{"product_id":"tempest-in-a-teacup-d-r-bell-9798476401537","title":"Tempest in a Teacup: My Homage to Milan Kundera and Leonard Cohen","description":"I'll put it upfront: if you're looking for an easy read, there're more suitable books out there. And, due to the subject matter, some scenes are explicit; if that's not your cup of tea, you probably won't like the book.How does one exist in the world: do you live your life according to a single ideal or by trial-and-error, seeking a diverse spiral of experiences? This dichotomy plays out everywhere and especially in human relationships. In \"Tempest in a Teacup\" six characters, each with a different way of being-Destiny, Great Love, Power, Obligation, Pleasure, Beauty-come together in a series of events revolving around a corporate function. As the characters collide, the viability of each way is questioned in their alternating viewpoints. Each narrator is unreliable - but then which one of us is ever a reliable narrator?The idea for this story was born out of \"Dictionary of Misunderstood Words\" in Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being. From the day I first read him, I was fascinated with Kundera's characters representing different how-to-exist-in-the-world ideas. But as I tried to fill these existential characters with flesh and blood and guilt and longing and all the internal cracks that make us human, another influence crept in. I love Leonard Cohen's songs and poetry. I don't know anyone who expressed the pain and the healing power of our relationships as well as he did. On the surface, these two men couldn't be more different: a cool, humorous, almost rational dissection vs. broken, passionate, spiritual longing. And yet I saw more similarities than differences: from separate viewpoints, they shone a light on both our alienation and the grace of connections that eclipse our selves. They don't need my homage, but I wanted to thank these remarkable artists for giving me shelter and light when all other lights went out.From the BlueInk review: \"Bell's characters are genuinely enjoyable, and the themes - love, art, passion, identity - are thoughtfully and provocatively explored in a work that offers many rewards.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e D. R. Bell\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798476401537\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/13\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 388\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.14lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.80d","brand":"D. R. Bell","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47760467656959,"sku":"9798476401537","price":13.88,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_1c3656a0-0563-4de2-aadb-441967b76c68.jpg?v=1765513633","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/tempest-in-a-teacup-d-r-bell-9798476401537","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}