Lekcije iz hemije, Boni Garmus, Laguna, Beograd, 2022

prevodilac: Eli Gilić

Bookhub vam donosi nove impresije sa književnog kluba u Američkom kutku u Nišu. Razgovori u okviru književnog kluba su bili intersantni, nudeći pregršt suprotstavljenih mišljenja. Generalno svi su se složili da Lekcije iz hemije, autorke Boni Garmus osvajaju svojim humorom, laganim jezikom i čitljivošću. Nekoliko učesnika je primetilo da je ova knjiga poput hemijske reakcije: pravi miks između zabavnog i edukativnog. Što se naše reakcije tiče, pokušaćemo da izdvojimo detaljniju analizu romana i uvučemo vas u naš svet književne kritike. Nadam se da ćemo vas zaintrigirati da ovoj roman pročitate ili na srpskom ili na engleskom. Srpsko izdanje možete naći u Laguninom izdanju u prevodu Eli Gilić, a ukoliko ste zainteresovani za čitanje u originalu dobrodošli ste u Američki kutak u Nišu.

Narativ

Roman počinje 1961. godine. Elizabet Zot ima trideset godina i samohrana je majka. Zvezda je kulinarske emisije za domaćice nazvane Večera u šest. Čitaoci primećuju njenu depresivnu stranu i kroz romaneskno tkivo polako saznaju korene njene autodestrukcije. Po struci, Elizabet je istraživačka hemičarka. Njena akademska karijera je propala sticajem neravnopravnog polažaja žena u američkom društvu šezdestih, uprkos njenom ogromnom talentu. Retrospektivnim pripovedanjem autorka nas vodi deset godina unazad, kako bi razumeli zašto Elizabet ima takvu sudbinu. 

Ovo je momenat kada se možemo koristiti postulatima feminističke kritike i skrenuti pažnju na to kako su se naučnice gledale snishodljivo od strane svojih muških kolega, i ukazati na takvu praksu u akademskim institucijama čak i danas. Čitalac će primeti da je Elizabet skrajnuta od njenih ranih dana, dok je još bila devojčica, pa preko studenskih dana, sve do zrelog doba. Bila je izložena napadima na svoj ugled i ličnost. Napadi će varirati od onih zastrašujućih i jezivih (seksualni napad) do onih akademski nečasnih (krađe njenog istraživačkog rada). U tom opsegu napada čitalac će sagledavati i uobičajeno svakodnevno mizogino ponašanja koje okružuje Elizabet, čak uključujući i napade drugih žena i žensku nesolidarnost. Žene – njen moderni, nezavisni duh i upornost vide kao pretnju za ustaljeni poredak društva. Onog trenutka u romanu kada Elizabet pronađe ljubav svog života, Nobelom nominovanog hemičara Kalvina Evansa, njihova sreća postaće dodatni podsticaj za ljubomorne žene i muškarce koje ih okružuju.
Posle niza nedaća Elizabet prihvata televizijski posao kako bi preživela kao samohrani roditelj, nakon što je dobila otkaz iz istraživačkog instituta. To je trenutak u romanu kada Elizabet započinje svoju tihu borbu za ženska prava. Mudro koristi svoju kulinarsku emisiju da direktno komunicira sa milionima domaćica o njihovoj sopstvenoj moći za promene u društvu. Na neki način započinje svoju borbu za osvešćivanje žena, za potrebom za obrazovanjem i borbu protiv postojećeg patrijarhalnog poretka. 

Autorki se mora priznati veština da osmisli intersantan i komičan roman oko lika koji je potpuno ozbiljan, melanholičan, prepun posttraumatskog stresa i trauma, a kroz čiji život se samo nižu loše stvari i tragedije. Čitaoci komične postupke otkrivaju u razlici između Elizabetinog mirnog, ali odlučnog odbijanja da bude bilo šta drugo osim sebe, kao i u upornim pokušajima likova koji je okružuju u romanesknoj građi da je stave u prihvatljiv kalup društvenog normativa.

