Adulthood Is a Myth: A Sarah’s Scribbles Collection

Adulthood Is a Myth: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection

I wasn’t familiar with the strip Sarah’s Scribbles, collected as Adulthood Is a Myth, but I can certainly see why it was popular enough to make it into a book.

Sarah Andersen has put together a collection of semi-autobiographical strips about feeling unable to cope. These are not unique observations — not wanting to get out of bed, not feeling able to communicate or socialize well, feeling unattractive — but they are deep, discouraging feelings most people can relate to, no matter their age. Although pitched at millenials and young adults, I certainly feel these ways sometimes. Particularly true to me was this comic about procrastinating on email.

Some of the strips are particular to this time and place, though, like berating people for thinking they’re “special snowflakes” or those who want to define what “real girls” do. And I can’t say why, but I was tickled by this strip about how often to wear something before washing it.

Adulthood Is a Myth: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection

Andersen has the exaggerated reaction and simplified style of Allie Brosh (Hyperbole and a Half), but with more polish. Her strips still have the misleading approachability of “oh, I could draw like that.” (You can’t.) She isn’t shy about portraying herself as antisocial or unattractive, and I was particularly struck by her strips about how unpleasant having a period can be.

A very nice touch, and oddly comforting, is that the red lettering and sweater stripes on the cover are flocked, which makes them fuzzy. Plus, the book has 30 previously unpublished strips included. (The publisher provided a review copy.)



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