The Teapots Are Out and Other Eccentric Tales from Ireland

by John Brendan Keane

A fitting tribute to John B. Keane, for decades Ireland's favorite storyteller, this winning short story collection typifies the late author's folkloric imagination and storytelling arts. These are congenial tales, too, as this literary legend views the foibles and fallibilities of Irish country folk with abundant compassion as well as a shrewd, sometimes sardonic eye. Add to that Keane's glorious sense of fun and roguery that will make readers relish all the more how and why, in "Fred Rimble," Jim Conlon kills the best friend he ever had. Or how Willie Ramley determines that his future wife will be "Guaranteed Pure." Or how, to tragic as well as comic effect, a gasp, garlic, and gossip undo Denny Bruder in "The Hanging." In all, Keane uncovers the folly in the romantic pangs, exalted aspirations, misguided mischief, and everyday shortcomings of the characters in the village of his storyteller's mind-and beyond the folly finds their humanity.

Genres: Short Stories, Ireland, Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2001

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a great fan of short stories. However, these eccentric tales are a wonderful combination of funny, sad, irritating, and satisfying. I am not sure how I would have reacted to them if I had never been to the Irish countryside - the characters and scenarios are so very Irish. And yet, many of the predicaments that the characters find themselves in are so essentially human.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful.

[jess (bibliophilicjester) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars? I don’t know. Short story collections are hard to rate, although it’s easier when it’s all the same author. These stories are usually some combination of charming, funny, and slightly heartbreaking (for those with hearts to break, I’d imagine).

I did initially struggle with this collection, as I tried to read it all in one go. I think reading a story or two once a week would’ve been a nice way to do it. To be fair, I did put this book in my nightstand drawer for some months and completely forgot that’s where it was. Then I stacked it on the same stand but at the bottom and it was a bother to disturb the rest of the stack. And I kept making excuses for not reading, but decided I wanted to finish by the end of the year. So here we are!!

I’ve been reading little by little, and these stories really are delightful. Sometimes I had to trudge through a mild story about farming or some such thing just to get to the sort of zinger at the end. And it was worth it!! The one with the ghosts was particularly entertaining and I remember laughing out loud!

The few issues I had were some of the stories had such similar sort of simple country folk feel, and I forgot what the story was supposed to be about. Other times it seemed like a random character name was thrown in, but I think it was just a typo maybe? Like the character was originally named Tom and then later changed to Mick and a Tom was missed in editing? Some of the words and spellings were confusing too, and I wasn’t sure if they were typos or if I’d just spaced and missed something.

I didn’t make notes or anything at the beginning quarter, but for the ones I noted, my favorites were:
Under the sycamore tree, protocol, and ‘you’re on next sunday’. I’m pretty sure I liked the first story (Fred rimble) as well, but I read it in April? So who knows, haha. I love stories set in Ireland, especially the sort of rural countryside almost out-of-time feeling stories. If I read another collection like this, I know how to properly attack reading it :)


(I feel I should note that I’m writing this review at work, and humans are trying to talk to me, and I’m trying to express that I’m not having it, but on they prattle... so I’m hoping I’ve made some sort of sense here 😂)

[Suzanne Thackston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ha ha, it's funny I just this morning read a review by my friend Julie who gave a book 3 stars and said it deserved more. Yet here I am doing the same thing.
Keane is clearly authentically Irish. These stories are whimsical, charming, and very, very Irish.
Really, it's quite delightful.
I think the fact that I was bored and really ready to be done reading them is more about me and my increasingly hard to please inner reader than any problem with the book.

[Ageena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some are silly, some are strange and several just left us looking at the page thinking 'what was that', all in all we enjoyed them though and would pick up another book of short stories from the same author.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Indeed, very Irish, but its depictions of relationships are pretty infuriating in a gender-dynamics way. (I totally could have done without the story of a guy looking for a virginal Irish bride who comes to Ireland to find a woman "Guaranteed Pure". Ugh.)

[Sandrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of short stories, but these were very entertaining, interesting, funny and weird. They feel so very Irish and give you a little insight into the Irish country life of its time.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m 5th generation Irish ☘️ 🤣....some of this humor and story background resonated with family tales. Got a bit repetitive tho and a lot of both funny and dark stories. It’s a cultural thing 😜

[Nazareth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eccentric stories is a good way to describe these tales. But hey, they’re Irish tales, what else would you expect??

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent my childhood summers meandering around a small village outside of Listowel, John B. Keane's beloved home, and this book somehow transported me back to Ireland, and to lovely, albeit sometimes odd, funny, characters that inhabit the island. Lovely stories, and John B. Keane was a wonderful writer, on the surface the stories are witty and charming, but they are able to resonate on a much deeper level. Some will make you laugh out loud, and some will call forth a few tears.
Absolutely wonderful read!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd

I picked this for some light reading. The book previous laid rather heavily and I needed something to lift the gloom. It's different, the stories have no real objective and could have just been telling of something that happened during the day. And I'm still not sure what exactly is meant by the teapots are out.

[James Slaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories. They gave a wonderful window into Ireland’s past. Other than some stories having abrupt endings and that it could have had a better ordering, which are minor details that are subjective, anyway.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love of the Irish

Delightfully entertaining. Wisdom, humor and heartfelt.
A good read especially when your life needs uplifting. The gift of gab and the language really provided a lift.

[MJ Cahill · Rating 3 out of 5]

good irish tales

[Dave W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read piece by piece, but a little dry to try to read straight through. Not all the stories are great, but some are well worth the read.

[Lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truly the chillest of chill -- stories about 3-5 pages in length featuring ridiculous characters doing very little.

[Kathy Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

charming and captures the Irish at least how there were mid-century. Great characterizations.
My favorites were "Dousie O'Dea and "Your On Next Sunday". Both so true to the Irish canon.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fine collection of warm, compassionate Irish short stories. Deep character portraits, quirky cultural ideas, a few items not to be read out loud to the children, an apparent love of alcoholism, and a poetic time was had by all. Or something like that. Many good stories in here, from romance to pathos to one ghost story. Some stories sadder, a bit iffy, or just a bit out there. A large love of the land of Ireland roams freely throughout. Twisty ironic humor. A weird sense of pride rears its head and resists description. All in all, Keane is a humane writer, one who loves his subject which is all things Irish (country Irish more than city Irish, at least in this collection). And I love humane authors at least as much as their stories.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

John B. Keane is the pride of Listowel, Co. Kerry—near where my dad grew up!—and with good reason. This collection of very short fiction includes stories that range from utterly charming to sad to shocking. Squeeze them in between longer reads and and have the satisfaction of having found and finished something totally surprising in one sitting.

[JT CAREY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sits in my bathroom.....Why, you might ask. Well, the stories are the right length for reading during long soaks in the bathtub. The writing is easy, the characters well-fleshed out and the storylines good. Perfect stories when I want to disappear into the land of soap and water.

[Rose Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful short fiction from one of my favorite authors.

[Heather]

not my" cup of tea"

[Ayny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift, the stories are well written and wry.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well told stories of Irish country folk with their love of land, pubs, and mischief.