Review: Princess Celestia Hates Tea + A Short Story by Twlight Sparkle; by: Skywriter · 2:06pm May 23rd, 2015
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Oh boy, what am I getting myself into? This story is big, not length wise, even the two combined are pretty short. But in terms of being praised, and being so loved and well known. But, there are quite a few things I really want to say about the two of these so, might as well.
Okay, few things different for this review; first, while I generally tend to try and avoid major spoilers, that won’t be possible while actually talking about these stories. They are so short, and the stuff that needs to be talked about is so interwoven through the whole thing, or so focused at the ends. It would be impossible. So massive spoilers ahead. Go read that thing first, it’s entirely possible they’ll be shorter then this review will end up being.
Second, yes reviewing two stories at once, because the two are directly linked. “Short Story” serves as a kind of coda to “Tea”, and one which if the two stories are taken together massively alters… everything about “Tea”. So, going to be looking at both works, both on their own, and how they alter each other when viewed together. In any case for a likely even more rambling review then usual, read on.
Story: Well, you have to give both stories credit for giving precisely what was advertized.”Princess Celestia Hates Tea” is about Princess Celestia declaring how much she hates tea and always has, simply drinking it to keep up appearances. And “A Short Story by Twilight Sparkle” is a short story written by Twilight Sparkle, in which it is revealed that “Tea” was actually a story Twilight herself wrote.
Tea on it’s own is a comedy, and it is marvelous at that. The jokes and humor are all very well done, stem naturally from the situation, if pushed a little towards the edge of absurdity with what the situation is, but still it works well, and is just plain hilarious. And the writing itself is phenomenally well done. While at the same time seeming to violate some of the basic ‘rules’ of storytelling. The prose tends to be a little on the flowery side, very purple, adding unnecessary adjectives to describe things we already know this stuff about, or in ways that are far more involved and fancy then needed. Yet it’s also a story that proves those ‘rules’ really are guidelines. Because they are not things that should never be used. Rather they are things that can be used well, but require knowing exactly how to do so. That are extremely hard to do right, and extremely easy to screw up if done wrong. This story is written so well, it more then shows the author understood why those things are rules, what the dangers are in using them. As well as how to use them right.
As to the narrative itself, like I said a few reviews ago, if a story is simply trying to be a bit of humorous fun, and things all work within it’s own context, then it’s more then allowed to be rather absurd in what it expects us to believe, and with just how much it can get away with. Like that not only does Celestia have this deep held secret, but that it getting out could have such a comically over stated impact on everypony. It’s all a bit of absurd, comedic fun, and still manages to stay rather grounded. It limits the absurdity to to as little as possible, just the bare minimum to set up the humor, and lets the rest feel quite natural, so long as you can accept that base assumption.
That, is where one of my issues with the story comes into play. Something like this, slightly absurd, but working amazingly well for the sake of comedy, it requires that it be played for laughs. That it be comedic about it and clear it’s not trying to take itself seriously. Which for most of the story, it does. Until the end. The ending is just, cruel. From the moment we see just how utterly devastated Mrs. Cozy was by the news, not the over the top, exaggerated reactions other ponies had, but deeply and personally hurt by this reveal, crushed by it, the funny stops. And then we have the actual ending, Tia being forced to undergo something that for her was torture, and then having to spend the rest of her life faking it once again, every day, endlessly forced to drink this liquid she despises…. It goes from hilarious absurdity, to serious personal tragedy. It gives what would work as an amazing little lighthearted comedy bit a dark, depressing, sad ending that just, feels completely at odds with the rest of the story, and can ruin it for some people.
If you then take Short Story into account and do treat it as part of the same story, it changes everything. Not quite to the degree that it fixes my other major issue with the story, but it does help. One of the issues with the ending is how it relates to a trope called The Tethercat Principle, short version, without any evidence otherwise, characters are most likely still stuck doing the last thing you saw them doing, and the more you hope they aren’t, the more certain that becomes. So to us, Tia is now stuck, forever, in this personal hell. Forced to keep drinking this noxious brew she can’t stand by the gallons every day, for the rest of her long, long, possibly immortal life. The tragedy and horror just build and build the more you think about it.
But, once the entire thing is cast as simply a story Twilight made up, not as events that actually were going on, that Tia doesn’t hate tea, that she isn’t really trapped. While it doesn’t make that ending any less tragic in itself, it does remove that nagging feeling of hopelessness. And yes they are still both stories, but this review will be long enough without a discussion about levels of fictionalization.
