A tut-tutting, big-breasted, modern-day gorgon; a humourless schoolmarm with an unfortunate name and freakishly long, yellow incisors (yeesh)—these are the kinds of people Ruth Roth regularly encounters. Add in daily dealings with an acerbic mother who squawks like a harpy, a father with a dodgy moral compass and a God complex, a bitchy mirror, and Ruth’s existence feels like a Greek tragicomedy. … tragicomedy.
The idiocy of daily life makes sense to Ruth when she develops a fascination with ancient mythology. She learns that the deviant gods and spectacular monsters of bygone myths are alive and well in the backwoods of our psyche; that there’s always one who escapes suppression and can have the whip hand in our lives. Ruth’s is one of the most unwelcome societal presences—the goddess of obscenity. And talk about ugly!
Ruth can relate to this immortal. Not in looks; Ruth is quite comely. But she feels unwelcome in her own family (she gatecrashed her mother’s womb only two months after her brother vacated it). Despite being labelled the ‘black sheep’, or maybe because of it, Ruth takes on her nemeses, bravely and brazenly (her dirty goddess doesn’t give a rat’s about social niceties). But our heroine is war-weary. And the yearning to fit in somewhere—anywhere—eventually undoes her. We must look on helplessly as Ruth loses her soul.
She wants it back, though!
Just as well the mad characters in her mind and experiences won’t quit. Just as well Ruth never loses her wry wit. And where her nearest and dearest attempt to keep her shrunken into a wholesome package of conformity, Ruth’s two closest girlfriends simply won’t allow it. And then there’s Ralph Brill.
Ruth’s hot-looking, eccentric cousin and best friend, Ralph is her staunchest ally. Also a misfit in his family, he has his share of problems including a st-t-t-tuttering brutish father, and an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder—Ralph needs to do everything twice, twice.
Ruth relies on his repeated encouragement and the support of her girlfriends as she embarks on an odyssey. A good homoeopathic dose of ancient mythology helps her find her way back through the sludgy shame and irrational fears choking her spirit. Then just when all seems well, Ruth faces an apocalypse …
“Paula Houseman’s keen understanding of the ancient, universal forces at work in the very roots of humanity, and magnificently bawdy humor make Odyssey in a Teacup an epically defiant, bold, painful, hilarious, soul-fortifying must-read for anyone who has ever dared (or hoped) to look at themselves in the mirror and ask the question, How in the hell have I survived?
Crazy-brilliant!”
—Stephanie L Harper, author
Tags: satire, humor satire, women’s fiction, humorous fiction, humor satire, fiction satire, humorous fiction best sellers, humor
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I haven’t stopped laughing! Author Paula Houseman takes us on a hilarious coming of age story with Odyssey in a Tea Cup! We follow the trials and tribulations of main character Ruth (no middle name) Roth as she grows from child to teen to adult, feeling as if she never seems to fit in; mother Sylvia who seems to give her no slack; friends, foes and fashion ‘situations’ that will leave you rolling on the floor; and cousin Ralph, the one person who always has her back.
The scenes with family and friends (disco or funeral, there’s always something!) will leave you roaring with laughter. Author Houseman has such a way with words (be prepared, no shying away with F bombs or other ahem, ‘descriptive’ language here!)–you’ll experience the fears, the anxieties, the embarrassments, the happiness as we travel with Ruth and her squad as they mature and go through the milestones of growing up and becoming adults.
I loved being with Ruth and her friends in every stage of their maturation (or lack there-of), reliving many similar events, LOL! Adult Ruth is a woman who is coming into her own, dealing with love, children and preparing for whatever the future brings. This is a fun series that will keep the laughs and tears flowing–a highly recommended read that makes you feel good!
Favorite Quotes:
Ralph staunchly and compassionately defended his brothers: ‘They’re only aggressive because they’ve got such über-small penises.’
I was learning about ancient Greece in history class. Greek mythology was a very large component of this because my teacher had a passion for it. His name was Zero Kosta … poor bastard… this man must have truly felt like he was worth nothing from the get-go. Suddenly, my name didn’t seem so bad. I think Mr Kosta had first- hand knowledge of ancient times because he looked like he was raised from the crypt. He was cadaverous.
In our family, Joe had a special aptitude for farting. And he was renowned for it in the Jewish community. There were whispers: Psst, did you hear what Joe Roth did during the visiting dignitary’s speech? What chutzpah! Still, never heard anything like it before! and, That’s Ruth Roth. Her father’s the one who farts in public. This earned him the nickname ‘Joe Blow’ (clever, but also dumb because he was anything but your average Joe).
If the eyes are the window to the soul … what if someone’s cross-eyed? Is that like looking through a bay window?
When I was seven, Joe backed up against my freshly ironed school shirt, which was hanging on the linen closet door. He deposited a fart in the shirt pocket. ‘For safekeeping,’ he’d said. The teachers didn’t think it was too funny that day when I told them I had a fart in my pocket.
My Review:
Paula Houseman is found treasure. My face kept a near-constant smirk and my reading of this vibrant and cleverly amusing story was frequently and forcefully interrupted, as I was laughing so hard I could not see. I adored it start to finish and had 5 pages of favorite quotes. The book was packed with a full cast of peculiarly eccentric, neurotic, and quirky characters who had starring roles in Ruth’s memories of her most calamitous and psyche-scarring life events. The storylines and writing were highly entertaining and I was hard pressed to put my Kindle down. Her father’s legendary flatulence issues alone caused several bouts of giggle-snorting. Ms. Houseman is my new favorite author and I will fangirl her hard. I am thrilled to have two more of her masterworks on my Kindle, but I cannot imagine how she could possibly top the humorous storytelling of this one. And I have doubled my newly established Aussie Vocab List with the new entries of furphies – which are erroneous stories; fossick – to rummage or search; stoush – a commotion or dust-up; and Strine – the English language as spoken by Australians as well as their accent.