Keiko Furukura had always been considered a strange child, and her parents always worried how she would get on in the real world, so when she takes on a job in a convenience store while at university, they are delighted for her. For her part, in the convenience store she finds a predictable world mandated by the store manual, which dictates how the workers should act and what they should say, and … and she copies her coworkers’ style of dress and speech patterns so that she can play the part of a normal person. However, eighteen years later, at age 36, she is still in the same job, has never had a boyfriend, and has only few friends. She feels comfortable in her life, but is aware that she is not living up to society’s expectations and causing her family to worry about her. When a similarly alienated but cynical and bitter young man comes to work in the store, he will upset Keiko’s contented stasis—but will it be for the better?
Sayaka Murata brilliantly captures the atmosphere of the familiar convenience store that is so much part of life in Japan. With some laugh-out-loud moments prompted by the disconnect between Keiko’s thoughts and those of the people around her, she provides a sharp look at Japanese society and the pressure to conform, as well as penetrating insights into the female mind. Convenience Store Woman is a fresh, charming portrait of an unforgettable heroine that recalls Banana Yoshimoto, Han Kang, and Amélie.
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Convenience Store Woman is a gem of a book. Quirky, deadpan, poignant, and quietly profound, it is a gift to anyone who has ever felt at odds with the world―and if we were truly being honest, I suspect that would be most of us.
I was really amazed by Convenience Store Woman and the particular reality it exquisitely portrays… [It] minutely translates the sadness, anguish, grief, grumbles, fateful actions, etc. of someone who is incapable of uttering the right words, adding layers of details and spinning them into a story… I am sincerely delighted that such a novel has come into being.
An unusual, entertaining story about a Japanese woman on a journey to self-acceptance. Keiko’s voice has a fresh naiveté which hides a burgeoning understanding of deeply ingrained and often harmful social mores and customs. Loved the humor in this slender volume. Looking forward to reading more Murata.
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This book gave off Bartleby, the Scrivener vibes, and reading it was at turns unsettling and comic (it’s a dry humor though, as opposed to laugh-out-loud).
The “Bartleby” in this case is Keiko Furukura, a woman who feels distinctly separate from society and is both confused and frustrated by its norms, particularly the pressure to pair off, get married, and have children. The convenience store is the only place where she feels like she is valued and part of community, and the only place where her instincts and lifestyle aren’t constantly under scrutiny.
Witty, wily, and astonishingly sharp, Convenience Store Woman proves that the deepest gouges can come from the lightest touch.
I picked up this novel on a trip to Japan and couldn’t put it down. A haunting, dark, and often hilarious take on society’s expectations of the single woman. As an extra bonus, it totally transformed my experience of going to convenience stores in Tokyo.
Choosing to give your novel a narrator who is not normal, someone who is aware that there is something strange about herself, is not an easy choice. Flaunting strangeness as a privilege sometimes repels the reader. But Convenience Store Woman skillfully evades this reaction. When the protagonist, a social outcast, is placed within the box of the artificially normalized convenience store, we begin to vividly see the strangeness of the people in the world outside.
I stumbled upon “Convenience Store Woman” while perusing audiobook deals. Since I’m always interested in finding new Asian authors to read/listen to, I snapped it up. And boy, am I glad I did so.
“Convenience Store Woman” tells the story of Keiko Furukura, a woman who’s never managed to fit into society. Although the author never spells it out, it’s obvious that Keiko has some form of autism, maybe combined with a little sociopathy. As a child she reacts inappropriately to events in a way that causes multiple parent-teacher conferences at school until she decides just to stay quiet and blend in as much as possible. As an adult, she has learned to wear “masks” that she’s borrowed from other people, but she still never quite fits in. The only place she feels at home as at the local convenience store, where she’s worked as a part-time clerk for the past 18 years. But no one around her is willing to let her stay in her comfort zone. Everyone around her wonders why she’s still unmarried and working a dead-end job at the age of 36. When she meets a disaffected loser who also can’t fit in, the encounter proves to be life-changing. The question is, is Keiko going to become his victim as he sponges off of her, or will she finally understand her true calling in life?
The book is short, barely more than a novella, and full of laugh-out-loud moments as Keiko offers her unexpected take on events. She “adopts” a male coworker and keeps him as a kind of pet in order to make other people believe she’s in a relationship with a man. Her “kept man” keeps going off on misogynistic rants, which pass entirely over Keiko’s head. When a woman she barely knows tells her it’s her duty *not* to procreate in order not to pass on her weird, misfit genes, Keiko appreciates her logic and honesty, and is relieved to be spared the “ghastly” ordeal of sex.
At the same time, the story is full of musings about the nature of society and social belonging. Keiko is aware that all societies expel foreign objects, and she’s constantly in danger of becoming such a foreign object and being expelled. She is also befuddled when her sister is thrilled to discover she’s living with a complete loser of a man: it seems, Keiko, muses, that her sister would rather her be normal and have lots of problems than be abnormal but contented with her life. In the end, Keiko has an almost transcendent realization of her place in society and her role in life.
“Convenience Store Woman” is one of those books whose short length and spare style still hold more than their fair share of plot and philosophy. Entertaining and thought-provoking, it’s highly worth reading–or listening to, as in my case. Nancy Wu’s narration put me off a bit at first, until I realized her robotic rendition of Keiko’s thoughts was a deliberate expression of the character’s style. Wu’s rendition of the different characters, and her delicate fusion of humor and pathos, grew on me as the book progressed, however, and by the end I was hooked. I recommend the audio version for Wu’s narration alone, but the text version must also be delightful. Strongly recommended for readers looking for some contemporary literature in translation, or anyone wanting to read a story about a woman coming into her own, even if her own is not what everyone else thinks it should be.