Now, Short Story on it’s own. it is an extremely meta piece. The whole thing is built on meaning more outside of itself, then it does in itself. on how it relates to the readers, author, all things outside the story. On the whole I’m not a big fan of overly meta stuff, but this story manages to do it right. Everything discussed, everything that takes place, it has it’s meta meanings, it has what it’s really saying beyond the scope of the story, and yet it also perfectly works on it’s own. Everything done and said makes perfect sense and flows naturally on a strictly Watsonian level. It feels like a conversation Twilight and Celestia might have. While a lot of the issues Twi brings up about her story are simply voicing the author’s own issues, it’s done in a way that feels natural for her. That feels like how she would react had she been the one to really write it. And Tia’s own response about stories on the whole is universal ideas about them. Things that apply regardless of meta-fictional level. About the only bit that I didn’t absolutely love was the part about Twi making up this “Skywriter” persona to blame the story on, and yet it’s only slightly less then the rest for me, I still liked it, but it was a little close to the border for going too meta, but that was it.
Everything else in the story was an amazing job at showing how to do meta right. How to address concerns about things outside of a story, without impacting the story itself to do so.
Characters: This is the other major issue I do have with Tea on it’s own, just how utterly idiotic Twilight is. Yes it’s a comedy, and one that pushes things towards the absurd for the sake of laughs, but even so, there are limits to how far you can push something. The initial over reaction to hearing the news, that was excusable and worked for the story. Absurd, over the top, but still believable for the way everything was set up for the story. But her further refusal to see and accept the truth, to be so willfully ignorant, and come up with the most ludicrous idea based on nothing but, well having an idiot ball crammed down her throat. It went to far. Granted it might have come off a bit more harsh simply due to us seeing this from Celestia’s perspective, and so knowing just how torturous and horrible Twi’s idea was for her.
That, and the above tragedy of the ending are the main things that made me feel extremely conflicted about the story. But when Short Story is thrown into the mix, it changes everything. It’s no longer Twi being pushed past the limits of absurdity just for the sake of the plot. Instead, it’s a look at just how Twilight sees herself. That despite all she has done, she still has such an incredibly low self-image. Believes she is that unbalanced, that neurotic. This wasn’t her being altered for the sake of the plot, it was how she really thought she might act.
And the idea makes sense, that she would see her self so prone to this type of over-reaction given all that she’d done by this point. As well as how she always seems ready to believe the worst about herself, always fearful of letting somepony down, especially Celestia. Adding Short Story into the narrative turns Tea’s weakest point of characterization, into it’s strongest.
As to Celestia, I really liked both versions of her. The long, quietly suffering monarch that’s been putting on an act she hates for centuries for the sake of her little ponies benefit, but more then willing to just go all out once that act has been revealed and unapologetically claim the truth. Yet upon seeing how negatively it was affecting her ponies, willingly undergo what for her was nearly torturous for their sake. All while being utterly hilarious about it. (Well except that end part, nothing funny there)
In Short Story, the wise, graceful mentor, patiently helping her student to realize things. Not outright telling her, lecturing her, but engaging her, leading her with questions, letting Twilight figure out what the lesson is on her own. While still having a sense of humor in how she took Twi’s little foray into fan-fiction.
While Twi’s characterization in Tea was pretty bad, and with Short Story pretty damn amazing. Celestia’s was simply wonderful in both, and both for different reasons. But both felt like her, simply two different facets of a very well rounded and deep character.
Engagement: As is usual with such short stories, engagement isn’t a huge factor. But in both cases the stories are very easy reads that you don’t wnt to put down til you get to the end. Both because of how close that end is, and because of how fun they are to read. Tea is utterly hilarious right up to the end, and even the final scenes have some good jokes in them. Short Story gives some rather amazing insights into both the characters, and writing as a whole. While not quite as hilarious, it does have plenty of tiny little bits you can find humor in. But is more gripping just for those ideas it is puttng forth. Plus, once done it makes rereading Tea almost mandatory, which is still a treat the second time. Even more so while looking at it as a story Twilight was writing rather hen on it’s own.
Ponyness: Not much to say with this one. As a character focused piece, most of the connection to MLP is through those two, and already covered that. While exaggerated, I could see something this absurd happening well enough. For both stories. An overreaction to some revel about Celestia, as well as Celestia’s little lesson and speech to Twilight about the impossibility of perfection, and trying to gently help her student overcome her own self doubts.
Overall: Princess Celestia hates Tea on it’s own: Good to Great. I’m very conflicted about the story on it’s own. While the writing is amazingly well done, able to use stuff like purple prose, flowery speech that would normally be a sign of eye rollingly bad writing, and make it work with extreme skill, as well as being an utterly hilarious comedy. Yet the ending takes a swerve to the tragic out of nowhere and comes of as far to cruel, and Twilight’s death grip on the Idiot Ball is rather annoying. Leading to a story that, is fun to read, but not to really think about.
