theshaggyshepherd's review
4.0
First off: I really love the cover for this book. It is easily one of my favorite covers recently.
Now to the book itself: I have a little bit of mixed feelings about it. I can both see and not see what this book is trying to do. I see the emotion. I see the trauma. I see the personal exploration in this and that it’s meant to be really deep. But at the same time, I just really wasn’t following the story at all and it didn’t really click for me at the end of the novella either. Things didn’t fall into place for me like it did for some other readers. But something did feel really clever about it. I’m not really sure how to explain it. I don’t have a lot of experience with absurdist writing and I like to overthink and understand everything so that can be a bit difficult to put together with this subgenre (for me personally). My own mind tends to grasp for logic and sense when it comes to working through the themes this book revolves around.
As a regular reader of memoirs though, the essays at the end are where it felt more personal to me and where it really hit home and had me thinking more deeply. That’s where I felt kinship, and heartache and my own grief bubbled up. I actually read the whole book twice and even knowing what was coming at the end, it still happened again. What I do know after reading this twice is that I am very curious about his other books now and can’t wait to jump into those.
Now to the book itself: I have a little bit of mixed feelings about it. I can both see and not see what this book is trying to do. I see the emotion. I see the trauma. I see the personal exploration in this and that it’s meant to be really deep. But at the same time, I just really wasn’t following the story at all and it didn’t really click for me at the end of the novella either. Things didn’t fall into place for me like it did for some other readers. But something did feel really clever about it. I’m not really sure how to explain it. I don’t have a lot of experience with absurdist writing and I like to overthink and understand everything so that can be a bit difficult to put together with this subgenre (for me personally). My own mind tends to grasp for logic and sense when it comes to working through the themes this book revolves around.
As a regular reader of memoirs though, the essays at the end are where it felt more personal to me and where it really hit home and had me thinking more deeply. That’s where I felt kinship, and heartache and my own grief bubbled up. I actually read the whole book twice and even knowing what was coming at the end, it still happened again. What I do know after reading this twice is that I am very curious about his other books now and can’t wait to jump into those.
jakeb2112's review
5.0
When I got this book I sat down and looked at the first page, I wasn’t going to read it yet, I just wanted to look at the first page or so and see what it was all about. I ended up reading it all right then.
This is a very quick read, and it is near impossible to put down once you start it. This book is so beautifully written and so raw and honest about grief, trauma, and depression. It is rare to find something like this where the author talks so openly about mental health topics and brings their own experience to the forefront. It isn’t sugarcoated, nor is is romanticized. Tarzian doesn’t dance around the uglier parts of mental health struggles, he puts them on full display in a way that reminds us that grief is necessary, but grief is ugly, painful, and at times all consuming.
I think it’s funny that a book about Lucifer losing his tea kettle might just be the most real piece of literature that I’ve read.
This is a very quick read, and it is near impossible to put down once you start it. This book is so beautifully written and so raw and honest about grief, trauma, and depression. It is rare to find something like this where the author talks so openly about mental health topics and brings their own experience to the forefront. It isn’t sugarcoated, nor is is romanticized. Tarzian doesn’t dance around the uglier parts of mental health struggles, he puts them on full display in a way that reminds us that grief is necessary, but grief is ugly, painful, and at times all consuming.
I think it’s funny that a book about Lucifer losing his tea kettle might just be the most real piece of literature that I’ve read.
liisp_cvr2cvr's review
5.0
What happens when tragedy strikes? When you’re feeling at your lowest? When your whole life comes crashing down? What happens? You will have a cup of tea. You make it for yourself, or someone else makes it for you. But you have a cup of tea. It’s meant to help. Soothe. Make things ever so slightly better. Help you face the demons.
But, the kettle is missing in Hell, there’s no tea to be had, tragedy has struck. What else left but to spiral into madness and misery?!
***
Ye gods, this is an absolute mindfuck novelette… and that in a good sense, from a my perspective. I mean, I like to be in ribbons after reading words on pages. I cried. Thrice. I laughed, more than thrice. Laughed… chuckled. Phallos Forest, flying wanking foxes and sadness. Grief.
I’m laughing, I’m crying.
Did you look at that cover, even? Did you see the cover? Look again – it’s magnificent!
