Coming Soon: Allie Brosh's Solutions and Other Problems
Allie Brosh is the creator of the iconic webcomic Hyperbole and a Half. For years, she produced original personal essay comics inspired by her life with a signature MS Paint illustration style. She tackled silly and sincere topics with wit and wisdom.
Solutions and Other Problems is her second original collection coming out 22 September. She announced the collection on her blog in typical fashion. Read through the post and try out the varying options to pre-order the book. They’re hilarious. The new site for the book is a great read, too. Try the FAQs.
In 2013, Brosh released her first book, Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened. This is one of my favorite essay collections and comic collections in one. Comic by comic, Brosh switched between two modes. In one half of the book, she told silly stories from her childhood and adult life. This is the kind of comic people were used to from her website and featured a mix of new and republished stories.
The other mode is one of the most honest and relatable explorations of Depression I’ve ever found. Brosh candidly reveals her struggles through a series of personal essays that just feel real. I’ve never felt so seen by someone talking about late fees at a video rental store. The comics so clearly demonstrate the feelings and mentality of Clinical Depression that I’ve actually shared them with family and friends to help them better understand my own struggles. They’re funny, too, but not in the same way as a silly story of doing anything to eat an entire birthday cake as a child.
I’ve revisited this collection a lot over the years. It can make me laugh and cry with ease. I can escape with a silly story about her dogs, or I can remind myself that many of us struggle with the same mental wellness problems and feel a little less alone. This is one of the most well-loved books in my collection and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Solutions and Other Problems is available to pre-order from every bookseller you can imagine. The book comes out 22 September and I’ve already put in my order with my local indie bookshop.
There will also be three virtual events on the 23rd, 24th, and 26th with varying ticket prices:
23 September @8pm EDT through Brookline Booksmith and The Wilbur ($36 for a copy of the book and a ticket to the event)
24 September @7pm EDT through Strand Bookstore ($35 domestic, $58 international for a copy of the book, a ticket to the event)
26 September @8PM EDT through Powell’s Books ($30 to pre-order book, first 500 pre-orders get tickets)
Brosh is one of those authors that I always enjoy reading. Her voice is so clear and powerful in everything she does. I’m excited to read through Solutions and Other Problems.