Motivacija i feministička književna kritika

Roman ima dosta manjkavosti, tako da ne iznenađuje da je često odbijan od strane američkih izdavača. Siže romana je nestalan, osvetljavaju se sporedni likovi, umesto da se produbljuje unutrašnji život glavne junakinje. Takođe, postoji nit koja seže u polu-magični realizam iz perspektive Elizabetinog neobično intuitivnog psa, što neke čitaoce može privući, dok druge može iritirati (mene M.R.).
Slažem se da je roman Lekcije iz hemije interesantan, lakog jezika i zahvalan za čitanje u originalu, međutim težnja autorke da ovaj roman bude nešto više nije uspeo – naročito u domenu postulata feminističke kritike. Primetna je tendencija autorke da u romaneskni prostor uvede društveni komentar o iskustvima žena u naučnoj zajednici. Slaba motivacija u romanu dominira, naročito u segmentima gde se o ženskoj borbi za svoja prava govori iz perspektive žene 21. veka. Time borbe koje Elizabet vodi još od dela romana u kojem se opisuju nedaće u hemijskim laboratorijama i u kampusu i izvan njega, autorka slabom motivacijom obezvređuje sopstvenu poruku.

Natprosečna i izuzetna – Super žena

Manjkavost u motivaciji se pre svega ogleda u činjenici da je Elizabet natprosečna i izuzetna žena tog vremena. To pažljivim čitaocima narativ čini manje izazovnim. Možda bi srećnije rešenje bilo da je lik motivisan kao inteligentna žena, ali ne nužno i genijalna. Iako Elizabet nije jedina žena u ovoj priči sa ambicijama, ona je jedina natprosečna i ima ekskluzivno pravo da sledi svoje ambicije bez ikakve pomoći. Da li je to tada bilo moguće? Sporedni likovi će se na kraju boriti za ono što žele, ali tek nakon što ih Elizabet inspiriše. Bez obzira na Elizabetin stav da prosečna žena zaslužuje da bude ozbiljno shvaćena, autorka veliča isključivo izuzetnu i natprosečnu, a ne prosečnu ženu. To bi bio i prvi ozbiljniji problem ukoliko se oslanjamo na postulate feminističke književne kritike.
Osim toga, motivacija buđenja svesti kod žena ide isključivo u poređenju ženskih likova naspram muških likova. One ostvaraju žensku interakciju ili preko svoje zajedničke tuge zbog gubitka muškarca ili zbog mizoginije koju su doživele. Previše prostora dato je i muškom liku – Kalvinu. Pored prostora u motivaciji glavne junakinje date su mu veće zasluga nego što ih prosečan čitalac pronalazi u romanesknoj građi. Kalvin ceni Elizabetinu sposobnost da se bavi hemijom, ali često ne uspeva da poštuje njene druge želje. S druge strane, prikazan je kao neobično izuzetan čovek u smislu svog genija i poštovanja prema ženama (u kontekstu društva i vremena u kome se nalazi). Način na koji ga je autorka istakla, kako kroz lik Elizabet, tako i kroz celu romanesknu građu, kod čitaoca stvara utisak da samo zaista izuzetni muškarci imaju sposobnost da poštuju žene, dok nam istovremeno govore da treba da hvalimo muškarce za obavljanje „muških stvari“ u porodici.

Savremena feministička kritika insistira u doslednosti prikazivanja frustracija generacija žena u okviru epoha, čak iako ih osvetljavamo novoistorijskim postulatima čija je feministička kritika integralni deo. Pred čitaoce se uvodi misterija vezana za Kalvinovu porodicu, kao i pogled na politiku i disfunkciju lokalne televizijske stanice. Asocijacije na Dikensov postupak su evidentne i jasno ukazane time što je Kalvinom omiljen roman Velika iščivanja. Elizabet je žena za sve – ona je samohrana majka koja odgaja natprosečno inteligentnu ćerku Medelin. Super žena ima nekonvencionalni pristup roditeljstvu ( za vreme koje je opisano u romanu) i duboku vezu sa svojim psom, Šest i trideset. Obilje zabavnih sporednih zapleta, čak i uplitanje magijskog realizma, gde pas Šest i trideset postaje narator (meni ne baš tako zabavnih M.R.) duhovitih dijaloga, ona postiže izvanredne uspehe u rekrativnom veslanju. 

