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Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
Goodreads Choice Award
Winner for Best Humor (2013)This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative--like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it--but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:
Pictures
Words
Stories about things that happened to me
Stories about things that happened to other people because of me
Eight billion dollars*
Stories about dogs
The secret to eternal happiness*
*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!
Pictures
Words
Stories about things that happened to me
Stories about things that happened to other people because of me
Eight billion dollars*
Stories about dogs
The secret to eternal happiness*
*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!
371 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2013
About the author
Allie Brosh
3 books5,989 followersAllie Brosh has enjoyed writing ever since her mom tricked her into writing a story to distract her from her immediate goal of wrapping the cat in duct-tape. She started her award-winning blog in 2009. Brosh lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband Duncan, her two dogs, and six pet rats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,664 reviews
December 5, 2013
I absolutely loved it, and I know I'll visit this book again and again. My only sad: the alot does not make an appearance.
SO I DEMAND A SEQUEL! I DEMAND IT ALOT!
SO I DEMAND A SEQUEL! I DEMAND IT ALOT!
December 31, 2013
My assistant introduced me to this book, and I immediately fell in love.
Oh Allie Brosh, where have you been all my life?
Oh. You were on the internet. And apparently all the cool kids have known about you for ages.
Here's a link to her website just in case you've been living under a rock like me:
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/
Go and read some.
You can thank me later.
Oh Allie Brosh, where have you been all my life?
Oh. You were on the internet. And apparently all the cool kids have known about you for ages.
Here's a link to her website just in case you've been living under a rock like me:
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/
Go and read some.
You can thank me later.
June 28, 2018
go to this now!!!
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/
i don't laugh at books much. don't get me wrong, i am not averse to the emotion humans call "happiness." sometimes i will find myself smiling at an amusing book. i have been known to chuckle, even. but this book ripped out my funny bone and started tickling me with it. not only did i LOL, i was crying with laughter by page four. PAGE FOUR! i even took a picture of my laughter-tears as proof which i intended to use in this review, but then i figured the internet had enough pictures of me already, so that one will just be for me.
but i will tell you that page four was not the end of my laughter-response. this book made me indescribably happy, much more than the typical "messy art autobiography" you find cluttering up the humor section. along withLet's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir, this is a book that finally understands what it's going to take to make me laugh.
for example, every single time she drew a dog, i fell in love a little. these are among the best dog drawings ever.
if that's not a perfect trip into the mind of a dog, i don't know what is.
one more:
holy hell, but that's comedy gold.
there are other, non-dog-related treasures; in particular the "god of cake" story and the goose story, but i will leave you to discover those for yourself. i know i have said in other reviews of internet-sensations-turned-book that i was glad to learn of the blog or site or whatever through the book, but i never actually visited them after my revelation, even if i really enjoyed the book. maybe once or twice, but then i would get distracted by other things and never follow through. but with this one, i am going to do the unprecedented. are you ready? for those of you who know me and my allergy to "doing new things" or even "doing things like normal, modern people do" like owning a cellphone, this is going to blow your minds. i am going to "follow" a blog, as the kids say. and there. i have just done it. i think. i don't know what all these buttons mean, but i am fairly confident that i have just joined the ranks of the modern world. brrrr, it's chilly.
speaking of chilly, i will leave you with allie brosh's take on a dog in the snow:
i love her. always.
come to my blog!
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/
i don't laugh at books much. don't get me wrong, i am not averse to the emotion humans call "happiness." sometimes i will find myself smiling at an amusing book. i have been known to chuckle, even. but this book ripped out my funny bone and started tickling me with it. not only did i LOL, i was crying with laughter by page four. PAGE FOUR! i even took a picture of my laughter-tears as proof which i intended to use in this review, but then i figured the internet had enough pictures of me already, so that one will just be for me.
but i will tell you that page four was not the end of my laughter-response. this book made me indescribably happy, much more than the typical "messy art autobiography" you find cluttering up the humor section. along withLet's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir, this is a book that finally understands what it's going to take to make me laugh.
for example, every single time she drew a dog, i fell in love a little. these are among the best dog drawings ever.
if that's not a perfect trip into the mind of a dog, i don't know what is.
one more:
holy hell, but that's comedy gold.
there are other, non-dog-related treasures; in particular the "god of cake" story and the goose story, but i will leave you to discover those for yourself. i know i have said in other reviews of internet-sensations-turned-book that i was glad to learn of the blog or site or whatever through the book, but i never actually visited them after my revelation, even if i really enjoyed the book. maybe once or twice, but then i would get distracted by other things and never follow through. but with this one, i am going to do the unprecedented. are you ready? for those of you who know me and my allergy to "doing new things" or even "doing things like normal, modern people do" like owning a cellphone, this is going to blow your minds. i am going to "follow" a blog, as the kids say. and there. i have just done it. i think. i don't know what all these buttons mean, but i am fairly confident that i have just joined the ranks of the modern world. brrrr, it's chilly.
speaking of chilly, i will leave you with allie brosh's take on a dog in the snow:
i love her. always.
come to my blog!
April 10, 2020
Totally unexpected, I did not expect that I would like it this much. My personal favourites are The God Cake and The Party.
Really funny read, I hope to read more by this author in the future.
Really funny read, I hope to read more by this author in the future.
November 21, 2014
I don't think I've seen a book that most of my friends agree on as much as this one. It seems everyone loves it.
You would have to be a turd to not love this book. Allie Brosh is most awesome.
Allie, You should come and play with us on Goodreads. We are nice people. Most of us are somewhat sane. We would have fun and eat cake together. I'll bring the alcohol.
Now to the book.
So much fun..if you haven't checked out her blog you just need to stop what you are doing and go there.
http://www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot...
I've read "God of Cake" probably 30 times already but I still giggled when I read it again in the book. It's just that good. The book is easier on my old eyes so now I want a copy. This book is colorful and fun..it's way heavy though. I think the difference in types of paper and all the ink made it heavier than a normal book. That's ok though. I can stick it in my purse and hit someone that pisses me off over the head with it.
I rambled again didn't I? *sniff* Like I've never done that before.
I have to introduce Helper Dog and Simple Dog.
Now..get off the internet and go read this book.
You would have to be a turd to not love this book. Allie Brosh is most awesome.
Allie, You should come and play with us on Goodreads. We are nice people. Most of us are somewhat sane. We would have fun and eat cake together. I'll bring the alcohol.
Now to the book.
So much fun..if you haven't checked out her blog you just need to stop what you are doing and go there.
http://www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot...
I've read "God of Cake" probably 30 times already but I still giggled when I read it again in the book. It's just that good. The book is easier on my old eyes so now I want a copy. This book is colorful and fun..it's way heavy though. I think the difference in types of paper and all the ink made it heavier than a normal book. That's ok though. I can stick it in my purse and hit someone that pisses me off over the head with it.
I rambled again didn't I? *sniff* Like I've never done that before.
I have to introduce Helper Dog and Simple Dog.
The shelter worker said, "This one hates everything and she doesn't know anything, and I hope you aren't planning on taking her outside ever because she's more like a bear than a dog, really, and unfortunately, she can scale a seven-foot-tall fence like the fucking Spider-Man.
