Convenience Store Woman
Ratings602
Average rating3.7
A quick read! Not my type of book I guess since I thought I would enjoy it more than I did. But I liked it.
i think ‘funny' that is written in the blurb means that, what some people in the world might feel and do can be demonstrated through a woman who, according to society in this novel (and also perhaps in the real world), does a low-level job as a convenience store keeper. this novel raises questions like “is it ‘abnormal' to work for decades and identify themselves as a convenience storekeeper?” and “how normal is normal to society?”
this novel is a quick read with sayaka murata's simplistic writing. some keiko's opinions and thoughts also has a resemblance to me.
This is quite a short and interesting take on societal norms. Through the eyes of the protagonist, we experience what it is like to be considered different (or social outcasts) and a lot more on societal expectations that we tend not to question much.
I think I had a bit of a better experience than some because I listened to it. It was a great audiobook. I really loved the writing.
An unusual book that I grew to love as I read it. Funny and sad in parts but most importantly a story that made me think. I really enjoy reading about characters that don't conform to society's expectations. Highly recommended.
... I feel very conflicted by this book
update: ok, it's been 24 hours since I finished the book. so I gathered my thought on why this book annoyed me. in the beginning, I thought it would be a satirical take on society and its expectation for everyone to be “normal” through the eyes of a character that doesn't fit that label. but as the book goes on, this clearly seems to not be the case. Instead, it loses its footing by making “society” (all characters, not Keiko) look like some evil cartoon villain of conformity and the one character who does spend a lot of time with Keiko does not even actual her being a “human”. the fact that neither the character throws light on their environment and people in it, nor does that gaze turn around the otherwise and critique her makes the whole damn book very – pointless. It felt like a waste of time because I spent a short duration with the characters and their stories, only for them to not matter. If this is a larger nihilism-adjacent take the book was going on, then perhaps it succeeded but otherwise, it felt hollow, sad and pointless.
review from the night i finished the book:
the protagonist clearly needs some help, but literally, every other character feels like a caricature. I understand that the idea is to present that society demands conformity, but that doesn't really get through. it feels that everyone is an evil meddling asshole which really isn't an accurate or even remotely true reflection. plus, the male character's arc is non existent with just unhinged incel chats.
I find a weird form of character arc for Keiko with her “accepting” her job and realising that's her calling despite the external criticism, but if that was the end point, why not make the journey better?
there are elements of trauma that is dealt in a passing. the whole “relationship” was super abusive but was made to look like it was nothing?
I understand problematic characters, but a problematic gaze? that won't work for me. it's just a really “why this” book. unsure about the hype.
3.5 ⭐️
This short novel (or is it technically a novella? I never know) is a pleasantly written examination of societal expectations. It's set in Japan so while expectations are a little bit different than what I'm used to seeing in my area of the US, I think this is a book everyone can relate to in some way. Keiko has been working at the same convenience store for 18 years and at 36 has friends and family who are concerned about her apparent lack of ambition regarding both her career and romance. Our narrator, on the other hand, is happy with her life. She understands the flow of the convenience store, is able to predict its needs the way one might do with a lover or a child. She doesn't see the need to expand her horizon, and doesn't understand why others may be so concerned with it.
This really felt like the perfect length to me; we had plenty of time to understand Keiko's life, routine, and mindset before the obligatory conflict and subsequent disaster set in. I liked the humor in this and found it easy to get through. It did make me think a lot about how we judge people for not hitting certain ‘milestones' whether it's what they want or not. I loved how she was so happy with herself and her life and didn't understand why that wasn't good enough for others.
I thought this was great at doing what it was meant to do, but it was just missing something for me, which is why my rating is a little lower. I did enjoy it overall, though, and will be recommending it! Additionally, it is not explicitly stated but I found it heavily implied that Keiko is autistic and aroace. She faces a lot of critique and discrimination for this, so I would make sure you're in the right headspace to read this if that's something that could be difficult for you to read!