S druge strane, stoji neosporna i teška činjenica da je 1961. godine pametnoj, ambicioznoj ženi bilo sve ograničeno i gotovo nedostižno. Vidimo kako je naučnica koja je bila gurnuta u kuhinju našla način da ostvari oslabljenu verziju sopstvenog sna. Takođe, vidimo kako su dve žene koje su radile u istom laboratoriju morale da se okrenu jedna protiv druge. Upoznajemo Harijet, Elizabetinu prijateljicu i komšinicu, koja je zarobljena u nesrećnom braku sa čovekom koji se žali da smrdi.
Nadam se da smo uspeli da vam rasvetlimo nekoliko pogleda na roman Lekcije iz Hemije, a da ne otkrijemo siže romana – otkrivajući kako se ova priča provlači kroz slojeve humora, inteligencije i suptilne kritike.
Dok se pripremamo za sledeću diskusiju, ne možemo da ne spomenemo kako je ovaj roman dobio svoj sjajni ekranizovani oblik. Sa Bri Larson u glavnoj ulozi, ova sapuničasta mini-serija na AppleTv+ definitivno će biti sledeća na listi za gledanje. Ko zna, možda nas i ona inspiriše na još jednu živahnu raspravu o svetu književnosti i umetnosti.

Lessons in Chemistry: Analysis and Expectations

Bookhub brings you fresh impressions from the literary club at the American Corner in Niš, featuring Professor Maja. Discussions within the book club were engaging, offering a plethora of contrasting opinions. Overall, everyone agreed that „Lessons in Chemistry“ by Bonnie Garmus captivates with its humor, easy language, and readability. Several participants noted that this book is like a chemical reaction: a perfect blend of entertainment and education. As for our reaction, we will attempt to provide a detailed analysis of the novel and immerse you in our world of literary critique. We hope to intrigue you to read this novel, either in Serbian or English. The Serbian edition can be found in Laguna’s translation by Eli Gilić, and if you’re interested in reading the original, you’re welcome to visit the American Corner in Niš.

The Narrative

The narrative begins in 1961. Elizabeth Zott is thirty years old and a single mother. She is the star of a cooking show for housewives called „Supper at Six.“ Readers notice her depressive side and slowly uncover the roots of her self-destruction through the novel’s fabric. By profession, Elizabeth is a research chemist. Her academic career has faltered due to the unequal position of women in American society in the sixties, despite her immense talent. Through retrospective narration, the author takes us back ten years to understand why Elizabeth has such a fate. This is the moment when we can apply the postulates of feminist critique and draw attention to how female scientists were patronized by their male colleagues, and point out such practices in academic institutions even today. The reader will notice that Elizabeth has been sidelined from her early days, from girlhood through student days, to adulthood. She has been subjected to attacks on her reputation and personality. Attacks range from frightening and chilling (sexual assault) to academically dishonest (theft of her research work). Within this range of attacks, the reader will perceive the usual everyday misogynistic behavior surrounding Elizabeth, including attacks from other women and female disunity. Women view her modern, independent spirit and persistence as a threat to the established order of society. The moment in the novel when Elizabeth finds the love of her life, Nobel-nominated chemist Calvin Evans, their happiness becomes an additional stimulus for jealous women and men surrounding them.
After a series of setbacks, Elizabeth reluctantly accepts a television job to survive as a single parent after being fired from her research institute. This marks the moment in the novel when Elizabeth embarks on her quiet fight for women’s rights. Wisely leveraging her culinary show, she directly communicates with millions of homemakers about their own power to instigate societal change. In a way, she initiates her crusade for women’s empowerment, advocating for the importance of education and challenging the existing patriarchal order. The author must be commended for her skill in crafting an engaging and comedic novel around a character who is inherently serious, melancholic, and plagued by post-traumatic stress and trauma, with a life fraught with misfortune and tragedy. Readers uncover the comedic elements in the disparity between Elizabeth’s calm yet resolute refusal to be anything but herself and the persistent attempts of the characters around her to fit her into the acceptable mold of societal norms.

