Anna Avian's Reviews > The Secret to Superhuman Strength

It really took superhuman strength and two weeks to finish this book. I like Alison Bechdel’s other graphic novels, especially the Dykes and Fun Home, but this one was a drag and a decline in quality in my opinion.
Even though it was supposed to be a memoir, it felt too impersonal, theoretical and vague. I couldn’t understand the meaning of the great many literary diversions, what was the link between all those people and the author? They all liked the outdoors? They were all on some quest for enlightenment? Or maybe Bechdel was seeking some kind of wisdom to combat the depression, anxiety and overthinking? That thread was lost on me.
The things that spiked my interest like Bechdel’s tricky relationship to alcohol, her tricky relationship to work, her flirtations with substance abuse, dabbling in Buddhism, polyamory and therapy, were all sort of mentioned and never got elaborated on.
Unlike her other books, I doubt that I’ll remember this one in a few months time.