And we were like, "Sure, why not."
Now..get off the internet and go read this book.
October 27, 2021
I read this once, then again with a highlighter. This week, I am sharing it with "my" high-school seniors and I cannot wait.
When the dedication in the front of a book elicits a guffaw, it is a sure sign that the following memoir is going to be hilarious. Hyperbole and a Half is delightfully funny; but not in an "it will make you smile" or even the ever-popular "LOL". No. This is snort diet Dr. Pepper out of your nose, choke on your own saliva, tears flowing down your face, funny.
Amid the gaiety, however, Ms. Brosh cleverly hides in wait. As the reader reaches out to metaphorically swing an arm around her shoulders in a show of sisterly solidarity, she balls up her tiny, powerful fist, turns in and delivers an upper-cut to the gut. This happy reader was stunned. The air was ripped from my lungs, my stomach ached, even as it rolled and gurgled. I wept. Then, I began to heal.
Like so many of us, Ms. Brosh suffered with depression. One common theme among those suffering is the frustration with the (seeming) inability to communicate what the afflicted is truly feeling when over-taken by this Good-Vibe Burglar. No longer will I struggle for an accurate articulation. Rather, in an effort to explain, I’ll simply share Ms. Brosh’s words, as I’ve yet to see it expressed so succinctly without losing the raw emotion.
Ms. Brosh is not a monster. She doesn’t dig a hole, toss us in then peer down from above. She allows us to shake it off as she so generously shares additional comical and entertaining narratives. Now; however, they are (ever so slightly) sepia-tinted because the cat is out of the bag. The reader is no longer giggling with a self-proclaimed sloth, but recognizing the downer of depression creeping in.
This is a book that I will continue to go back to, for encouragement, laughter and hope. It is also a tome that I will be sharing often.
When the dedication in the front of a book elicits a guffaw, it is a sure sign that the following memoir is going to be hilarious. Hyperbole and a Half is delightfully funny; but not in an "it will make you smile" or even the ever-popular "LOL". No. This is snort diet Dr. Pepper out of your nose, choke on your own saliva, tears flowing down your face, funny.
Amid the gaiety, however, Ms. Brosh cleverly hides in wait. As the reader reaches out to metaphorically swing an arm around her shoulders in a show of sisterly solidarity, she balls up her tiny, powerful fist, turns in and delivers an upper-cut to the gut. This happy reader was stunned. The air was ripped from my lungs, my stomach ached, even as it rolled and gurgled. I wept. Then, I began to heal.
Like so many of us, Ms. Brosh suffered with depression. One common theme among those suffering is the frustration with the (seeming) inability to communicate what the afflicted is truly feeling when over-taken by this Good-Vibe Burglar. No longer will I struggle for an accurate articulation. Rather, in an effort to explain, I’ll simply share Ms. Brosh’s words, as I’ve yet to see it expressed so succinctly without losing the raw emotion.
Ms. Brosh is not a monster. She doesn’t dig a hole, toss us in then peer down from above. She allows us to shake it off as she so generously shares additional comical and entertaining narratives. Now; however, they are (ever so slightly) sepia-tinted because the cat is out of the bag. The reader is no longer giggling with a self-proclaimed sloth, but recognizing the downer of depression creeping in.
This is a book that I will continue to go back to, for encouragement, laughter and hope. It is also a tome that I will be sharing often.
December 4, 2013
I'd like to say I liked this book - I did try to. And I can't deny the freaky power of Allie Brosh's crudely drawn illustrations to evoke complicated emotions and ideas.
But I'm tired of navel-gazing blogs turned into books - this one reminded me over and over again of Jen Lancaster - both Brosh and Lancaster, for instance, tell stories of their unloveable dogs that I suppose are intended to make us love the wild rascals or admire their owners for putting up with their bad behavior but only leave me cold and disgusted. Train your goddamn dog or put it down.
And both Brosh and Lancaster spend much time reminding us of what petty and shitty (Brosh's word) people they are.
While Lancaster writes with self-deprecating humor in an effort to diffuse her petty behavior, Brosh analyzes (and analyzes) how she compensates for her shittiness by lying to herself and consoling herself with delusions about how great she is. Her posts-turned-into-chapters can be funny, but they also leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.
We are all shitty people. We all are essentially self-centered with delusions of grandeur. And we all rationalize our flaws away. So what? That doesn't excuse your not recycling, Allie Brosh.
But I'm tired of navel-gazing blogs turned into books - this one reminded me over and over again of Jen Lancaster - both Brosh and Lancaster, for instance, tell stories of their unloveable dogs that I suppose are intended to make us love the wild rascals or admire their owners for putting up with their bad behavior but only leave me cold and disgusted. Train your goddamn dog or put it down.
And both Brosh and Lancaster spend much time reminding us of what petty and shitty (Brosh's word) people they are.
While Lancaster writes with self-deprecating humor in an effort to diffuse her petty behavior, Brosh analyzes (and analyzes) how she compensates for her shittiness by lying to herself and consoling herself with delusions about how great she is. Her posts-turned-into-chapters can be funny, but they also leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.
We are all shitty people. We all are essentially self-centered with delusions of grandeur. And we all rationalize our flaws away. So what? That doesn't excuse your not recycling, Allie Brosh.
October 14, 2013
Initial reaction: This book deserves ALL THE STARS!
You knew that was coming, right? :) On a serious note, I loved Allie Brosh's funny, honest, and charming account of her life through the artwork and narration in "Hyperbole and a Half." This book is a compilation of several stories Brosh has told on her blog of the same name, compiled in this book, along with some stories I'll admit I haven't seen before.
Full review:
I always have a difficult time writing reviews on books that hit my all-time favorites list, and this book was no exception. Allie Brosh's "Hyperbole and a Half" is based upon her very popular posts on her website of the same name. I started following it quite some time ago and was taken by her very humorous and true to life narratives coupled with awesome artwork. (Yes, I said it, her artwork is awesome, even if said artwork includes possessed, demonic repressed geese. But at least accurate portrayal is accurate. That true story was hilarious.)
If there were a single quibble that I would have about the collection in general - I think the ARC could've done with maybe a bit of background info on Allie as well as a TOC showing the order of the tales that were included in the narrative. I think that might be helpful for people who are not only just being introduced to Allie's narratives in general, but also just for organizational/orientation's sake.
I think the first included entry in the series of comics and narratives is appropriate though, considering it's Allie addressing her ten year old self (and younger selves) at the age of 25, and realizing that finding a letter written to her future self from ten years old was...well, a weird experience.
The narratives from there on are random presentations of Allie Brosh's life, from her experiences with her family, loved ones, and dogs, to expansions on growing up to adulthood and depression. So much of the narratives I could relate to, and I had a good laugh with them and learned a bit more about Brosh in the process. She has a fresh, identifiable wit that comes across in both the art and anecdotes, even for some of the tough subjects she addresses. That I respected a lot and I consider her my heroine for being honest and good humored in the same measure.
It's a fun read, and one I would wholeheartedly recommend.
Overall score: 5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Touchstone.
