Chemistry

PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARD WINNER • WHITING AWARD WINNER • Smart, moving, and funny, a unique coming-of-age story about a quirky, overworked narrator who seems to be on the cusp of a perfect life but finds herself on a new path of discoveries about everything she thought she knew.   

"Told in a hilarious deadpan that recalls Gish Jen and Nora Ephron." —O, The Oprah Magazine

At first glance, the life of the narrator of Weike Wang’s debut novel seems ideal: she is studying for a prestigious PhD in chemistry that will make her Chinese parents proud (or at least satisfied), and her successful, supportive boyfriend has just proposed to her. But instead of feeling hopeful, she is wracked with ambivalence: the long, demanding hours at the lab have created an exquisite pressure cooker, and she doesn’t know how to answer the marriage question. Soon it all becomes too much and her life plan veers off course....

Winner of PEN/Hemingway Award for Best First Novel 2018

“" Chemistry starts as a charming confection and then proceeds to add on layers of emotional depth and complexity with every page. It is to Wang''s great credit that she manages to infuse such seriousness with so much light. I loved this novel." --Ann Patchett "The most assured novel about indecisiveness you''ll ever read . . . The title Chemistry also, of course, alludes to love. But in Chinese the word for ''chemistry'' translates to ''the study of change.'' The novel is equally about the narrator''s slow self-transformation and her relationship with [her boyfriend] Eric. Both have arrived at a catalytic moment: ''the indecision each reaction faces before committing to its path'' . . . Chemistry is narrated in a continual present tense, which, in conjunction with Wang''s marvelous sense of timing and short, spare sections, can make the novel feel like a stand-up routine. Personal crises are interrupted, to great effect, with deadpan observations about crystal structures and the beaching patterns of whales. The spacing arrives like beats for applause . . . Despite its humor, Chemistry is an emotionally devastating novel about being young today and working to the point of incapacity without knowing what you should really be doing and when you can stop. I finished the book and, after wiping myself off the floor, turned back to an early passage when the narrator asks her dog, ''What do you want from me? You must want something.'' It doesn''t." --Jamie Fisher, The Washington Post "A novel about an intelligent woman trying to find her place in the world. It has only the smallest pinches of action but generous measures of humor and emotion. The moody but endearing narrative voice is reminiscent of Jenny Offill''s Dept. of Speculation and Catherine Lacey''s Nobody is Ever Missing. Fans of those novels will find a lot to enjoy here . . . Moments of tenderness are repeatedly juxtaposed with moments of misery . . . The [narrator] tells us there is a phrase for family love in Chinese that in translation means ''I hurt for you.'' This love, rather than romantic love, feels like the true subject of the book. Chemistry will appeal to anyone asking themselves, How do I create the sort of family I want without rejecting the family I have?" --Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, The New York Times Book Review "Beguiling . . . with wry observation and witty distraction . . . A funny, idiosyncratic story of a young woman with big brains, big family baggage and a wonderfully fresh voice sorting out a world of science, language, dogs, counseling therapy, a BFF and her baby, SAT tutoring, Boston weather, cases of wine, TV cooking shows--and piecing together the right chemistry in her life . . . Wang''s narrator spices her daily ups and downs with a little bit of science here, a Chinese language oddity there, shrink-talk and a running stream of observations about parents and child- and dog-rearing . . . Wang has an astute feel for the deep, scary uncertainties of a young, talented woman trying to shake off a demanding family and a derailed career and relationship. Chemistry is full of surprises--its many digressions congealing to yield an impressive literary blend." --Bruce Jacobs, Shelf Awareness "One of the year''s most winningly original debuts . . . Nearly every page is marked by some kind of breezy scientific anecdote or aside--pithy, casually brilliant ruminations on everything from meiosis and mitochondria to what makes rockets fly. That it''s all so accessible and organic to the story is one of the book''s most consistent pleasures. So is the texture and tone of Wang''s language, a voice so fresh and intimate and mordantly funny that she feels less like fiction than a friend you''ve known forever--even if she hasn''t met you yet. Grade: A" --Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly "Outstanding . . . Unfolding in brief chapters studded with observations about her childhood and scientific facts, Chemistry may be the funniest novel ever written about living with depression." --Kim Hubbard, People , "The Best New Books" "Wang''s heroine, a young Chinese-American woman who is emotionally and professionally adrift, feels crushed by the expectations of her demanding parents, and by the pressures of her prestigious Boston university and her competitive male-dominated field, synthetic organic chemistry. She is also deeply ambivalent about marriage and committing to a career in synthetic organic chemistry. Chemistry is a sort of anti-coming-of-age story: Instead of figuring out how to be an adult, the narrator learns to live with uncertainty and indecision . . . In a deadpan voice, Wang drops in arcane chemistry trivia and captures the quirky, cutthroat subculture of science graduate students." --Alexandra Alter, The New York Times "A spiky, sparkling slip of a novel . . . with a singular take on love, lab science, and existential crises." --Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly "10 Best Books of the Year So Far" "In this debut novel, a graduate student in chemistry learns the meaning of explosive when the rigors of the hard sciences clash with the chronic instability of the heart. A traditional family, a can''t-miss fianc, and a research project in meltdown provide sufficient catalyst to launch the protagonist off in search of that which cannot be cooked up in the lab." -- The Millions, "Most Anticipated of 2017" "Wang''s novel depicts a smart woman confronting an unplanned roadblock in her carefully engineered path, then feeling her way toward a terrifying unknown . . . The work has [a] quiet, unassuming power, as the narrator''s clinical approach and outsider eye infuses the story of her mental breakdown with both wry humor and pathos . . . A capably crafted, thoughtful novel." --Claire Fallon, Huffington Post "After studying chemistry at Harvard (and getting a doctorate in public health there too), Wang turned to writing, and got an MFA from Boston University. Her debut novel tells the story of a young woman struggling with her chemistry research while facing pressure from her friends, professors, and family to get it done." --Eliza Thompson, Cosmopolitan, "16 New Books You Need to Read in 2017" "A poignant tale of self-discovery that anyone who''s ever felt a little lost will relate to." --Jarry Lee, BuzzFeed, "22 Incredible New Books You Need to Read This Summer" "A genuine piece of literature: wise, humorous, and moving." --Ha Jin "With its limpid style, comic verve, and sensitive examination of love, need, and aspiration, this exquisitely soul-searching novel is sure to be one of the most outstanding debuts of the year." --Sigrid Nunez "Weike Wang''s voice is indelible--hypnotic, mesmerizing, and strange in the best possible way. In Chemistry she creates a fully realized portrait of a brilliant mind in crisis, illuminating a corner of the human experience that''s woefully underexplored. By the last page I was devastated, transported, and craving more." --Emily Gould, author of Friendship "How do we learn to love if we haven''t been taught? That question seems to be the nucleus of Chemistry. Wang challenges the conventions of the marriage plot: the story begins with a proposal, falls into an alienating existential crisis, and ends in the morally ambiguous territory of self-actualization. The force of the novel is the narrator''s perfectly-executed voice, unflinching and painfully self-aware as she deconstructs her life--disastrously, bravely--to see if there is anything at the bottom she can hold on to." --Stephanie Danler, author of Sweetbitter " Chemistry (appropriately enough) explodes the stereotype of the model minority. Wang''s voice is a revelation--by turns deadpan and despairing, wry and wrenching, but always and precisely true." --Peter Ho Davies, author of The Welsh Girl and The Fortunes " Chemistry is a sly and infectious book. I read it quickly, galloping through the pages, marveling at the insight and the charm of this narrator as she uses her scientific impulses to explore the world around her and, ultimately, herself." --Cristina Henrquez, author of The Book of Unknown Americans "A rebellious debut: a wry, subtle, deeply attuned examination of love, immigration, family, and chemistry in all its forms. With its dark wit, probing self-examinations, and profound meditations on science and the soul, this is a novel for fellow seekers." --Sarah Gerard, author of Binary Star and Sunshine State "Science is an excellent lens for Weike Wang''s look at a young woman''s wonderfully skewed experience of love, ambition, loyalty, and, of course, chemistry. The pressure to excel, as applied by immigrant parents, comes up against basic questions of self-discovery: ''Find me the thing that I can make the greatest impact in and I will do that thing,'' says the chemistry whiz who has gone off course. This very appealing narrator is funny and original, and the novel is filled with compelling information from the world of chemistry as well as gems such as Einstein''s thoughts on love, communicated to his daughter. In a word, this debut is: elemental." --Amy Hempel " Chemistry casts a rare spell”

Winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award

A Washington Post Notable Book

One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Ann Patchett on PBS NewsHour, Minnesota Public Radio, PopSugar, Maris Kreizman, The Morning News

Winner of Ploughshares’ John C. Zacharis Award

Winner of a Whiting Award

A Belletrist Amuse Book

“A comic and often precarious journey. . . . Told in a hilarious deadpan that recalls Gish Jen and Nora Ephron.” —O, The Oprah Magazine

“Winningly original. . . . Pithy, casually brilliant. . . . So fresh and intimate and mordantly funny that she feels less like fiction than a friend you’ve known forever.” —Entertainment Weekly 

“The most assured novel about indecisiveness you’ll ever read. . . . An emotionally devastating novel about being young today.” —The Washington Post  
 
“Endearing. . . . [Has] generous measures of humor and emotion.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Starts as a charming confection and then proceeds to add on layers of emotional depth and complexity with every page. . . . I loved this novel.” —Ann Patchett, author of Bel Canto

“Told in short, penetrating bursts, the book is frequently mordantly funny and gets under your skin in a way that makes you really root for the narrator.” —Chicago Tribune

“Funny, original, compelling. . . . In a word, this debut is: elemental.” —Amy Hempel

“A genuine piece of literature: wise, humorous, and moving.” —Ha Jin, National Book Award–winning author of Waiting

“[An] outstanding debut. . . . Chemistry may be the funniest novel ever written about living with depression.” —People

“With its limpid style, comic verve, and sensitive examination of love, need, and aspiration, this exquisitely soul-searching novel is sure to be one of the most outstanding debuts of the year.” —Sigrid Nunez

“Gemlike. . . . Slim enough to be wolfed down in one sitting, yet rich enough to merit an immediate re-read.” —Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere

“A poignant tale of self-discovery that anyone who’s ever felt a little lost will relate to.” —Buzzfeed

“You won’t need a science background to fall in love with this contemplative debut novel.. . . Insightful (and always entertaining).” —Paste

“A funny, wise debut about the heartache of uncertainty and the struggle to please others while forging one’s own path.” —Nando Pelusi, Psychology Today
 
“Mesmerizing. . . . Illuminat[es] a corner of the human experience that’s woefully underexplored. By the last page I was devastated, transported, and craving more.” —Emily Gould, author of Friendship

“Chemistry (appropriately enough) explodes the stereotype of the model minority. Wang’s voice is a revelation.” —Peter Ho Davies, author of The Fortunes

WEIKE WANG is a graduate of Harvard University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry and her doctorate in public health. Her first novel, Chemistry, received the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction, Ploughshares' John C. Zacharis Award, and a Whiting Award. A “5 Under 35” honoree of the National Book Foundation, Weike currently lives in New York City.

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