Motivation and Feminist Literary Critique

The novel has many shortcomings, so it’s not surprising that it was often rejected by American publishers. The plot of the novel is unstable, focusing on secondary characters instead of delving into the inner life of the main protagonist. Additionally, there is a thread of semi-magical realism from the perspective of Elizabeth’s unusually intuitive dog, which may appeal to some readers but irritate others (myself included, M.R.).
I agree that the novel „Lessons in Chemistry“ is interesting, written in an easy-to-read language, and enjoyable in its original form. However, the author’s attempt to make this novel something more has not succeeded, especially in terms of feminist critique postulates. The author’s tendency to introduce social commentary on women’s experiences in the scientific community is noticeable. Weak motivation dominates the novel, especially in segments where the struggle for women’s rights is discussed from the perspective of a woman of the 21st century. By doing so, the author undermines her own message by weakly motivating Elizabeth’s struggles, starting from the part of the novel that describes the hardships in chemical laboratories and on campus and beyond.

Subpar and Exceptional – Super Woman

The deficiency in motivation primarily lies in the fact that Elizabeth is portrayed as an exceptional woman of her time. This makes the narrative less challenging for discerning readers. Perhaps a more satisfying solution would have been to portray the character as an intelligent woman, but not necessarily a genius. Although Elizabeth is not the only woman in this story with ambitions, she is the only exceptional one and has the exclusive right to pursue her ambitions without any assistance. Was that possible at the time? Secondary characters will eventually fight for what they want, but only after being inspired by Elizabeth. Regardless of Elizabeth’s stance that an average woman deserves to be taken seriously, the author glorifies only the exceptional and above-average, rather than the average woman. This would be the first serious issue if we rely on the principles of feminist literary criticism.
Furthermore, the motivation for women’s awakening consciousness solely relies on comparing female characters to male characters. They engage in female interaction either through their shared grief over the loss of a man or due to the misogyny they have experienced. Too much space is also given to the male character – Calvin. In addition to the space in the motivation of the main character, he is given more credit than the average reader finds in the narrative. Calvin respects Elizabeth’s ability to engage in chemistry, but often fails to respect her other desires. On the other hand, he is depicted as an exceptionally outstanding man in terms of his genius and respect for women (in the context of the society and time he is in). The way the author has highlighted him, both through Elizabeth’s character and throughout the narrative, creates the impression in the reader that only truly exceptional men have the ability to respect women, while simultaneously telling us that we should praise men for doing „men’s things“ in the family.
Contemporary feminist criticism insists on consistency in portraying the frustrations of generations of women within epochs, even when illuminated by new historical postulates of which feminist critique is an integral part. Readers are introduced to a mystery surrounding Calvin’s family, as well as a glimpse into the politics and dysfunction of the local television station. Associations with Dickensian techniques are evident, particularly in Calvin’s favorite novel, „Great Expectations.“ Elizabeth is a woman of all trades – she is a single mother raising her exceptionally intelligent daughter, Madeline. The superwoman exhibits an unconventional approach to parenting (for the time period depicted in the novel) and a deep connection with her dog, Six-Thirty. Amidst a wealth of entertaining subplots, including occasional forays into magical realism where the dog Six-Thirty becomes the narrator (not quite as amusing to me, M.R.), witty dialogues, and humorous situations, she achieves remarkable success in recreational rowing. However, it stands as an indisputable and poignant fact that in 1961, intelligent, ambitious women faced significant limitations and near-impossible hurdles. We see how a scientist who was pushed into the kitchen found a way to pursue a diluted version of her own dream. Additionally, we witness two women working in the same laboratory being pitted against each other. We meet Harriet, Elizabeth’s friend and neighbor, who is trapped in an unhappy marriage with a man who complains about her odor.
I hope we’ve managed to shed some light on various perspectives on the novel „Lessons in Chemistry“ without revealing its plot – revealing how this story weaves through layers of humor, intelligence, and subtle critique.

As we prepare for our next discussion, we can’t help but mention how this novel has received its brilliant screen adaptation. With Brie Larson in the lead role, this soap opera mini-series on AppleTV+ will definitely be next on the watchlist. Who knows, it might inspire us to another lively discussion about the world of literature and art.