You knew that was coming, right? :) On a serious note, I loved Allie Brosh's funny, honest, and charming account of her life through the artwork and narration in "Hyperbole and a Half." This book is a compilation of several stories Brosh has told on her blog of the same name, compiled in this book, along with some stories I'll admit I haven't seen before.
Full review:
I always have a difficult time writing reviews on books that hit my all-time favorites list, and this book was no exception. Allie Brosh's "Hyperbole and a Half" is based upon her very popular posts on her website of the same name. I started following it quite some time ago and was taken by her very humorous and true to life narratives coupled with awesome artwork. (Yes, I said it, her artwork is awesome, even if said artwork includes possessed, demonic repressed geese. But at least accurate portrayal is accurate. That true story was hilarious.)
If there were a single quibble that I would have about the collection in general - I think the ARC could've done with maybe a bit of background info on Allie as well as a TOC showing the order of the tales that were included in the narrative. I think that might be helpful for people who are not only just being introduced to Allie's narratives in general, but also just for organizational/orientation's sake.
I think the first included entry in the series of comics and narratives is appropriate though, considering it's Allie addressing her ten year old self (and younger selves) at the age of 25, and realizing that finding a letter written to her future self from ten years old was...well, a weird experience.
The narratives from there on are random presentations of Allie Brosh's life, from her experiences with her family, loved ones, and dogs, to expansions on growing up to adulthood and depression. So much of the narratives I could relate to, and I had a good laugh with them and learned a bit more about Brosh in the process. She has a fresh, identifiable wit that comes across in both the art and anecdotes, even for some of the tough subjects she addresses. That I respected a lot and I consider her my heroine for being honest and good humored in the same measure.
It's a fun read, and one I would wholeheartedly recommend.
Overall score: 5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Touchstone.
February 25, 2016
Allie Brosh astounds me. Despite her strange little drawings, particularly a self-portrait that looks something like a marine tube worm, she reaches some profound truths in the course of her book. Part graphic novel, part autobiography, she manages to both amuse and discomfort the reader in the best of ways. Though she presents herself as a person struggling with severe depression issues in a number of the stories, she touches on human truths most of us experience.
Hyperbole and a Half originates from her wildly popular blog of the same name (link to her site). Satisfying on a laptop screen, I enjoyed the paper version even more. Made of heavy paper, each section has a different colored page background, making it look a little like a stack of heavy construction paper from the side. It’s a pleasing way to highlight a change in topics. Subjects range from childhood experiences to struggles with her dogs to self-identity and depression. “Dinosaur (the Goose story)” created laugh out loud moments with its great pictures. I confess, “The God of Cake” is one of my favorite stories, precisely because I can completely relate. I too have schemed obsessively to get cake, and that tell-tale smear of pink icing at the corner of the mouth–priceless.
For further thoughts--and samples of some of Brosh's great drawings because adding them to GR is just effing tedious, along with links to her work,
check my full review at
http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/0...
Hyperbole and a Half originates from her wildly popular blog of the same name (link to her site). Satisfying on a laptop screen, I enjoyed the paper version even more. Made of heavy paper, each section has a different colored page background, making it look a little like a stack of heavy construction paper from the side. It’s a pleasing way to highlight a change in topics. Subjects range from childhood experiences to struggles with her dogs to self-identity and depression. “Dinosaur (the Goose story)” created laugh out loud moments with its great pictures. I confess, “The God of Cake” is one of my favorite stories, precisely because I can completely relate. I too have schemed obsessively to get cake, and that tell-tale smear of pink icing at the corner of the mouth–priceless.
For further thoughts--and samples of some of Brosh's great drawings because adding them to GR is just effing tedious, along with links to her work,
check my full review at
http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/0...
May 23, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
How many stars do I give this one????
Some things I figured out while reading Hyperbole and a Half:
Whooops, sorry – got distracted. Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, stuff I learned.
I think there’s a good chance I adopted clones of Allie Brosh’s dogs . . .
my anti-social behavior is 100% A-Okay . . .
cake IS a fucking food group and no one is going to tell me otherwise . . .
geese are dangerous psychopaths that become extremely violent for absolutely no reason . . .
and finally, my priorities in life lead me to believe there’s a good chance I’m really a 10-year old. . . .
In the world of blog-to-book authors, Allie Brosh takes the grand prize (sorry Jenny Lawson – I still love you, just not as much).
Not only will she make you laugh ‘til you cry, but she also opens up about what it’s like to battle depression in the most honest and upfront way I’ve seen.
Recommended to???? Everyone with a soul (and most of those without).
How many stars do I give this one????
Some things I figured out while reading Hyperbole and a Half:
Whooops, sorry – got distracted. Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, stuff I learned.
I think there’s a good chance I adopted clones of Allie Brosh’s dogs . . .
my anti-social behavior is 100% A-Okay . . .
cake IS a fucking food group and no one is going to tell me otherwise . . .
geese are dangerous psychopaths that become extremely violent for absolutely no reason . . .
and finally, my priorities in life lead me to believe there’s a good chance I’m really a 10-year old. . . .
In the world of blog-to-book authors, Allie Brosh takes the grand prize (sorry Jenny Lawson – I still love you, just not as much).
Not only will she make you laugh ‘til you cry, but she also opens up about what it’s like to battle depression in the most honest and upfront way I’ve seen.
Recommended to???? Everyone with a soul (and most of those without).
April 12, 2021
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When I first read and reviewed an ARC of HYPERBOLE AND A HALF in 2013, I wasn't in the best place, and reading this book was like shining a light on all the bad parts of myself that made me feel shitty but that I didn't fully understand. It was the first time I really felt seen and understood. Like, "This is how it is and it's shit but here's a funny picture to make you feel better." It wasn't condescending because Brosh really did understand, but it wasn't as depressing as it could have been because funny picture! It ended up being exactly the book I needed when I was feeling unhappy and isolated, because it showed me that I wasn't alone, so if you're feeling depressed and alone, pick up this book.
HYPERBOLE AND A HALF isn't fancily illustrated but that is just another aspect of its charm. The drawings compliment Brosh's simple and yet quirky narrative perfectly as she talks about her depression, her childhood memories, her dogs, and so much more. It's the perfect blend of humor and serious. Some of the topics in here are very dark (i.e. suicide), but Brosh doesn't write about it in a disturbing or upsetting way. Her matter-of-fact nature, combined with the funny drawings, make her hard truths shockingly easy to consume.
And for every deep and tragic moment, there are five funny ones. Everything about her dogs-- Simple Dog and Helper Dog-- is gold. The story about the annoying parrot toy she and her sister trolled their parents with was also gold, and any kid or parent will be able to relate. The story about how she and her husband were tormented by a goose had me laughing my ass off-- especially because of the actual photos she posted at the end as "proof." And then there's this hilarious anecdote involving a cake and childhood determination that is pure win. If you have seen the "all the things" meme, then you're at least peripherally familiar with Allie's work, as that came from a panel about depression.
This is one of the most honest, personal memoirs I've ever read. There were many passages in here that felt as if they could have been written by me. It seems like Brosh has kind of disappeared off the radar in recent years and I hope that she's doing well. Her bio in the back of the book said that she's a "recluse," so I like the idea of her just chilling out in a cabin home, with Simple Dog and Helper Dog, trying not to have too much fear over the local geese. People are overrated, anyway.
