Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh

Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh, was the only blog I used to follow back in the day when I was still a baby allie-brosh-hyperbole-and-half-sreesha-divakaran-rain-and-bookin the blogosphere. I stopped following it around the time I stopped blogging (2010-2011) and when I returned to the scene, I realized Hyperbole and a Half was not being updated as frequently as it used to be. Some of you know that I returned to blogging to help cure me of my depression (which it has, in large part) Around the time I had been away, Allie had shared her depression story, in her unique, trademark style accompanied by colourful MS Paint comics. Later, in the year 2013, she shared the story Depression Part Two, which really resonated with me. It gave words to that which I had been struggling with for so long, especially the following:

“I had always wanted to not give a fuck about anything. I viewed feelings as a weakness — annoying obstacles on my quest for total power over myself. And I finally didn’t have to feel them anymore. 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.”

Hyperbole and a Half – the book – is a collection of a few of the stories from the blog, with all the pictures. It is a hilarious take on life and – as Allie puts it – unfortunate situations, flawed coping mechanisms, mayhem and other things that happened. It has several laugh-out-loud moments, although the stories follow no particular order. Exactly in the style of the blog, they are non sequential. The best part about this colourful book is that it reaches a wider audience, to those who had not heard of the blog before this. And it is something that all of us would enjoy reading.

I was hoping to find some of my favourite stories from the blog that have not been included – such as the famous Alot, How A Sandwich Makes You Its Bitch, and The Year The Easter Bunny Died. But I am glad I have this beautiful, funny book in my collection. I do hope Allie returns to blogging soon. I miss reading her!

It’s a really quick read – I finished it in just under 3 hours, which is I think the fastest I have ever read a book – given my limited reading time and everything.

Get the book here: Amazon

I hope you like it as much as I did.

9 thoughts on “Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh”

  1. Before the era of blogging contests made it hard to find, there were actually some bloggers who wrote so beautifully from the heart… I used to think “man, I wish I could write like that and touch people’s hearts”
    They felt more accessible to us too, being bloggers instead of world famous authors…
    This feels like one of those books.

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    1. Yes, in the olden days, when blogging didn’t seem like a race. Allie adds this dark humour and exaggerates the situations making the presentation so unique and unforgettable. Superb blog, seriously miss it!

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  2. I LOVE Hyperbole and a Half. Soon after my post last February, someone directed me to her site and I fell in love with the whole concept. Sometimes you just have to laugh in the face of depression to make yourself stronger. I’ve been doing it and I know you have too. We’re sisters in arms, my dear. So proud to know you!

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  3. Sounds like a great book! I know a couple of other bloggers who’ve written books off their blog posts and they’re fantastic. I’ve heard of Allie Brosch 🙂 I fondly remember the days when blogs were about writing from the heart and not about how many comments and visitors. 🙂

    Hugs, Sreesha!

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