Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan

What if …

In these twenty short stories, ranging in length up to thirty-two pages, Ms Tan takes us on journeys where smart ovens can help lonely people (at least for a while) and where a homeless man makes his mark with a ballpoint pen.

These are quirky stories, often darkly disturbing.  Clever, compact, and compelling.

My favourite was ‘Pang & Co.  Genuine Scribe Era Stationery Pty Ltd.’  I am not sure why, except that I wanted to enter the pages to talk to the homeless man.

I liked the cleverness of ‘Smart Ovens for Lonely People’, and the quirkiness of the worlds Ms Tan creates (albeit briefly) for her characters to inhabit.

Who would not want a cat shaped smart oven?

If you enjoy unusual short stories, then I can recommend this collection.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

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