Scan barcode
tildahlia's review
4.0
Overall, really enjoyed this book which is positively prescient for so many of the issues we are facing with Covid (it was written well before the current pandemic). It particularly touches on the collective nature of public health issues and the individualism that can subvert collective measures to address their spread. Bliss is a thoughtful writer and there were many dog ears for passages I wanted to note down for future reference. I did find the structure a little...unclear at times? But did enjoy.
smuds2's review
2.0
Felt VERY scattered, at certain points I thought my audiobook was out of order. Doesn't feel like it explored all the ideas presented to the same degree - some felt like one offs "hey here's an idea -- moving on." I think it pays a bit too much defference to the idea that people are thinking themselves of these ideas of bodily autonomy, and not just parroting off something that fits in with what they're told to believe (i.e. authority on a new channel I trust tells me not to trust vaccines, so I guess I just won't trust vaccines).
If nothing else it made me more interested in Dracula.
If nothing else it made me more interested in Dracula.
rosepoints's review
3.0
i will preface this review by saying that this book feels like it was not written for me, which probably colors my personal opinion of the book. instead, i think that this book would better serve people who are on the fence about vaccines, especially antivax mothers, and that’s probably what the author was going for, given her constant references to mothers and motherhood.
eula biss traces the history of vaccination through metaphors, and the writing style reflects that perfectly: narrative, slightly pensive, and meditative. she intersperses references to literature like dracula, susan sontag, and mythology with her own experience as a mother, whether that be giving birth or raising her son who has severe allergies. there are tangents related to environmental health, the language we use to describe vaccination and disease (ex: herd mentality, military metaphors), etc. i found her analyses of literature and language to be the strongest part of the book and the part i enjoyed the most. it actually reminded me of a class i took in college called “outbreak narratives” where we discussed medical metaphors in dracula, virginia woolf’s and susan sontag’s writing, eugene roch’s paris malade, etc.
unfortunately, i found myself wanting to learn more about the literature and history she references rather than her personal anxieties and stresses. because of this, the book served as more of a foundation for me to find other things to read rather than a true book i would enjoy on its own. i also found the book to meander a little too much for my liking. her analyses on a single source stretch across the entire book rather than being focused on a single chapter. she also mentions multiple anecdotes again and again but with mildly different references to mildly different metaphors. again, this probably strengthens the narrative for people who are struggling with vaccines, but it didn’t really help my own reading of it. i’m a very strong proponent for vaccines, graduated with a degree in biology, and work in medicine. i largely wanted to learn more about the history of vaccination, which was why i picked up the book in the first place, but found that it was more of an analysis of metaphors and fears around vaccination rather than a true history.
the only real critique of the book that i have is that she talks about autism in an odd way, ascribing it to a plague amongst young boys, which is off-putting. i am unsure if this is an attempt to appeal to the antivax audience but i didn’t love that.
still, i would not let my review of this book discourage you from reading. if anything, it gave me a greater appreciation for vaccines and more sympathy for those who are afraid of vaccines.
eula biss traces the history of vaccination through metaphors, and the writing style reflects that perfectly: narrative, slightly pensive, and meditative. she intersperses references to literature like dracula, susan sontag, and mythology with her own experience as a mother, whether that be giving birth or raising her son who has severe allergies. there are tangents related to environmental health, the language we use to describe vaccination and disease (ex: herd mentality, military metaphors), etc. i found her analyses of literature and language to be the strongest part of the book and the part i enjoyed the most. it actually reminded me of a class i took in college called “outbreak narratives” where we discussed medical metaphors in dracula, virginia woolf’s and susan sontag’s writing, eugene roch’s paris malade, etc.
unfortunately, i found myself wanting to learn more about the literature and history she references rather than her personal anxieties and stresses. because of this, the book served as more of a foundation for me to find other things to read rather than a true book i would enjoy on its own. i also found the book to meander a little too much for my liking. her analyses on a single source stretch across the entire book rather than being focused on a single chapter. she also mentions multiple anecdotes again and again but with mildly different references to mildly different metaphors. again, this probably strengthens the narrative for people who are struggling with vaccines, but it didn’t really help my own reading of it. i’m a very strong proponent for vaccines, graduated with a degree in biology, and work in medicine. i largely wanted to learn more about the history of vaccination, which was why i picked up the book in the first place, but found that it was more of an analysis of metaphors and fears around vaccination rather than a true history.
the only real critique of the book that i have is that she talks about autism in an odd way, ascribing it to a plague amongst young boys, which is off-putting. i am unsure if this is an attempt to appeal to the antivax audience but i didn’t love that.
still, i would not let my review of this book discourage you from reading. if anything, it gave me a greater appreciation for vaccines and more sympathy for those who are afraid of vaccines.
lou_christie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
finalgirlfall's review
4.0
not entirely sure what to make of this book. i liked biss's prose, and i appreciated the way she wove sources together, but i felt that she could have ended the book on a more conclusive note, i guess? like, i didn't quite realize that it was the end of the book until i flipped to the next page in my digital copy and found notes on the text. but overall i thought it was a worthwhile read.
jessicaxmaria's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
I was originally going to read this when it first came out years ago but then I got pregnant and barely read anything. I circled back to it when I saw it available on my library audio app and wow, reading this now in 2024, ten years after it was published, with a whole pandemic... these words in retrospect are wild.
booksnooksandcooks's review
5.0
SO mad at myself for not reading this when I was writing my thesis about Dracula. It would be such a good interlinking piece about Dracula, the Other, sin and religiosity, etc.
ladylizardxvii's review
5.0
I am absolutely blown away by this book -- Would recommend to literally anyone and everyone!!!!