It's a short read. Though it's a depressing story the storytelling is great and that keeps you engaged. It hits you in the final chapter.
This is such a heartwarming but sad book! Keiko is an amazing main character, I loved her self awareness and takes on society, and thought the plot was compelling. This was the perfect length and contained a great overall lesson. I loved it!
3.75. A quirky, very unique quick read that is sometimes sad but ultimately a bit hopeful.
A light read. An interesting take on autism. Well written, more of a novella. Lacking dept, shallow plot.
Huh, I think this is one that's going to stick with me for a while.
There is a danger in diagnosing fictional characters. The main character is neurodiverse, I assume that it is the author's intent to make her autistic, however there are times when Murata seems to wander into “Callous and unemotional” territory, mostly due to the violence. Although perhaps that is me being rigid.
I sympathized with Keiko; she seemed relatable, authentic and then my heart breaks as she suffers due to a society that says she is not enough. There was this period of depression after quitting her job — it made me very concerned and confused that she didn't line up a job before quitting — and I assume that she's running out of money and that society will throw her away, that she'll reach an unsavory rock bottom. Her social circle already thought she was low, but there is sadly much farther one can fall.
For not lining up the next job I tried to rationalize: 1) maybe the author thinks Keiko doesn't have good executive functioning for this sort of task2) felt in a rush to act/societal pressure3) it's difficult to line a job up for her due to the reasons she had mentioned: age, education background, no other experience, etc.I made a mistake and thought the book had ended, but due to an error in the audiobook I still had 3-4 segments left. I was thrilled to see that Keiko was able to get an interview and better yet make her own path of sorts, choosing herself over society. I greatly value that.
I did not care for the main male character. I'm not supposed to and want to blame him for all of Keiko's problems, but cannot as Keiko had autonomy and chose to given in to societal pressure. He was crude and seemed to take advantage of her. I assume the author also intends for him to be neurodivergent; autistic, ADHD, maybe both or something else.
I liked the ending; 3.5
if winkwinknudgenudge was a book, this is it.
It feels like I'm in on an inside joke with Keiko. I mostly love the dead pan way that Keiko, as they say, lay down the facts. Very straightforward to the point of absurdity because it's one of those times where you can't believe someone would actually say what she says. but also, secretly agree with.
Maybe it's cynical because of the amount of times she exposes the hypocrisy around her. But one of the main points ring true, we often impose (intentional or not) or definition of happiness unto others. Peer pressure is real and you might root for Keiko to not give in to it, but even when you're rooting for her, her actions may baffle some people. It really makes you wonder, we define fulfillment in many ways.
This was a strange one and I'm not sure how to feel about it. I'm also especially unsure how to feel about translations, or how to critique them — the writing is direct and unadorned, which does mirror the narrator's perspective. The book follows a woman who has been working at a convenience store for nearly 20 years because as it's the only way she has been able to function in society — I'm no psychologist but it seems pretty clear this woman is a psychopath. There is an air of suspense and weirdness carried throughout that keeps it interesting, but otherwise, not much happens. Without being super familiar with Japanese culture I'm only vaguely aware of the social commentary.
I don't get why it was marketed as “funny, quirky, humorous”. Didn't laugh a bit, just felt bad for Keiko.
It's a well executed deep dive into societal norms & the unfair treatment of those who don't fit in.
I really loved the ending, she finally embraced her feelings, her individuality and put it over what society expects of her.
I'm not gonna lie it was boring & sleep inducing at times but still a good book !
I don't get why it was marketed as “funny, quirky, humorous”. Didn't laugh a bit, just felt bad for Keiko.
It's a well executed deep dive into societal norms & the unfair treatment of those who don't fit in.
I really loved the ending, she finally embraced her feelings, her individuality and put it over what society expects of her.
I'm not gonna lie it was boring & sleep inducing at times but still a good book !