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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Reflective essays that made me laugh out loud and cry and spiral into an existential crisis all at once.
I thought I had written a review earlier when I read it but I guess it didn't save. I loved her earlier book but this one was just okay for me. Not as funny. It just didn't have the same feeling.
about 60/70% along dnf—it’s a bit too much for me right now.
Oof.
Allie chooses to utilize her impressive artistic talents by drawing in a crude (yet surprisingly effective) style best described as “MS Paint,” which fools the reader into expecting content reflective the lighthearted style. Her latest book, however, deals with several life crises and philosophical dilemmas, illustrated in MS Paint style. It’s a bit of an emotional hammer, in between stories about goofy dogs and the weird kid next door.
In short, all those years I spent wondering occasionally if Allie was okay, the answer was mostly, “not really.” Her decision not to blog through it all is frankly praiseworthy—I would want to edit all my reactions to those life events, too. Anyway, heavy shit notwithstanding, Allie is still with us, and I am very glad.
Allie chooses to utilize her impressive artistic talents by drawing in a crude (yet surprisingly effective) style best described as “MS Paint,” which fools the reader into expecting content reflective the lighthearted style. Her latest book, however, deals with several life crises and philosophical dilemmas, illustrated in MS Paint style. It’s a bit of an emotional hammer, in between stories about goofy dogs and the weird kid next door.
In short, all those years I spent wondering occasionally if Allie was okay, the answer was mostly, “not really.” Her decision not to blog through it all is frankly praiseworthy—I would want to edit all my reactions to those life events, too. Anyway, heavy shit notwithstanding, Allie is still with us, and I am very glad.
She has leaned into it. All of it. I have been on an existential journey.
I read this whole thing last night after I got home from work. My one complaint about it that I have right now is that hardcover is the wrong format for this book. My wrists hurt! It's so heavy! I mean, it's a beautiful book, but at points genuinely physically hard to read. I imagine if I had some sort of tablet or color Kindle that would be ideal. If you have arthritis or other hand/arm related mobility issues I feel this is a good thing to know.
But aside from that, this book is a work of art. I loved her first book, but it was a bit more disjointed than this one. This one, if you look hard enough, feels more united. There are 25 chapters, and though not all of them share subject matter, there is an overarching voice, and they all come together to paint a picture of Allie's state of mind, how she's changed, and what the meaning of it all is.
The image I identified with the most. Y'all have lived through 2020 with me, so when you read the book I feel like you will agree with me on this.
I mentioned above that I went on an existential journey reading this, and I wasn't (ha) being hyperbolic. That is a literal thing that is happening in this book. Brosh has been through a tough seven years, and though she's stated in one of a couple of interviews she's given promoting this book that the wait between books was just how long it took her to write it, I'm pretty sure this would be an entirely different book without the several life-changing experiences she went through (and which she talks about in the book, in a section labeled "The Serious Part").
That's not to say this is a bleak book. Even when she's contemplating her mortality and the meaning of life, she still retains her humor. There are also some gut bustingly funny chapters in here that of course veer towards the absurd, but in a more joyful way. My favorite was "The Poop Mystery." I was honestly laughing so hard at the end of it I started crying. (Don't click this link unless you've read it. You're welcome if you have.)
It's also clear from some of the panels that her artistic style has evolved and matured a lot over the last several years. Some of the panels are beautiful, and some of them are so lovingly and absurdly rendered you can't help but laugh even without the context of what's going on.
As far as I'm concerned, she can take a decade to write the next book if she wants to, though I hope it comes much sooner than that. A+ would read again. (Will be reading several chapters again tonight when I get home.)
I read this whole thing last night after I got home from work. My one complaint about it that I have right now is that hardcover is the wrong format for this book. My wrists hurt! It's so heavy! I mean, it's a beautiful book, but at points genuinely physically hard to read. I imagine if I had some sort of tablet or color Kindle that would be ideal. If you have arthritis or other hand/arm related mobility issues I feel this is a good thing to know.
But aside from that, this book is a work of art. I loved her first book, but it was a bit more disjointed than this one. This one, if you look hard enough, feels more united. There are 25 chapters, and though not all of them share subject matter, there is an overarching voice, and they all come together to paint a picture of Allie's state of mind, how she's changed, and what the meaning of it all is.
Spoiler
Mostly the answer is nothing means anything, and everything is absurd.The image I identified with the most. Y'all have lived through 2020 with me, so when you read the book I feel like you will agree with me on this.
I mentioned above that I went on an existential journey reading this, and I wasn't (ha) being hyperbolic. That is a literal thing that is happening in this book. Brosh has been through a tough seven years, and though she's stated in one of a couple of interviews she's given promoting this book that the wait between books was just how long it took her to write it, I'm pretty sure this would be an entirely different book without the several life-changing experiences she went through (and which she talks about in the book, in a section labeled "The Serious Part").
That's not to say this is a bleak book. Even when she's contemplating her mortality and the meaning of life, she still retains her humor. There are also some gut bustingly funny chapters in here that of course veer towards the absurd, but in a more joyful way. My favorite was "The Poop Mystery." I was honestly laughing so hard at the end of it I started crying. (Don't click this link unless you've read it. You're welcome if you have.)
It's also clear from some of the panels that her artistic style has evolved and matured a lot over the last several years. Some of the panels are beautiful, and some of them are so lovingly and absurdly rendered you can't help but laugh even without the context of what's going on.
As far as I'm concerned, she can take a decade to write the next book if she wants to, though I hope it comes much sooner than that. A+ would read again. (Will be reading several chapters again tonight when I get home.)
I hope it was cathartic to get all of this written down.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
This is one of the few good things to come out of 2020. I needed this.
Another Gem
I am so thankful for Allie Brosh. What a gift her writing is and how lucky we are that she shares it with us.
I am so thankful for Allie Brosh. What a gift her writing is and how lucky we are that she shares it with us.