Book Recommendation: Hyperbole and a Half

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened is a nonfiction book written by Allie Brosh. WOW, that is a long book title. I’m out of breath just typing that. This is a review of that book, and why you should drive to your nearest book store and pick it up, NOW (or later is cool, whenever you’re not busy maybe).

Have you ever seen that meme? You know that one meme? On the internet? The really popular one? Have i narrowed it down? Okay, i’ll just show you a picture of it.

You might be surprised to learn that this meme originated from Brosh’s blog-turned-book, Hyperbole and a Half. Or you may not be surprised. In any case, Brosh’s blog is basically a combination of a webcomic and a blog about her life, consisting of drawings made in MS paint. In October of 2013, Brosh released the book Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, which consists of 50% material from her blog, and the other 50% being new material.

You might be wondering, why the heck would i want to read a comic about someone’s life with drawings made in PaintBrush? Well, if it was anyone other than Allie Brosh, i would be wondering the same thing. But let me tell you why you should give this book a chance, if you haven’t already.

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened is a book about real life situations that Brosh experienced that will either have you laugh out loud, or think “wow, i GET that”. From describing awkward life situations through her unique point of view, to her account of battling depression, you will find yourself learning new things and relating to things you never thought you could. Brosh has been praised by many critics for her ability to sum up rather indescribable emotions just with a picture or sentence. This is evident in one of the most talked about sections of the book, when she describes her battle with depression. Its astonishing how she took this complex mental illness and put it in a way people who have never experienced depression could somehow understand, and people who have experienced it can relate. ALL through simple comics drawn in PaintBrush.

I remember reading this book feeling like i was going through a rollercoaster of emotions, one minute i’d be laughing to myself in the corner of my room like a creep and the another minute i’d be nodding my head thinking “that totally makes sense”. After blowing through the entire 373 paged book in a day, i felt as if i had connected with someone who lived miles away from me.

In conclusion, Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened *takes deep breath* is a comic/book written by Allie Brosh, who takes awkward real life situations and harsh realities of life, and turns them into a brilliant and cleverly written collection of stories and hyperbole.