Solutions and Other Problems

Okay, so I am a big fan of Hyperbole and a Half, and I really love Allie Brosh's work... But this book is a mixed bag. To keep it short, sweet and to the point, I've listed some pros and cons for anyone reading this: Pros: -There's so much art in this book! The book has 514 pages of art, and Allie's art style is just as wonderful as it was in her first book, if not better! -Several of the stories in this book are laugh out loud funny -Topics that are otherwise taboo (death, mental illness, physical illness, divorce, anger) are discussed openly by someone who has had experience with them first hand Cons: -It's kind of nihilistic. If you're into that kind of thing, it's no big deal, but if you've dealt with depression in the past it can be a little disheartening to read a book with one of the primary messages being "everything is pointless" -there's A LOT of talk about death. A lot. Death is real and it's a thing that happens, but again if you've suffered with depression it can hit hard to read about things like Allie's sister's suicide, and a dog dying from end stage liver disease -The book's just pretty sad. It'll probably make you cry -There are a couple of messages in the book that may be upsetting, especially if you're impressionable (example: "there is nothing inherently meaningful about [Allie], and there probably never will be. And the things [Allie] likes are even more pointless") I guess if you're looking for something as funny, easy going, and feel good as Hyperbole and a Half, this isn't your book. Allie Brosh has been through a lot between that book and this one, and you can tell. The book is personal. The stories are personal. It's brave, but it's heavy as hell and it's just not for everyone

I received and read this book all in one day. Sometimes you just get the thing you need in the moment you need it, you know? There is comfort in knowing you aren't the only one who struggles with feeling alone and empty in the same way Allie Brosh does in her writing. Of being weird in a way that's just as off putting and alienating as it can be funny and relatable. And make no mistake, this book is completely laugh out loud hilarious for the most part. But it's also thoughtful. It's human. It has stories of her life and where she has been for the last few years that are difficult to read. I cried in the middle for her. And then I cried at the end for myself, because that section is what I needed to hear. Overall, she tells the story of a kind of person we don't get to read about a lot. The inherently lonely person, the recluse, someone prone to nihilism, the result of having too much time to think big thoughts. I feel like, as this person myself, I feel reminded of my own value within these hard times. Of the value of living a small life in general. Of just making it through the day. Because she isn't afraid to talk about the struggles of everyday, what it takes to get through. On more technical notes, I will also say her art is as charming as it ever was, though it looks even more confident and polished than ever. Her style is still 100% her own and she remains a master of facial expressions and body language. I'm in awe of her ability to convey such a range of emotion and comedic timing within such deceptively simple drawings. Often, just the pictures themselves were enough to make me burst out laughing. Her style has only grown more self assured-her themes, color story, and panel choices all flow together perfectly, feel deliberate and well thought out, and not one single panel feels unnecessary to any story she's telling. Likewise, the writing itself is crisp, to the point, and always smart. She has a gift for word choice and playful expression. But it's also amazing, like in the more serious chapters, how concisely yet clearly she is able to convey complex thoughts, philosophies, emotions, and even long series of events. (Something I admire as it's clearly not my strong suit, lol.) I think this book is a beautiful work of genius, truly. (Eat it, Einstein!) Her fan base is devoted in an odd and sometimes invasive way, but I can't help but admit it too, all the same: I also missed this complete stranger, who I never have never, and never will, meet or know in my entire life. Thank you for making this book, even though the weight of other people's expectations is so heavy a burden to carry.

It seems like Allie has gone some very dark times and this book reflects that. The overarching theme is existential struggle and she's doing what many creatives do during those times and making art about it. It's not the same kind of book as her previous work, even though they are presented similarly on the surface, and I think those who come to it hoping for that will be disappointed. It's really not a funny book. However, if you can come to it without expectation, there are flashes of insightful brilliance.

I loved her blog, before her first book. For some reason I never got the first book. I think at the time I thought if I was going to get a book and call it a book, it had to be a traditionally proper book. With a coherent storyline and a linear progression and a sense of closure at the end. This felt instead like a long journal entry. This reads kind of like my journals. Some things are spelled out more because it's someone else's mind and they're trying to bring me into it.....vs it being my own mind. But the flow felt the same. Very familiar and much easier to step into as something to just accept. Without trying to find a point or coherence to it. It just is. There's a good bit of heavy stuff the author's hashing through in this book. Whatever her reasons are for sharing her life and her thoughts about her life with the world, I'm glad that she chose to do it again. I expected some laughs, no question the author's got a flair for humor. And the not funny stuff....like yeah she's selling this book....but it's her life. You know? It's her dealing with her life in words and pictures. She's at where she's at. This book's documenting a life over a long period of time. It's got all the randomness and sweetness and unanswered questions and sudden tragedies that life gives. It's authentic. It's something real at a time when alot seems surreal. And that was very comforting for me to experience. This author has been through A LOT and whether she did it for the world or for herself she's created something touching and timeless in this book in response to all of that. I can't remember the last time I've felt so powerfully the grief over a lost loved one as I did from the drawings of her memories In this book. The way the author talks about herself to herself may seem brutal and sad to some. Anyone who's been there knows what a fight it is on the inside to live day to day in the way she ends this book. It takes a lot of love and hope to be in that place and tell everyone, including yourself, to keep going. Yeah. I think that's what's touched me to the point of crying long after I finished reading. This book has alot of earnest lighthearted laughs, and some deeply cynical self-loathing laughs, and some unequivocally heartbreaking events. I don't know that it's meant to have a formal point/message. But I hope if you give this book a shot you can take away from it that the author is actively and intentionally appreciating herself for who she is while encouraging us all to do the same with ourselves. That's what I took from the ending, and that's motivational. Don't know if you read comments but on the off chance you do and on the even more off chance you see this review - thank you for publishing this book, Allie Brosh.

I found Allie Brosh on her blog years ago and ordered this book to read during some dark days of medical treatment. Some of her stories and drawings make me laugh until I cry, and some of her stories make me cry from sadness. Either way, cathartic and rewarding. I highly recommend this book!