This month Book Club members had a choice between 2 titles, provided by the Library.
They were The Dressmaker and Lessons in Chemistry.
What follows are a selection of comments without any names.
The Dressmaker is the first novel by the Australian author Rosalie Ham, published in 2000 and set in the 1950’s in a fictional Australian country town of Dungatar. The film version was released in 2015.
Molly returns to her hometown to look after her mother, after a successful career overseas. The people of Dungatar had sent Tilly away at the age of ten because of false accusations of murder, after the death of a fellow student. Having been sent away as a little girl with no voice, she comes back eventually seeking revenge.
Most members enjoyed the book with comments such as loved that it was a Gothic Australian novel, extreme characters set in an extreme environment, recognised the characters and the Australian elements.
Others loved the description of the clothes, materials and dressmaking skills.
For those who were more ambivalent, they commented that they enjoyed the film more, too many characters in the book, many of whom were almost caricatures, too exaggerated or extreme. In real life there are many secrets in small towns, but people don’t really care, they accept and absorbed them.
The book was written from a modern perspective of this little town seething with everything going on, things that weren’t talked about. But there was a focus on the women and the men’s stories weren’t important.
When Tilly returned, she had experienced many things that nobody else had. The people thought they used her, but she was still in control. Her dressmaking skills became a bargaining tool.
Realising that nothing had changed in the town, she sets out to seek her revenge.
Anyone who was different was not accepted, examples being Barney, Emma Almanac and Molly.
The fault was born by the women and blamed on them.
Teddy’s family were the only ones who showed any compassion towards Molly and Tilly. They also were outcasts.
When Tilly and Teddy fell in love and planned to leave the town, again events turned against her.
Teddy was a young man full of hubris who thought he was invincible.
Although Tilly had little interest in revenge when she first returned to Dungatar, by the end of the novel her grief and suffering had pushed her to her limit. She burns the town down as vengeance for her mother Molly, who had died of a stroke and whose funeral was neglected by the residents of the town, and for Teddy McSwiney. Molly tells the townswomen that Teddy died trying to prove his love was stronger than their hate.
Lessons in Chemistry was Bonnie Garms’ debut novel, written at the age of 65. It was published in 2022 and tells the story of Elizabeth Zott who becomes a beloved cooking show host in the 1960s in Southern California after being fired as a chemist four years earlier. It has also been adapted as a mini-series for TV.
The book is set in the 1950s.The place and role of women as depicted in the book, was normal for the times.
When asked whether they liked the book there was a range of responses.
Humorous, well written chick lit. A vey feminist type book.
The beginning was boring, too much science.
It was hard to be a woman in a man’s world.
Everything was too drawn out, too much detail dwelling on the discussions and arguments.
Some couldn’t understand why the recipes were given in scientific formulas.
For Elizabeth, Chemistry seemed to be the right choice. She was slightly on the spectrum and hard to love, although some did.
Some thought she was heroic, she could shut out everything and work on her passion for chemistry. Everything she turned her hand to, she did with great energy and intent.
Others thought she should have been stronger, people stole from her and took advantage.
Her career choice appealed to her and was unusual for the times, but it helped her make sense of the world.
She saw cooking as a chemistry and used her dead pan humour to get her message across. She wasn’t really trying to be funny.
Her unusual upbringing and violent relationship with her parents impacted her relationship with other people. She wasn’t close to her mother but knew what she wanted for her own her child.
Her family was damaged, but you make your own family growing up, being true to herself.
The dog called 6.30 was a rarified character and gave a third point of view, commentating on interactions and life. He was with Elizabeth all the time, always very practical about everything.
Another character was Calvin, and together they unexpectedly found love. After his death, Elizabeth realised she was pregnant. Motherhood surprised her, not having wanted it, but she loved her child.
Grieving over Calvin, the child is his gift to her. She names her Madeline, referred to as ‘Mad’.
Harriet was a favourite character. She gave Harriet a life. It was Harriet who helped her raise Mad and provided the type of family life she had never enjoyed.
Walter was the Producer of the programme. Their relationship grew as the show went on.
Elizabeth hosted the cooking show as she needed the money. It was successful because she spoke to the women as adults. It was slotted into that critical time in the afternoon, when ‘mothers’ could relax.
Some found parts of the ending a little far-fetched. What will happen to Elizabeth is unknown, but it seems that the role of women at the Research Institute will be changed forever.
JUNE: Please choose any book written by Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler
