The Secret to Superhuman Strength

von Alison Bechdel

“A true delight of graphic literature, and nobody does it better.  You feel as if you’re peering through a plexiglass panel right into Bechdel’s marvelous brain.”— New York Times Book Review   “Color? It’s the first sign that something new is afoot in a book full of familiar flourishes [including] the figure of Bechdel herself, drawn as a bit of a cross between Tintin and Waldo, vibrating with anxiety, doing her best to flee herself on bike or skis or simply afoot….It’s [an] accumulating ease we feel in this book—a supple, loose-limbed grace; an absence of fear that translates into simplicity, discipline and modesty.”— New York Times   “Astonishing . . . utterly absorbing”— The Atlantic   "[Bechdel] set out to write a light book about her lifelong commitment to exercise, including stints as a cyclist, climber, skier and yogi. As usual, her story and art are about so much more — the realities of aging, the quest for transcendence and the drumbeat of mortality."— Washington Post   “The book is certainly light and fun in parts, but like 2006’s Fun Home and 2012’s  Are You My Mother?, the new work is a wonderland of literary allusions and introspection. The delight of reading an Alison Bechdel book is in watching the author make mind-blowing connections from seemingly disparate sources, and feeling like you’re soul-searching right along with her . . . The Secret to Superhuman Strength . . . is a wondrous exploration of how an obsession with exercise—‘the sweat, the endorphins, the gear, the togs, the next new thing!’—can be self-care and a means of connecting with the world at large.”—Oprah Daily   “[Bechdel] makes a strong case for the intrinsic interconnectedness of creativity, spirituality, and an elevated heart rate . . . The Secret to Superhuman Strength could stand alone as an entertaining look back at the rise of various American workout trends. But it’s much more than that . . . With this book, Bechdel establishes her place in a long line of progressive thinkers who have sought spiritual growth via physical activity.”—Outside.com "Alison Bechdel’s literary, illustrated dive into a lifetime of fitness fads—from skiing to karate to yoga—is characteristically expansive and profound."— Vanity Fair   " . . . An effort to see beyond herself and recognize her oneness with the world. In Bechdel's inimitable storytelling and comics style, as in her much-loved and -lauded Fun Home (2006) and Are You My Mother? (2012), this is sprawling and dense in the best way, and her legions of fans will devour it."— Booklist, starred review   "Grappling with the desire for spiritual transcendence in the most intensely personal terms, Bechdel achieves a tricky—even enlightening—balance."— Publishers Weekly, starred review   “Alison Bechdel finally turns her gaze on herself, with beautiful results . . . As ever, Bechdel satirizes and analyzes herself with a sharp, knowing, but affectionate touch that is observant without being solipsistic.  This is a thoughtful, funny and ruminative autobiography whose intensity is leavened with surprising notes of grace.”— Minneapolis Star-Tribune   “The Secret to Superhuman Strength is Alison Bechdel’s third graphic memoir and, amazingly, her third triumph.” —Vulture     “Engrossing, pensive.” —The Cut   "[Bechdel] pulls off a remarkable balancing act between a personal quest and a fascinating overvi