In the meantime, read this book. It's a must.
5 stars
June 12, 2018
Felt a bit disjointed, which is precisely why I dock it 1 star. Otherwise, this was immensely inriguing, like watching people going about their lives. :)
Q:
But I keep allowing it to happen because, to me, the future doesn’t seem real. It’s just this magical place where I can put my responsibilities so that I don’t have to be scared while hurtling toward failure at eight hundred miles per hour (c)
Q:
Fortunately, it turns out that being scared of yourself is a somewhat effective motivational technique. (c)
Q:
I had so very few feelings, and everyone else had so many, and it felt like they were having all of them in front of me at once. I didn’t really know what to do, so I agreed to see a doctor so that everyone would stop having all of their feelings at me. (c)
Q:
Our mother attempted to lead us back the way we came, but unfortunately, her natural sense of direction was no match for the sheer amount of directions there are, and she quickly became disoriented. (c)
Q:
But I keep allowing it to happen because, to me, the future doesn’t seem real. It’s just this magical place where I can put my responsibilities so that I don’t have to be scared while hurtling toward failure at eight hundred miles per hour (c)
Q:
Fortunately, it turns out that being scared of yourself is a somewhat effective motivational technique. (c)
Q:
I had so very few feelings, and everyone else had so many, and it felt like they were having all of them in front of me at once. I didn’t really know what to do, so I agreed to see a doctor so that everyone would stop having all of their feelings at me. (c)
Q:
Our mother attempted to lead us back the way we came, but unfortunately, her natural sense of direction was no match for the sheer amount of directions there are, and she quickly became disoriented. (c)
July 20, 2016
“Desperation breeds ingenuity”
It was definitely a witty, funny read, many times it was so hilarious, often, twisted and yet, still very relatable. It was also sometimes sad but very genuine. Just salute to the author for simply admitting the lousiest things that sometimes come across our human’s unpredictable, messed up heads. The drawings are hilarious and I completely enjoyed the fun read.
I know this is not much so do check out my friends' reviews:
Shelby's
Tamara's
Pinky's
February 27, 2014
This book was HILARIOUS, but also deep at times which I really appreciated. It was a nice balance.
September 16, 2015
I am a chronic anxiety sufferer: so I can tell you that the most frightening labyrinths and the most fearsome torture chambers are within one's own mind. I inhabit quite a substantial part of my time there. The constant fear is that one might get permanently stuck there, in the condition we call "insanity". Each one of us have our way of coping so that the tunnels never cave in.
Allie Brosh, from her own confessions and from what I could gather from her book, spends a lot of time down in those tunnels. This book (which is a collection of her blog posts) is Allie's way of fighting back. Her main weapons are the courage to lay bare the innermost workings of her soul, and deliciously dark humour.
On the surface, it is not different many other memoirs: the author writes of her childhood and her day-to-day life in satirical vein, exaggerating her failures and the flaws in her personality to draw a laugh. It has been done before, and it shall be done again. Meh.
What makes it different are the pictures - and the way the subject matter is treated.
The pictures are purposefully crudely drawn, like the way a kid would draw - however, there is a pattern to this crudeness, a method in this madness. The style of the pictures immediately force us away from a "realistic" mindset. It's a child's eye view we are being offered here.
However, there is a consistency to the pictures which is seldom found in children's efforts: this is a child's eye view, but provided purposefully by an adult. It is drawn like that for a reason, especially Allie's unflattering self-portrait, a cross between a fish and a lizard.
It's as though Allie is telling us - Look at all this as if you are a child. Please remove all grownup filters. Then you may really see.
And what do we see?
Even the most silly of the episodes are treated with a swish of the dark brush: it's as though, once we remove the mask of humour, the true horror of life will strike as in its stark reality. The episode where Allie, her sister and mother get lost in the woods is a good example. It could easily have been a Stephen King story, had they not managed to find a house in the woods - but that part is never stressed, always just simmering beneath the surface. A potential disaster is laughed off, because doing anything else would be opening the door to madness.
But what really grabbed me by the neck was the way Allie handled the chapters on depression. I can guess how difficult it would have been for her; but she converts the whole thing into a comedic odyssey. But the real horror comes out in the passages such as the one quoted below:
Allie is very honest about herself. Such personal veracity is difficult to digest.
A worthwhile read, also her blog.
Allie Brosh, from her own confessions and from what I could gather from her book, spends a lot of time down in those tunnels. This book (which is a collection of her blog posts) is Allie's way of fighting back. Her main weapons are the courage to lay bare the innermost workings of her soul, and deliciously dark humour.
On the surface, it is not different many other memoirs: the author writes of her childhood and her day-to-day life in satirical vein, exaggerating her failures and the flaws in her personality to draw a laugh. It has been done before, and it shall be done again. Meh.
What makes it different are the pictures - and the way the subject matter is treated.
The pictures are purposefully crudely drawn, like the way a kid would draw - however, there is a pattern to this crudeness, a method in this madness. The style of the pictures immediately force us away from a "realistic" mindset. It's a child's eye view we are being offered here.
However, there is a consistency to the pictures which is seldom found in children's efforts: this is a child's eye view, but provided purposefully by an adult. It is drawn like that for a reason, especially Allie's unflattering self-portrait, a cross between a fish and a lizard.
It's as though Allie is telling us - Look at all this as if you are a child. Please remove all grownup filters. Then you may really see.
And what do we see?
Even the most silly of the episodes are treated with a swish of the dark brush: it's as though, once we remove the mask of humour, the true horror of life will strike as in its stark reality. The episode where Allie, her sister and mother get lost in the woods is a good example. It could easily have been a Stephen King story, had they not managed to find a house in the woods - but that part is never stressed, always just simmering beneath the surface. A potential disaster is laughed off, because doing anything else would be opening the door to madness.
But what really grabbed me by the neck was the way Allie handled the chapters on depression. I can guess how difficult it would have been for her; but she converts the whole thing into a comedic odyssey. But the real horror comes out in the passages such as the one quoted below:
But my experiences slowly flattened and blended together until it became obvious that there’s a huge difference between not giving a fuck and not being able to give a fuck. Cognitively, you might know that different things are happening to you, but they don’t feel very different.
Allie is very honest about herself. Such personal veracity is difficult to digest.
I don’t just want to do the right thing. I want to WANT to do the right thing. This might seem like a noble goal to strive for, but I don’t actually care about adhering to morality. It’s more that being aware of not wanting to do the right thing ruins my ability to enjoy doing the right thing after I’m forced into doing it through shame.
A worthwhile read, also her blog.
April 26, 2014
I tend to stay away from humoristic memoirs because some of the ones I’ve read in the past have let me down. A lot of them rely too heavily on shock value as their primary source for humor and that’s a strategy that wears thin rather quickly. This book is different. In fact this book is actually kind of phenomenal.
