SOLUTIONS AND OTHER PROBLEMS

During the past decade-plus, Brosh has amassed a devoted fan base, most of whom first fell in love with the Hyperbole blog she began in 2009. Much of that material, which consisted of random musings, hilarious stories, and colorful, primitive drawings, ended up in her first book, a bestseller that earned glowing reviews from Elizabeth Gilbert and Bill Gates. Then Brosh, who has been open about her battles with depression, seemingly disappeared, much to the consternation and concern of her devotees. Originally slated for release in 2016, Solutions and Other Problems was perpetually postponed without explanation. The author covers some of the backstory here, which includes her divorce and her sister’s tragic death. “We’d always had a strange relationship, and I wasn’t prepared for it to be over,” she writes. “I don’t think either of us understood how much I loved her. It seemed like there’d be enough time to sort it out.” Thankfully, Brosh’s storytelling is so distinctive and compelling it’s like suddenly running in to a friend you feared was lost forever. The important thing is that she’s back, with fresh material and more than 1,600 pieces of art. Like her last book, this one draws heavily from her unconventional childhood. She recounts stories about getting stuck in a bucket and stalking her neighbor, and, of course, there are plenty of dog stories. Brosh also hilariously describes an experiment with drugs that reads like a budget-friendly version of an Ayahuasca ritual. She contemplates daydreams, wars with technology, and her efforts to befriend herself. The author reliably channels the simplicity of a child or the innocence of an animal and tells raucous, heartbreaking stories that reflect the hidden parts of us all. The existential kaleidoscope occasionally gets trippy, but the majority of the book is nourishing and warmly satisfying.

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