Truly, though, this book hit the soft spot with the hardest punch because it is, in a sense, a purge. A purge of grief. And my heart was so, so sore. Also, I think, sadly, it’s grief and misery, strong emotions, that are often the most powerful muse to fuelling beautiful and bittersweet creation. It just is this way. Strong emotions open the floodgates… You have to let the emotion out. With tears, through a pen, on to paper. Purge. And it can be nothing else than hell, madness, going through the notions, misery, crying, laughing, crying again… A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell is the written form of emotions that makes you feel like your skin is about to split when you can no longer contain the swirl and hurricane of emotions within you.
And who needs drugs anyway when you have stories like this? It’s an out of body experience in many ways.
I read this short story. I want to read absolutely everything by Luke Tarzian.
But, the kettle is missing in Hell, there’s no tea to be had, tragedy has struck. What else left but to spiral into madness and misery?!
Being the Lord of Hell was not easy, especially when you had demons of your own.
***
Ye gods, this is an absolute mindfuck novelette… and that in a good sense, from a my perspective. I mean, I like to be in ribbons after reading words on pages. I cried. Thrice. I laughed, more than thrice. Laughed… chuckled. Phallos Forest, flying wanking foxes and sadness. Grief.
I’m laughing, I’m crying.
Did you look at that cover, even? Did you see the cover? Look again – it’s magnificent!
Truly, though, this book hit the soft spot with the hardest punch because it is, in a sense, a purge. A purge of grief. And my heart was so, so sore. Also, I think, sadly, it’s grief and misery, strong emotions, that are often the most powerful muse to fuelling beautiful and bittersweet creation. It just is this way. Strong emotions open the floodgates… You have to let the emotion out. With tears, through a pen, on to paper. Purge. And it can be nothing else than hell, madness, going through the notions, misery, crying, laughing, crying again… A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell is the written form of emotions that makes you feel like your skin is about to split when you can no longer contain the swirl and hurricane of emotions within you.
And who needs drugs anyway when you have stories like this? It’s an out of body experience in many ways.
We sipped, listening to the melody of dying Heaven whisper through the cracks. Have you ever heard a blue whale mourn its stillborn calf?
I read this short story. I want to read absolutely everything by Luke Tarzian.
thebookwormsfeast's review
5.0
I am not really sure how to review this given its nature (I'm also a bit out of practice with writing reviews) - but it made me feel me things. Although only small, there is a lot packed in here. I don’t think I’ve read something so raw feeling. I was not prepared, going in not really knowing much at all - but taken in by the title and cover.
The novelette starts off feeling rather whimsical and absurd - Lucifer's beloved tea kettle is missing, the events are being recounted by a demon, things are not pronounced how you'd think, and some of the imagery produced makes you read the line again (like, did it really just say that? Why, yes. Yes it did). But the tone definitely changes, subtly at times and like a punch in the face at others, as the story melds with reality and serious moments - really highlighting grief and depression for me in such an honest way.
In the last few pages you also come to realise that elements are taken from Tarzian’s own experiences - its not just having moments of clarity but moments of actual real life. It feels like penning the story itself was a way to help move forward, or at least let some of it out - it's a purge of feelings, a baring of the soul. I really hope it helped.
The writing throughout absolutely captivated me, regardless of the nature of it at the time (absurd or serious). I laughed and I cried, which is definitely a huge feat in such a small space of time, and I will most certainly be delving into more of Luke Tarzian’s works - I cannot wait!
TW: alcohol, drugs, grief, depression, suicidal ideation, parental
The novelette starts off feeling rather whimsical and absurd - Lucifer's beloved tea kettle is missing, the events are being recounted by a demon, things are not pronounced how you'd think, and some of the imagery produced makes you read the line again (like, did it really just say that? Why, yes. Yes it did). But the tone definitely changes, subtly at times and like a punch in the face at others, as the story melds with reality and serious moments - really highlighting grief and depression for me in such an honest way.
In the last few pages you also come to realise that elements are taken from Tarzian’s own experiences - its not just having moments of clarity but moments of actual real life. It feels like penning the story itself was a way to help move forward, or at least let some of it out - it's a purge of feelings, a baring of the soul. I really hope it helped.
The writing throughout absolutely captivated me, regardless of the nature of it at the time (absurd or serious). I laughed and I cried, which is definitely a huge feat in such a small space of time, and I will most certainly be delving into more of Luke Tarzian’s works - I cannot wait!
TW: alcohol, drugs, grief, depression, suicidal ideation, parental
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