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Reviews
Virology: Essays for the Living, the Dead, and the Small Things in Between by Joseph Osmundson
rosepoints's review
2.0
unfortunately, i picked up this book very specifically because i was interested in an essay collection that delved more deeply into viruses and their relationship with humans, but this book turned out to be a collection of essays that focus more on the author's queerness and personal experiences during the pandemic than anything else. given that the author is a microbiologist, i expected more niche information on viruses, bacteria, anything biological really, but i found the actual scientific information to be ancillary to the personal experiences that the author wanted to talk about. i do acknowledge that my rating and perception of the book is warped by its marketing and my own expectations. i very specifically wanted a collection of essays that dwelled in science and its ties to the world surrounding it, and i very specifically wanted to know more about viruses, whether it be their scientific or their sociopolitical impact. i feel like i got a memoir instead, which would've been fine if that was the blurb, but that wasn't the case.
moving past my own expectations, i think that the essays themselves are fine. i personally didn't enjoy the formatting of some of them such as the journal entries; i think that there could've been a better way to structure the essay while still conveying the core idea. some of the essays also dragged on a bit too much for my liking. some of the analogies and connections didn't really work for me either.
is the book worth reading? if you modulate your expectations, yes. i worry that my rating and review will dissuade readers from picking up the book, and i hope that isn't the case because i could really see some types of people enjoying it. it just didn't hit right with me and that's fine.
moving past my own expectations, i think that the essays themselves are fine. i personally didn't enjoy the formatting of some of them such as the journal entries; i think that there could've been a better way to structure the essay while still conveying the core idea. some of the essays also dragged on a bit too much for my liking. some of the analogies and connections didn't really work for me either.
is the book worth reading? if you modulate your expectations, yes. i worry that my rating and review will dissuade readers from picking up the book, and i hope that isn't the case because i could really see some types of people enjoying it. it just didn't hit right with me and that's fine.
christinelangill's review
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, and Death
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
cryptic_casp's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
This book was good and I enjoyed it but probably won’t pick it up again. The essays had good material but were disordered and repetitive. There were definitely parts of the book I loved, the author was well read and I picked up a lot of names to read, as well as an insight into queer history and viruses. All in all I’m glad I read the book but just as much glad to have finished it.
mmnasc's review
4.0
is it perfect? no, i sure felt more moved by parts of it than others. but it is incredible to finally see scientists intertwine their knowledge and professional life with politics and their own societal concerns. we are not automatons and we should stop feeding this notion that we are divorced from having a personal life, political beliefs, struggles.
moodzie's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
loved the voice,, could’ve benefited from more focus on actual virus than life imo,, any point where the author’s passion and adoration of viruses was incredible and made my heart sing