Put together by an artist who has made a career out of blog postings containing crude graphical representations of her life, this book sources its laughs from a magnifying-glass perspective of her own deadpan reality. A true comedian doesn’t need shock value, because she knows that mundane daily life is filled with comedic potential and she conjures it all up with (somehow) a masterful sense of timing. Her observations are spot on so even while you’re laughing—which I did many times, in the cafeteria, at the gym, at home, in waiting rooms—you’re also realizing how real it is, how accurately it tackles our shortfalls and insecurities, our selfishness, our sadness, our unexplainable attachment to our pets. It isn’t even just one thing; it’s the whole package—the writing as well as the drawings. The drawings themselves are purposefully simple yet brilliant in their depiction of emotion, and the narrative often reaches some surprising depth. One of my favorite sketches is one in which the author describes how pitifully dumb her dog is, and yet she couples this narrative to a series of drawings that show how lovingly she considers him. Another sketch details her descent into and subsequent recovery from episodes of severe depression and it is an amazing thing to be treated to such remarkable insight alongside a healthy dose of wild laughter.
All in all, I think you’ll find that this book is a real winner.
Put together by an artist who has made a career out of blog postings containing crude graphical representations of her life, this book sources its laughs from a magnifying-glass perspective of her own deadpan reality. A true comedian doesn’t need shock value, because she knows that mundane daily life is filled with comedic potential and she conjures it all up with (somehow) a masterful sense of timing. Her observations are spot on so even while you’re laughing—which I did many times, in the cafeteria, at the gym, at home, in waiting rooms—you’re also realizing how real it is, how accurately it tackles our shortfalls and insecurities, our selfishness, our sadness, our unexplainable attachment to our pets. It isn’t even just one thing; it’s the whole package—the writing as well as the drawings. The drawings themselves are purposefully simple yet brilliant in their depiction of emotion, and the narrative often reaches some surprising depth. One of my favorite sketches is one in which the author describes how pitifully dumb her dog is, and yet she couples this narrative to a series of drawings that show how lovingly she considers him. Another sketch details her descent into and subsequent recovery from episodes of severe depression and it is an amazing thing to be treated to such remarkable insight alongside a healthy dose of wild laughter.
All in all, I think you’ll find that this book is a real winner.
May 11, 2019
This collection of Allie Brosh's thoughts on dog ownership, depression, moving, weird childhood ideas, self-identity, and other life topics is a little random (a lot of it was previously posted on her website). She's really insightful - I feel like I understand depression better after reading her chapters about dealing with it. And her "Identity" chapters delve into the lies we tell ourselves. I laughed even though I see myself in some of these behaviors.
Her drawings never fail to crack me up. I don't know if I'd have the self-confidence to draw myself as someone who resembles a weird fish, though.
And just the other day my family was chuckling about how our dog always tilts his head when we're talking to him. Alhough our dog has never fallen over from doing it. :)
A super quick read with a good mix of laughs and poignancy, illustrated with hilarious drawings.
Content notes: Lots of swearing.
Initial comments: I will always love Allie Brosh for introducing me to the Alot.
Sadly, the Alot is not in this book. Happily, you can still read about the Alot here on the author's website.
Her drawings never fail to crack me up. I don't know if I'd have the self-confidence to draw myself as someone who resembles a weird fish, though.
And just the other day my family was chuckling about how our dog always tilts his head when we're talking to him. Alhough our dog has never fallen over from doing it. :)
A super quick read with a good mix of laughs and poignancy, illustrated with hilarious drawings.
Content notes: Lots of swearing.
Initial comments: I will always love Allie Brosh for introducing me to the Alot.
Sadly, the Alot is not in this book. Happily, you can still read about the Alot here on the author's website.
February 26, 2023
3.5 stars
Author Allie Brosh
"Hyperbole and a Half" is culled (in part) from Allie Brosh's very popular blog. I hadn't heard of the author until I read laudatory comments about this book on Goodreads, and I'm glad I decided to read it. The entries about Allie's life - rendered as cartoon drawings with captions and anecdotes - are funny, relatable, and touching.
The book opens with a letter Allie wrote to her future self when whe was ten. The letter - which is actually a series of questions to her older self (Do you still like dogs? What is your favorite dog?...) - shows that Allie's childhood priorities were: dogs, dogs, dogs, Murphy the dog, favorite foods, and her parents' longevity.
Some of my favorite sections are about Allie's 'simple dog' (mentally challenged) - who can't learn to walk up or down steps; is unable to escape from a small blanket loosely thrown over her; can't find a treat she sees being placed under a plastic cup; won't stop eating stinging bees; is paralyzed by fear of snow; and so on.
At one point Allie decides to adopt a 'helper dog' to assist the simple one....and the new pooch constantly scream-barks at other dogs and misbehaves 24/7. Examples of what these two dogs get up to are hilarious.
Another very entertaining chapter is about little Allie - aged 4 - obsessively stalking her grandfather's birthday cake. Allie's mom does her best to keep the cake safe....to no avail. The child eats the whole cake and suffers the alimentary consequences. Young Allie's digestive system undergoes more assaults after she (accidently) eats food slathered in hot sauce. Allie's parents view the youngster's ability to eat hot food as a talent.....to be trotted out for friends and relatives. Oh....the suffering...
As a child, Allie got up to all sorts of mischief. When given a toy parrot that repeats spoken phrases, Allie (and her sister) used it to torture their parents. They taught the bird to make irritating noises and say "poop poop poop poop poop poop....." Of course the bird disappeared one day.
Allie also relates a story about wanting to go to a friend's birthday party despite being disoriented/unable to talk after dental anesthesia. Allie's attempts to convince her mom she's 'okay to go' are very funny.
The more serious chapters of the book deal with Allie's depression, her difficulties motivating herself to do things, and her secret 'mean' thoughts. I think most people can relate.
Some chapters are better than others, but the book is a quick read - with fun illustrations - and well worth the effort. Highly recommended.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
December 10, 2013
Allie Brosh = infinity stars
Hyperbole blog = six stars
My regrets for buying this book = ZERO
The actual book = *whispers* eh, it was good. Yeah, good. Not brilliant. But good.
Reasons =
No alots
Pictures depicting nighttime in a dark forest should not have gray writing on them
The new content that wasn't on the blog was a bit hit or miss for me. Some . . . um . . . can I say it? Seemed like fillers.
Bonus star = lush full color that gave me a slight high from the sheer volume of ink (also the smell totally repelled the pungent and persistent aroma of that Etsy-purchased leather bag I thought was coming from New York, but was shipped from Morocco, which I strongly suspect is made of dead camel, and is too heavy for me to carry). And oooh, shiny shiny cover.
Hyperbole blog = six stars
My regrets for buying this book = ZERO
The actual book = *whispers* eh, it was good. Yeah, good. Not brilliant. But good.
Reasons =
No alots
Pictures depicting nighttime in a dark forest should not have gray writing on them
The new content that wasn't on the blog was a bit hit or miss for me. Some . . . um . . . can I say it? Seemed like fillers.
Bonus star = lush full color that gave me a slight high from the sheer volume of ink (also the smell totally repelled the pungent and persistent aroma of that Etsy-purchased leather bag I thought was coming from New York, but was shipped from Morocco, which I strongly suspect is made of dead camel, and is too heavy for me to carry). And oooh, shiny shiny cover.
