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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Beautifully smart and funny, I wholeheartedly adored every story in this collection. I don’t know if it’s just my familiarity with Perth, (where more than a few stories were set) but there is something so incredibly real and true about these stories that the inclusions of the wacky, weird and wonderful seem natural rather than forced. I started to list out my favourites and then realised I was just copying the contents page verbatim so in conclusion: read this you will not regret it.
A clever, downright bizarre and at times, slightly insane collection of short stories. Sometimes I couldn't quite figure out exactly what it was that I was reading about, but I know I liked it.
I literally picked out Smart Ovens for Lonely People on a whim. I was browsing the shelves of my local bookstore with the intention of not buying a book (that backfired of course). I came across a different book with a pretty cover, but I quickly became disinterested in the synopsis. Then, I turned my head alongside the same shelf and found this novel. I blame it on the cat illustration and the unique title. After having slipped this new book from the shelf, I turned the cover toward me. It was also another pretty cover (well, I like to believe so). Unlike the previous book, I was quite intrigued by the snippets of different stories. I have been in the mood in reading short stories and anthologies. So, I bought it, and now I have finished the book. Did I really have to recount how I found the book? No. Anyway, here is a list of my favourite stories in the order the stories were presented...
-Our Sleeping Lungs Opened to the Cold
-Smart Ovens for Lonely People
-Excision in F-Sharp Minor
-This is Not a Treehouse
-You Put the U in Utopia (or, The Last Neko Atsume Player in the World)
Some stories were strange and I couldn't quite grasp the message in a few. However, I still enjoyed the anthology.
-Our Sleeping Lungs Opened to the Cold
-Smart Ovens for Lonely People
-Excision in F-Sharp Minor
-This is Not a Treehouse
-You Put the U in Utopia (or, The Last Neko Atsume Player in the World)
Some stories were strange and I couldn't quite grasp the message in a few. However, I still enjoyed the anthology.
funny
lighthearted
inventive and well-crafted and thoughtful — personal favourites: A Girl is Sitting on a Unicorn in the Middle of a Shopping Centre and Smart Ovens for Lonely People and This is Not a Treehouse and Lola Metronome and Calliope St Laurent Having a Picnic at the End of Civilisation as We Know It. i just love stories about people!! delightful!!
Some faves:
- Our Sleeping Lungs Opened to the Cold
- Pang & Co. Genuine Scribe Era Stationery Pty Ltd
- Smart Ovens for Lonely People
- Mounting Sexual Tension Between Two Long-Time Friends; Tom Knows that Ant Is a Spy but Ant Doesn't
- Excision in F-Sharp Minor
- You Put the U in Utopia (or, The Last Neko Atsume Player in the World)
- Our Sleeping Lungs Opened to the Cold
- Pang & Co. Genuine Scribe Era Stationery Pty Ltd
- Smart Ovens for Lonely People
- Mounting Sexual Tension Between Two Long-Time Friends; Tom Knows that Ant Is a Spy but Ant Doesn't
- Excision in F-Sharp Minor
- You Put the U in Utopia (or, The Last Neko Atsume Player in the World)
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
08/06/2021
4.5 ⭐
It's Monday, and all the bells are chiming.
So weird and so so good! This had me in my feels from the first page, from the cat ovens for depressed people to the insightful but strange story about Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl... I don't usually enjoy short story collections but I enjoyed almost all of these and will definitely be recommending it in the future! I also loved how unapologetically Aussie this book is, it makes it so much fun to read as an Australian reader!
Blog | Letterboxd | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
4.5 ⭐
It's Monday, and all the bells are chiming.
So weird and so so good! This had me in my feels from the first page, from the cat ovens for depressed people to the insightful but strange story about Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl... I don't usually enjoy short story collections but I enjoyed almost all of these and will definitely be recommending it in the future! I also loved how unapologetically Aussie this book is, it makes it so much fun to read as an Australian reader!
Blog | Letterboxd | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Undoubtedly original short stories, obtuse criticisms of contemporary life, often end suddenly
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A