'Hyperbole and a half' by Ally Brosh

This was a light read that was chosen for the Christmas period by my non-fiction reading group. It is a classic example of a book I would never have heard of, let alone considered reading, had it not been for this lovely group. It is sub-titled ‘unfortunate situations, flawed coping mechanisms, and other things that happened’. That sums it up rather well.

I have mixed feelings about this one. It is nearly four hundred pages long, and yet was really quick to read as it is a graphic book, featuring both text and cartoons. It is beautifully produced. It is basically a memoir, but is not so chronological in its structure and it only deals with a dozen or so episodes in its author’s life. Parts are sad, as Allie Brosh suffers from depression and appears to have other anxieties too. She draws and describes them in a light-hearted way. These are not always so comfortable to read about, but I did learn things from doing so. The more introspective passages are interspersed with ones in which amusing anecdotes are told, often involving animals. Some of those concerning dogs are original and very amusing, particularly the passage about dogs being scared of things like vacuum cleaners, but unfazed by potentially deadly things like lawn mowers and moving cars.

Not one I would highly recommend in all honesty, but the artwork is fun and the book has considerable charm.