A Short Story by Twilight Sparkle on it’s own: Incredible. A truly amazing way of being meta, while still having a story that makes perfect sense without any outside knowledge or ideas. Simply standing on it’s own, while also having a lot of meaning outside of itself. Though without the context of having read Tea, it would leave someone very lost as to just what they are talking about. making Tea while not absolutely required, still impacting how much you can enjoy it.
Princess Celestia hates Tea, when combined with A Short Story by Twilight Sparkle: Exceptional. Short Story brilliantly fixes nearly all the issues with Tea, turning one of them into a strength, and alleviating some of the problems with the other major one. Even acknowledging the mistakes outright. While keeping the strengths. Keeping the humor and hilarity of Tea without the need to feel bad at Tia’s fate, or upset at Twi’s actions. Which alone would be amazing, but what’s pushes this into the best of the best category is the meta aspect. First for, as noted already, being incredibly meaningful in a meta context, while still being a great story even without any of those connections, but also for just what the story was saying. While the meta stuff regarding Tea itself was well done, it was the second half of Short Story the exploration of writing itself that makes this work shine the brightest.
While there is a lot that could be talked about and explored, given how long and rambling this review has already been, let’s just look at two particular lines from it that really make this stand out.
The only requirement of a story is that something happen, that a journey is made, even if that journey deposits you right back where you started.
I really love this sentiment. So many times I see someone complain about a story because it doesn’t go where they wanted, or it doesn’t have enough conflict, or some other issue with what it ‘should’ have. Rather then simply taking it on it’s own merits. looking at what it is trying to be. Yes there are cases where ending up right where you started can be a horrible turn, can be stupid. hen it’s used to pretty much erase the consequences of the characters actions, or when it eliminates drama or stops a story from progressing. When it refuses to allow the characters to grow or change. But when it’s just the natural result of what the story was about and works within it’s own context, have at it. So long as the journey itself is worth it.
“No story is perfect,” I said. “But each one is worth something, in what it adds to the entire experience.”
This, so much this! This one line pretty much sums up my entire view on writing in general, but especially on fanfiction. It is the entire reason I have “ponyness” as one of my review criteria. it’s just the best name I could give for this concept. For both how faithful it is to the source material, as well as what it adds to the whole. it is why stories that choose to place themselves inside an established setting, connect themselves to an existing narrative, and yet need to radically alter the existing elements in order to suit themselves, are one of my biggest berserk buttons for writing. (As noted in previous reviews, there is some leeway here, especial for comedic works that don’t take themselves seriously and are just trying to have fun.) Because in doing so, you are not adding to the whole, you are simply using existing emotions, settings characters, as a cheap short cut. It disrespects the original to do something like that, and it’s not adding to the whole, because you are removing your story from the whole through the alterations.
Yet also it’s why I nearly always try to find the good points in a work. Yes, don’t ignore the flaws, but I try to point them out in a constructive way, while focusing more on the good points, trying to find what the story can add to the whole.
So yes these two stories, together, are an absolutely amazing work. Both insanely hilarious, while also being incredibly deep and meaningful, all while telling a very compelling story. While it does have it’s flaws, what it adds so far far far more then enough to make them barely noticeable. A work that really does earn the praise it has gotten.
Thanks so very much for the exhaustive review! I'm glad you liked them, especially as a unit; the problems you note with "...Tea" were the same problems I had with it, which is why I feel like the stories are best served by being read together. I was on the fence about making them three chapters of the same story, but I thought such a dramatic shift within one narrative would be even more jarring than the black turn at the end of "...Tea" for some readers. This may have been a mistake or it may not have been; certainly I don't think the story would have propagated as far as it did with the additional chapter, but it also would have made fewer people angry at it. It's a trade-off, I guess, and in the end a story has to be what it wants to be. As best as I can tell, this was the best way to do it.
Anyhow, thanks again!
3093635 I'm glad you liked it. And yeah, first time I read tea, I was one of those that really disliked the ending, going back after and reading Short Story, whole different experience. But yeah regardless of the dark turn your writing all around is just amazingly well crafted and enjoyable, thanks for making such a great story.
Also, yeah do think doing it that way was the best option of the few there were. Plus, why does a humorous little comedy about Celestia hating a certain drink keep reminding me of a massive epic about Ponies throwing off the shackles of slavery to a barbaric group of 'masters'? Granted, this was done much better then the whole DOWAS chapter 19 issues and it's own little meta-one shot spin off.
But rambling. Glad you liked it, and look forward to getting into some more of your stories.
I believe that the salve for your first major objection to the original story may be found in "Pinkie Pie in: Princess Celestia Hates Tea".