By Allie Brosh
Meme-queen Allie Brosh returns to us with her new release, Solutions and Other Problems. Brosh was previously internet-famous for her webcomic-turned-book-turned-meme, Hyperbole and Half. After a long hiatus, her new, remarkably hefty book was released this week. Sporting 1,678 pictures, the book is more weighted towards the comics than the explanatory texts, making it a quick read.
Much of the book features the offbeat humor that Brosh is known for. The author interrupts the flow of the book to point out that chapter four will be missing, just because she can, and a lengthy chapter is devoted to a story about horse poop. However, where Brosh really shines is the vulnerable moments in which she shares her own struggles and suggests quite breath-taking avenues for mental health recovery. For my own privacy, I won’t divulge which chapter came up in my therapy session this week, but suffice to say that my therapist bought herself a copy.
The book is visually superb. The comics are drawn in Brosh’s signature, simplistic style, printed on high-quality glossy paper that allows their colors to pop out of the page with crisp lines. Brosh captures remarkable emotions in the eyes of her characters – often wide in fear, but sometimes devastatingly hurt. Brosh’s portrayal of her relationship with her sister made me call my own to check in – perhaps something we could all do in these isolating times.
Brosh’s book is not fine literature – there are perhaps too many dogs who lead perfectly happy, if strange, lives for that. However, it does serve as an honest depiction of the author’s struggles with mental health and relationships. Her attitude towards life and laughter are exactly what I needed this week, and I am so glad to share this book with my sister and my friends.
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