May 30, 2022
This was great! I found it very relatable, particularly the part ‘why I’ll never be an adult’. The dogs parts were the least entertaining but the rest was awesome and I was able to read it in one sitting.
June 11, 2015
I finally know where this meme originated from. From Allie Brosh and her fabulous, fabulous book.
Hyperbole and a Half is the perfect novel to read on a rainy day because it's unbelievably funny. It consists of random incidents and observations in Allie's life, ranging from toddler cake consumption:
“I had tasted cake and there was no going back. My tiny body had morphed into a writhing mass of pure tenacity encased in a layer of desperation. I would eat all of the cake or I would evaporate from the sheer power of my desire to eat it.”
To basic mathematics of table condiments:
"As soon as you became aware that eating huge amounts of salt is really, really uncomfortably salty, you should have stopped eating salt. That's the solution. The solution is not to begin eating pepper to cancel out the salt."
There's also a really touching analogy of what it feels like to have depression.
And the drawings are hysterical.
Highly recommended.
January 8, 2014
Hyperbole and a Half Review
I'm happy that this book exists. If I had known about the blog, like millions of other people, before the book came out I would have been happy that it had existed. But I didn't. Who knew there was good stuff out there on the interwebs?
I couldn't believe how much I was actually laughing out loud at the first story when she finds a letter from her ten year old self to her older self and then responds with writing letters to various aged younger versions of herself. This is literally (and I mean literally, literally here) the most I've ever laughed at something in a book.
A few of the later stories I was not a huge fan of, but they didn't do much to diminish my overall enjoyment of the book. Eight days after reading the book I can't even remember which ones those were. In my memory they are all great, so yay shitty memory!
I also blame myself for reading most of this book in one sitting. I kept thinking, maybe I should leave Karen's apartment, and not just sit on her bed and pet her cat for a while longer, but I'll just read one more story, and that one story led to one more, and one more and then I was all done with the book thanks to the humorous crack like quality of the book.
I'm sure Maggie was happy with the extra pets she got because of this.
Allie Brosh is fucking funny. If you're like me and fairly stupid about popular things on the internet (i.e., you never heard of her blog before seeing this in a bookstore), then I'd recommend you either going to look at the blog now or picking up a copy of this. I really don't know how much of this is original material, so maybe if you've been reading the blog it wouldn't be as new and exciting for you as it was for me, but it's now available in the handy hand-held version that you can touch and turn the pages of.
Anyway really funny and cute. She draws dogs just about as good as Jeffrey Brown draws cats, which is a total compliment. A couple of the things in the depression pieces hit a little too close to home, and may have soured my mood for the rest of the day, but they were still a pleasurable way to have my mood soured for the day, sort of in the same way I'll keeping listening to Clarissa's Wierd over and over again even though I know that it's not going to end well for me.
Some reviewers I have seen say that this book mostly contains things from the blog, which is great for those of us who seem to be blind to the internet outside of goodreads. Maybe in 2015 I'll set myself some low reading goal for the year so I can focus more on catching up with this whole blogging craze. This will be a good time to do this, because I'm sure there will be something all new and exciting going on by then (or now) that I can be equally clueless about, but marvel at when it's released in book format.
I don't think I've read any other humor books released this year, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is the best one. If not the actual best one, then the best one I've read.
legal disclaimer: I have borrowed this book from a friend, which is like getting it from Netgalley. I didn't pay to read it, and after a certain period of time it will no longer be in my possession, and I will have to get my own copy, or just leaf through it in a bookstore, or maybe a library, if I want to re-read it, or refer back to the book when three or four years from now someone decides to tell me that I'm not very clever or smart and that I was in fact wrong about finding this book funny, and then I'll feel the need to go back to the book to defend why I thought it was funny, which will be impossible because if someone doesn't find something funny it never adds improves the situation by describing to the person why something is funny. I've been amiss lately at adding necessary legal disclaimers to my reviews. It's almost safe to say (but not entirely true), that just about everything I've reviewed in the past few months was not purchased by me, and in most times not purchased by anyone. I'm certain this book has been purchased though. In the past six months I'm fairly certain that I have purchased 7 books, two of which I have read and one which I reviewed (favorably). I feel like I'm begging the question of, “what did you purchase, Greg?” It's not important.
I'm happy that this book exists. If I had known about the blog, like millions of other people, before the book came out I would have been happy that it had existed. But I didn't. Who knew there was good stuff out there on the interwebs?
I couldn't believe how much I was actually laughing out loud at the first story when she finds a letter from her ten year old self to her older self and then responds with writing letters to various aged younger versions of herself. This is literally (and I mean literally, literally here) the most I've ever laughed at something in a book.
A few of the later stories I was not a huge fan of, but they didn't do much to diminish my overall enjoyment of the book. Eight days after reading the book I can't even remember which ones those were. In my memory they are all great, so yay shitty memory!
I also blame myself for reading most of this book in one sitting. I kept thinking, maybe I should leave Karen's apartment, and not just sit on her bed and pet her cat for a while longer, but I'll just read one more story, and that one story led to one more, and one more and then I was all done with the book thanks to the humorous crack like quality of the book.
I'm sure Maggie was happy with the extra pets she got because of this.
Allie Brosh is fucking funny. If you're like me and fairly stupid about popular things on the internet (i.e., you never heard of her blog before seeing this in a bookstore), then I'd recommend you either going to look at the blog now or picking up a copy of this. I really don't know how much of this is original material, so maybe if you've been reading the blog it wouldn't be as new and exciting for you as it was for me, but it's now available in the handy hand-held version that you can touch and turn the pages of.
Anyway really funny and cute. She draws dogs just about as good as Jeffrey Brown draws cats, which is a total compliment. A couple of the things in the depression pieces hit a little too close to home, and may have soured my mood for the rest of the day, but they were still a pleasurable way to have my mood soured for the day, sort of in the same way I'll keeping listening to Clarissa's Wierd over and over again even though I know that it's not going to end well for me.
Some reviewers I have seen say that this book mostly contains things from the blog, which is great for those of us who seem to be blind to the internet outside of goodreads. Maybe in 2015 I'll set myself some low reading goal for the year so I can focus more on catching up with this whole blogging craze. This will be a good time to do this, because I'm sure there will be something all new and exciting going on by then (or now) that I can be equally clueless about, but marvel at when it's released in book format.
I don't think I've read any other humor books released this year, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is the best one. If not the actual best one, then the best one I've read.
legal disclaimer: I have borrowed this book from a friend, which is like getting it from Netgalley. I didn't pay to read it, and after a certain period of time it will no longer be in my possession, and I will have to get my own copy, or just leaf through it in a bookstore, or maybe a library, if I want to re-read it, or refer back to the book when three or four years from now someone decides to tell me that I'm not very clever or smart and that I was in fact wrong about finding this book funny, and then I'll feel the need to go back to the book to defend why I thought it was funny, which will be impossible because if someone doesn't find something funny it never adds improves the situation by describing to the person why something is funny. I've been amiss lately at adding necessary legal disclaimers to my reviews. It's almost safe to say (but not entirely true), that just about everything I've reviewed in the past few months was not purchased by me, and in most times not purchased by anyone. I'm certain this book has been purchased though. In the past six months I'm fairly certain that I have purchased 7 books, two of which I have read and one which I reviewed (favorably). I feel like I'm begging the question of, “what did you purchase, Greg?” It's not important.
