REVIEW: HYPERBOLE AND A HALF by ALLIE BROSH

Friday, December 20, 2013


Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

   I actually bought this book as an early Christmas gift for my beloved twin, but then she finished it in two hours and forced me to read it.

   HYPERBOLE AND A HALF {god that's long; I'll just call it H&aH} is a paper adaptation of Allie Brosh's popular blog by the same name. To my understanding, half of it is brand-new content, and the other half consists of pre-existing stories picked off the blog. The book is unique in its presentation: it chronicles a collection of short stories in amateurish comic strips accompanied by short blocks of text. {I'm pretty sure it spawned a few memes, too, if that's relevant.}

   Anyway, explanations aside, this book is fucking hilarious. Brosh uses the perfect mixture of intelligence and crude humour to create both honest, laugh-out-loud comedy and a surprising level of introspection. From the tale of a manic dinosaur/serial killer goose to Brosh's own explanation and inspection of clinical depression, H&aH made a delightful read for me, and nearly everyone who was near me when my twin opened the gift. Seriously, we passed this thing around like a hot potato pretty much all day. I think I howled CAAAAKE at least ten times, because I'm essentially a five year old. 

   My experience with Brosh's blog itself was actually limited; I vaguely remember having someone show me the original cake story a year or so ago. But since this book does have stories that were never featured on the blog, I'd strongly recommend that fans of it pick this up, as well. {Also people who've never had exposure to Brosh's work before, because again, it's funny.} 

   I wish I could say more about this book; I really do. But honestly, all I can think of to mention is that I'm pleased to say that this is the first five star rating I've had on this blog yet, so happy holidays! 

  
OVERALL RATING: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

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