about 120 pages in.

The premise intrigued me – pioneering woman in science in 1960s standing up against patriarchy, marketed as a feminist novel with a feminist lead – what is not to like.

The book went absolutely downhill hill for me from the SA scene that felt like unnecessary trauma porn. A feminist novel would handle delicate topics better. The world is black and white; the protagonists are flawless quirky geniuses. And there is a dog that thinks and understands English because geniuses can do anything.

I'm on my way to DNF it or at least pause this. So far the book essentially feels like a vague reproduction of what a group of men writing Hallmark movies or Dhar Mann videos think feminism is.