February 19, 2014
I was so excited to read this book. After all the hype and rave reviews I was so happy to finally receive a copy from my library. Boy am I glad I didn't pay for this! I am absolutely flabbergasted as to how this book got such a high rating. The stories are mediocre and I was lucky if I breathed out a shallow chuckle while reading. The writing was very amateur and reminded me of mildly entertaining stories told over the dinner table,where the most boring details are embellished and elaborated on to no end to desperately attempt to ignite the story with some semblance of hilarity.
I love comic memoirs but this one just did not hit the mark for me. I did however enjoy the Microsoft paint illustrations and giving each story its own coloured pages gave the book a nice overall aesthetic. Too bad the pretty colours weren't enough to save this.
December 5, 2013
This book had me laughing so hard I started crying. I mean that as a compliment.
Allie Brosh writes the popular blog Hyperbole and a Half, and this is a collection of her favorite web comics and a few new ones. I first found her blog when her post titled "This is Why I'll Never Be an Adult" was getting shared on Facebook and Twitter. It's about her occasional bursts of motivation to Get Stuff Done, but how exhausting and frustrating it quickly becomes to be so responsible. I was happy to see this comic included in the book.*
Besides the Adult chapter, some of my favorite pieces were about Allie trying to train her dog, her early obsession with cake, a hilarious and terrifying attack by a goose, and some letters she writes to her younger self. I was laughing so loudly and uncontrollably that I think I annoyed my husband, who was trying to work in the other room. Of course I had to interrupt him every few minutes and thrust the book at him, saying, "Read this! It's so funny and clever!" (He did admit it was funny.)
Some of the comics are also insightful, discussing her experiences with depression and identity in a self-deprecating way. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants a good laugh.
*For your reading enjoyment, here is a link to her post about trying to be an adult: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com...
Allie Brosh writes the popular blog Hyperbole and a Half, and this is a collection of her favorite web comics and a few new ones. I first found her blog when her post titled "This is Why I'll Never Be an Adult" was getting shared on Facebook and Twitter. It's about her occasional bursts of motivation to Get Stuff Done, but how exhausting and frustrating it quickly becomes to be so responsible. I was happy to see this comic included in the book.*
Besides the Adult chapter, some of my favorite pieces were about Allie trying to train her dog, her early obsession with cake, a hilarious and terrifying attack by a goose, and some letters she writes to her younger self. I was laughing so loudly and uncontrollably that I think I annoyed my husband, who was trying to work in the other room. Of course I had to interrupt him every few minutes and thrust the book at him, saying, "Read this! It's so funny and clever!" (He did admit it was funny.)
Some of the comics are also insightful, discussing her experiences with depression and identity in a self-deprecating way. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants a good laugh.
*For your reading enjoyment, here is a link to her post about trying to be an adult: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com...
October 2, 2016
A book club friend loaned this to me. I am very familiar with Hyperbole and a Half, have even been known to use an image or two from it as profile pictures (especially the cell from the social entrapment post that says "I'd love to hang out but I have to go sit in my house by myself.") So, already a huge fan, love simple dog, and enjoyed reading this. I'd been a bit bogged down in depressing (yet award-nominated) books and also had spent four days in training this week, so this was a welcome respite. I laughed like a crazy person. Somehow I had never met Helper Dog and loved his crazy presence.
May 4, 2020
At first I thought I wasn't going to like the illustrations in this book but they really grew on me. The illustrations of the dog characters are wonderful, the expressions are perfectly captured.
This book was so funny, some chapters really make me want to read them again and again. The cake chapter was hilarious, also simple dog and helper dog, the chapter on chili eating too.
Thank you to Lisa Vegan for recommending this book and sending me the link to the Alots. I really hope this author writes her next book. This book leaves you wanting more!
This book was so funny, some chapters really make me want to read them again and again. The cake chapter was hilarious, also simple dog and helper dog, the chapter on chili eating too.
Thank you to Lisa Vegan for recommending this book and sending me the link to the Alots. I really hope this author writes her next book. This book leaves you wanting more!
January 26, 2018
May 18, 14
Will I ever find something like this book, again?!
***
Jan 05, 14
This is kind of how I look right now while writing these modest thoughts.
Do you see that smile? That little face. It's like a child on sugar overdose after eating half a cake on his birthday during vacations at Disneyland. So, I'll try to control myself.
I was smiling since its introduction. After reading all her “Warning signs” I just knew it was going to be a hilarious book. I didn't know this was such an Internet sensation, that she had a blog and all that. I don't so I'm a bit out of that world, you know, blogs, Twitter, Tumblr, the thing with the paintings, pictures, whatever. I heard about this author a couple of months ago. (Thanks GR Awards for letting me know about this book. I know I couldn't vote because I haven't read a single one of those new books, but I'm trying to keep up. Even though next year I'm guessing it will be the same thing and I'll be reading those new books after the whole event is over.)
I love mixing genres. You can't be all about the serious stuff (well, you could, but you'll be a victim of a massive dullness, and that's fine by me). I love humor and I'm so glad I find books like this one, once in a while. People often think it's easy to write a funny book. Well, it's not. It's not like putting a bunch of stupid words all together. And believe me, I read one of those and that's not how it works. Well, for me, at least. These people seem to be clever, witty, charming. All things I can only imagine, but I'm guessing that's how they are (?) If they're not, don't tell me. Do not kill my illusion.
Anyway, this book has funny anecdotes and hilarious drawings. You can look at this picture with some random sentence next to it, and still can't help a good laugh, no matter how serious that sentence is meant to be.
An overwhelming excitement . (Kind of my reaction when entering an old-looking library.)
A giant asteroid is expected to hit the Earth in a matter of weeks.
From now on, all books must be read using electronic devices and paperbacks are forbidden.
Hmm. OK, bad example. And maybe that only happens to me.
Anyhow, the anecdotes, the jokes, the hilarious observations on life, its weirdness and awesomeness and the awkward drawings... all that makes an amazing combo. After “Warning signs”, I laughed at “The simple dog”. I'm a cat/dog lover, I can't choose. Right now, I have a cat and I'm not frustrated because he won't do what I tell him to do. I know he's not stupid. Moreover, I'm pretty sure his IQ is higher than mine. He won't listen to me because he simply doesn't want to. He knows the sound of my voice, when I'm petting him and when I'm angry because he just threw a glass off the table. So, he chooses when to obey. A free spirit who's not so free when I'm holding his food.
The next chapter is called “Motivation”; I looked it up so I would be able to understand what these pages were all about... And when I familiarized with the term, oh my, how I laughed!
Yep, that usually happens to me with Diet Coke bottles.
By page 40-something, I was laughing my teeth off. My cat was staring at me, seeing his owner laughing at some screen, wondering how to google “how to tell if my owner is retarded” (well, that was the word). However, I couldn't help it.
Aw. I fell in love with this human being.
