Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

I got the book this morning, and as I was hobbled by pain from an ACL surgery and unable to take painkillers because they would make me loopy at work, instead I read this all day. (Shhhhh. It is okay. I also helped customers.) There are a million things I love about this book, but I can start with the fact that each chapter is printed on different-colored pages than the ones on either side of it, which makes the book look like a rainbow when it is closed. A RAINBOW, GUYS. The Depression chapters (previously published on her blog) are revelations to those who have experienced depression and touchstones of understanding for those who have not. The Dog chapters are hilarious to both dog-lovers and cat-lovers (AKA dog haters). The chapters that peek into her childhood make me wish I remembered anything about my life before I was twelve. But you know what? I'm going to take a page from this book, and just imagine that my childhood was just as fantastical, wild, revelatory, unintentionally hilarious, and unique. Yes, there are a few chapters that are repeats from the blog. Sadly, the fish incident did not make it... that one is still my favorite. But the ones that did make it are definitely worth the re-read. Also, the majority of the book is new material, including some introspective chapters ("Thoughts and Feelings" and the two-part "Identity" chapters). Those, to me, were the best ones of the whole book. I love that the author is so freaking honest (can you swear on Amazon? Imma go with no) about EVERYTHING. She holds this mirror up to her guiding principles and then picks everything apart until she's left with this uncivilized and selfish husk, which she then covers up in a sparkly jumpsuit to make it all better. WHICH IS SOMETHING WE ALL DO. We're all basically uncivilized and selfish. But this author has the guts to admit it. YOU ARE BRAVE, ALLIE. YOU ARE. I feel strangely proud of the author for producing this book. Proud like a father, even though she is no relation to me and I have never really met her. I want to give her all the gold stars possible. If there were more than five available for this review, I would have gone with more than five. All the way up to eleventy. Buy this book. Read it. Go read the blog. Re-read everything. Then buy the book for your friends.

Do you need to laugh? Do you need to cheer up? Do you need to feel understood? Then this is the book for you. Wow! I actually DID laugh and CRY WITH LAUGHTER 🤣 and weird gulping noises because I could not stop laughing. A book that never gets old. I have replaced two copies. ❤️🫶🏻💕 Allie Brosh, you brilliant, beautiful comedy genius. Please write more books; two are not enough.

I had not read any of the authors' work before getting this book and bought it because of the rave reviews . Initially it did not appeal to me but the two sections on depression changed my mind. That is the first time I understood true depression from the perspective of the person experiencing it. I also came around to the crazy childhood experiences that she had and he "challenges" with owning dogs. This is a book that may not appeal to everyone but has a very interesting perspective. I recommend this book, your time will not be wasted reading it.

Allie Brosh has changed the internet, and all for the better. Her blog, Hyperbole and A Half, is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to internet humour. By combining acerbic wit and wonderfully ‘amateur’ MS Paint drawings, Brosh has created some of the best comedy on the internet. If you’ve ever seen the “All the Things!” meme, you’ve been impacted by Allie’s work. I’ve been keeping tabs on the blog since I first found out about it a couple of years ago. There was a time when Allie updated regularly; after a while, there was a big stretch of time when she didn’t. The reason for the gap in posts is that she was struggling against depression – and when she did update, she posted what is one of the best ways that people can understand what it’s like for those with depression. Her “Adventures in Depression” and “Depression Part 2” make for seriously compelling reading. That’s the beauty of her writing – it details intensely personal struggles intermixed with sweet humour and a real zaniness to which practically everyone can relate. Once you add in the professional amateurism of her drawings, its difficult to start reading her work without finishing ALL the posts. The same is true for the book. I was reticent to start reading it at 1am, because I knew that it was something I wouldn’t be able to put down before I finished the entire thing. Of course, I was right – I read the entire book before going to sleep. As it’s a mixture of some previously published work and never-before-seen stories, I figured that I would have a leg up on finishing it because I’d read some of it before. I ended up re-reading the stories I’d read before, so that was entirely not the case! It was well worth it, because even in the work I’d seen before there were some moments when I was struggling not to laugh out loud and wake my wife. In fact, I had to get up and get out of bed at one point because I was laughing so hard that I really thought that despite the Tempurpedic mattress’ inability to transfer kinetic energy that she might wake up terrified there was an earthquake. I really can’t recommend this book enough. Buy it, and make Allie Brosh deservedly rich!

This is the second time I've read this book. It still makes me laugh and think. Allie Brosh has been added to my list of Favorite Authors. Thank you Allie for your honesty and humor.

It is a fun read, I can see why it is popular. I can’t wait to read her 2nd book. I find it relatable, hilarious and such a comforting read: I wish it was a longer book! The page quality is top notch and the illustrations are cute!

Allie Brosh is the best human on the earth. Purchasing this you will assure yourself a better life. It isn't just silly comics. It so much more: if you let her soothe your mind with her funny little stories, you will find some kind of relief. I was having some bad times at the time i read this book and i felt so much better.

Leitura leve e divertida, adorei! Não conseguia parar de ler!

Muy recomendable.

Allie Brosh is some kind of genius. Her ability to express complex concepts and life situations-- using only her Macbook touchpad (!!!)-- is a testament to this fact. She succeeds where even literature has often failed, such as in accurately capturing profound depression and nailing animal psychology. This book included the best of the online blog, and added some instant classics. I was happy to find that they did not recycle some of the earlier blog entries which I never found to be at quite so high a standard. Unfortunately, the vibrant "MS Paint"-type colours did not translate well at all in this print edition, resulting in a dull aesthetic compared to viewing the comic on a computer monitor. This is clearly no fault of the author's, but slightly disappointing nevertheless. Well worth the wait to see the new entries, and to see that Allie is (hopefully!) doing better.