I also loved “The God of Cake”, the “Depressions”, especially part II, “This is why I'll never be an adult” (nothing I can relate to; oh no, not me... not me, at all), “Thoughts and feelings” and many other fascinating anecdotes that made my weekend (yes, this was the highest point of my weekend; no, I'm not pathetic!)
If you enjoy good comedy, this is your book. If you don't, well... I'm really sorry. Really.
So, this is it! I loved this book. I loved it
Jan 05, 14
* Also on my blog.
** All pictures by Allie Brosh.
Will I ever find something like this book, again?!
***
Jan 05, 14
This is kind of how I look right now while writing these modest thoughts.
Do you see that smile? That little face. It's like a child on sugar overdose after eating half a cake on his birthday during vacations at Disneyland. So, I'll try to control myself.
I was smiling since its introduction. After reading all her “Warning signs” I just knew it was going to be a hilarious book. I didn't know this was such an Internet sensation, that she had a blog and all that. I don't so I'm a bit out of that world, you know, blogs, Twitter, Tumblr, the thing with the paintings, pictures, whatever. I heard about this author a couple of months ago. (Thanks GR Awards for letting me know about this book. I know I couldn't vote because I haven't read a single one of those new books, but I'm trying to keep up. Even though next year I'm guessing it will be the same thing and I'll be reading those new books after the whole event is over.)
I love mixing genres. You can't be all about the serious stuff (well, you could, but you'll be a victim of a massive dullness, and that's fine by me). I love humor and I'm so glad I find books like this one, once in a while. People often think it's easy to write a funny book. Well, it's not. It's not like putting a bunch of stupid words all together. And believe me, I read one of those and that's not how it works. Well, for me, at least. These people seem to be clever, witty, charming. All things I can only imagine, but I'm guessing that's how they are (?) If they're not, don't tell me. Do not kill my illusion.
Anyway, this book has funny anecdotes and hilarious drawings. You can look at this picture with some random sentence next to it, and still can't help a good laugh, no matter how serious that sentence is meant to be.
An overwhelming excitement . (Kind of my reaction when entering an old-looking library.)
A giant asteroid is expected to hit the Earth in a matter of weeks.
From now on, all books must be read using electronic devices and paperbacks are forbidden.
Hmm. OK, bad example. And maybe that only happens to me.
Anyhow, the anecdotes, the jokes, the hilarious observations on life, its weirdness and awesomeness and the awkward drawings... all that makes an amazing combo. After “Warning signs”, I laughed at “The simple dog”. I'm a cat/dog lover, I can't choose. Right now, I have a cat and I'm not frustrated because he won't do what I tell him to do. I know he's not stupid. Moreover, I'm pretty sure his IQ is higher than mine. He won't listen to me because he simply doesn't want to. He knows the sound of my voice, when I'm petting him and when I'm angry because he just threw a glass off the table. So, he chooses when to obey. A free spirit who's not so free when I'm holding his food.
The next chapter is called “Motivation”; I looked it up so I would be able to understand what these pages were all about... And when I familiarized with the term, oh my, how I laughed!
Yep, that usually happens to me with Diet Coke bottles.
By page 40-something, I was laughing my teeth off. My cat was staring at me, seeing his owner laughing at some screen, wondering how to google “how to tell if my owner is retarded” (well, that was the word). However, I couldn't help it.
Fear and shame are the backbone of my self-control. They are my source of inspiration, my insurance against becoming entirely unacceptable. They help me do the right thing. And I am terrified of what I would be without them. Because I suspect that, left to my own devices, I would completely lose control of my life.
Aw. I fell in love with this human being.
I also loved “The God of Cake”, the “Depressions”, especially part II, “This is why I'll never be an adult” (nothing I can relate to; oh no, not me... not me, at all), “Thoughts and feelings” and many other fascinating anecdotes that made my weekend (yes, this was the highest point of my weekend; no, I'm not pathetic!)
If you enjoy good comedy, this is your book. If you don't, well... I'm really sorry. Really.
So, this is it! I loved this book. I loved it
Jan 05, 14
* Also on my blog.
** All pictures by Allie Brosh.
January 8, 2015
Allie Brosh knows more about dogs more than Cesar Millan. She knows them inside out and what makes them tick. She understands them. She just doesn't know what to DO about dogs.
The stories about Brosh's dogs are fall-down funny. There is simple dog who is basically a sea cucumber with legs and helper dog who will surmount any obstacle to bark at the neighbor's dog. If you are a dog lover, you will find them HILARIOUS.
Other tales, particularly about depression and some seriously questionable lapses in parental judgement are not so much funny as sad and scary.
But, if the next book has more about dogs...I'll probably buy it. Because...you know...dogs!
The stories about Brosh's dogs are fall-down funny. There is simple dog who is basically a sea cucumber with legs and helper dog who will surmount any obstacle to bark at the neighbor's dog. If you are a dog lover, you will find them HILARIOUS.
Other tales, particularly about depression and some seriously questionable lapses in parental judgement are not so much funny as sad and scary.
But, if the next book has more about dogs...I'll probably buy it. Because...you know...dogs!
December 23, 2015
4.5 stars
Loved this! I thought it was hilarious and I was laughing out loud at some chapters! I think my favorite was the chapter about the Simple Dog or when she was writing to her 25 year old self.. "Do you still like dogs? What is your favorite dog?" Haha Apparently this author has a blog so I'm going to have to check that out for sure! Some of this was pretty relatable actually... I did enjoy the deeper parts as well. Overall definitely light and fun and I recommend it if you're in the mood for something like that!
Loved this! I thought it was hilarious and I was laughing out loud at some chapters! I think my favorite was the chapter about the Simple Dog or when she was writing to her 25 year old self.. "Do you still like dogs? What is your favorite dog?" Haha Apparently this author has a blog so I'm going to have to check that out for sure! Some of this was pretty relatable actually... I did enjoy the deeper parts as well. Overall definitely light and fun and I recommend it if you're in the mood for something like that!
February 12, 2021
A fun and lighthearted read, Hyperbole and a Half is a good palate cleanser or just something to pick up when you need a little humor in your day.
It's not profound and it's not even book-like.... it feels like reading someone's blog. A blog about depression - I know, I know, I said it's fun, and it is! -, some childhood memories, and the author's not very bright dogs.
I appreciate Allie Brosh's style; it's not laugh-out-loud, belly busting funny. It's sarcastic, smirk-on-the-lips funny.
The book is replete with cartoon drawings, some of which added to the writing and some of which just felt like filler to get to the required number of pages to please the publisher.
It's not amazing and it's not a must-read, but I'm still glad I read it and appreciate all the smirks on the lips it gave me.
It's not profound and it's not even book-like.... it feels like reading someone's blog. A blog about depression - I know, I know, I said it's fun, and it is! -, some childhood memories, and the author's not very bright dogs.
I appreciate Allie Brosh's style; it's not laugh-out-loud, belly busting funny. It's sarcastic, smirk-on-the-lips funny.
The book is replete with cartoon drawings, some of which added to the writing and some of which just felt like filler to get to the required number of pages to please the publisher.
It's not amazing and it's not a must-read, but I'm still glad I read it and appreciate all the smirks on the lips it gave me.
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