This is a story about what’s normal and not, a drama played on a stage so violently plain it becomes as vivid and surprising as an alien planet. I loved Convenience Store Woman: its brevity, its details, its opinions about life.
Instructions: Open book. Consume contents. Feel charmed, disturbed, and weirdly in love. Do not discard.
What a weird and wonderful and deeply satisfying book this is. Sayaka Murata is an utterly unique and revolutionary voice. I tore through Convenience Store Woman with great delight.
Convenience Store Woman is a mighty fine book, completely charming. Sayaka Murata is a wonderful writer.
Keiko Furukura has never quite fit in. Behavioral norms baffle her. When she’s young and two boys are fighting in the schoolyard, she hits one over the head with a shovel to break up the fight. She can’t understand why her teachers and parents are upset because it was a successful tactic–the fight ended.
So when she lands a job working in a convenience store in college, she’s happy. The store looks clean and fresh, like a fish bowl. Her manager gives her a script to work from when dealing with customers. Cold drinks sell on hot days and warm drinks sell on cold days. Life is predictable. Eighteen years pass and society is again pressuring her, asking when she’s going to get a “real” job, get married, start a family. She’s puzzled again, wondering why a life that makes her happy is being judged so negatively.
I wasn’t quite sure to what to expect when I downloaded this book from the library but I liked it. It’s quirky and funny but there’s a lot of substance lurking beneath the exterior.
I won’t hazard a guess as to what might be “wrong” with Keiko but she really doesn’t think like most other people. But is that bad? She isn’t hurting anyone, she’s fulfilled by her job, she doesn’t feel any urge to be intimate with anyone, so why can’t others leave her alone? Why does her family want to “cure” her? She doesn’t even understand what she needs to be cured of.
This slender book left me with a lot to ponder. Why can’t we as a society leave the nonconformists alone? Why do we label jobs as “real” or not? Shouldn’t we see any job that fills a need as a “real” job? And Keiko made me see the beauty of any job done well.
This book won’t be for everyone because not a lot actually happens. But if you want to see the world through the eyes of an outsider, give it a try.
This touching, often unsettling read about a thirty-something unmarried Japanese woman who works part-time in a convenience store is not only a fascinating peek into everyday Japanese life but also an enlightening glimpse into how other cultures deal with issues such as the autistic spectrum. Which, at least according to the reactions of those in this novel, isn’t very well. Keiko, the protagonist of Convenience Store Woman, is as out of step from society as one can possibly get but manages, with keen insight and scrutiny of those around her, to “act normal” and actually enjoy the life she’s created for herself, although this is not enough, or “right” for those around her. A study in perception, accepted reality, and the existential question on all of our lips: what’s it all about, and how can I ultimately glean meaning from existence? Often hilarious, to boot.
Read 1.27.2021
What an odd little book. It was good, but odd. A good story about being who you need to be and not what others think you should be.
A quaint and realistic story of a women who found her place in the world, but struggles with societies expectations of her. An adult women living with an unnamed mental illness is content with her life, but it seems that almost no one else is. This book will have you rooting for Keiko the whole time, despite her family and friends reactions to her lifestyle. You will likely become frustrated at many points, but the ending is a satisfying relief. A telling and interesting story exploring being true to yourself and fulfilling your role in society.
I enjoyed this book so much, it was so weirdly funny and inspiring! It tells the story of Keiko, a single, thirty six year old woman who has found her life’s purpose – working in a convenience store. However, her friends and family can’t understand how she can possibly be happy without a high-powered career or a husband or children. Keiko fights for her personal happiness in spite of the expectations that society places on her and the final few pages are so cathartically fantastic I had to stop myself from physically cheering for her. This book is so short you could read it in a day but it’s an absolute treat and perfect if you’re coming off a cycle of long or sad reads!
This is a remarkably unique and captivating story! Truly deserving of all the praise it is getting.
I kind of ranted in my review but oh well…
Wow! Where has this book been hiding? This book deserves a standing ovation. Maybe I am a little bit exaggerating but Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is indeed quirky, hilarious, and one of the unapologetic books I have ever read that tackles societal pressures on men and women.
The book perfectly described how our society is – past to present, when it comes to gender roles, fitting into societal norms, and how it looks like working in a company for a long time. These are the points I would like to emphasize in my review.
First point: Society expects that men should work, get married, and should be able to raise and provide for their family while a woman should be married and raising a family before she hits her 30s. If you have not achieved these then you are considered as useless and that you deserve to be in the lowest level of society. This actually hits too close to home for me because as someone in her 30s, I have been pressured and questioned a lot why I am not dating, why am I not married yet, why I do not have a kid yet, so on and so forth. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THAT. Will it make me less of a woman if I am unmarried and have not bear a child until now? There is more to being a woman than procreating. Both women and men should not be limited to what they want to do with their life for the sake of conforming to what the society considered as normal. DO NOT BE AFRAID BEING A FOREIGN OBJECT IN THIS F*CKED UP SOCIETY.
Second point: Be careful of the people whom you surround yourself with especially at work. We spend almost half of our life working and it is very important that the people you are working with helps bring out the best in you and does not add to the toxicity level you experience at work. You are surrounded by your coworkers 8 hours a day, 5-6 times a week (or probably more for some of you) and it is inevitable that you will acquire how they talk, behave, and even dress. You will surely adapt their behaviors. Also, do not take for granted your health and personal life for a work who will replace you in an instant once you are no longer useful.
Overall, I can not stress enough how much I enjoyed this book and how the story and pacing was beautifully written. This is definitely a 5 star read.
I read this book as I’m trying to learn what it’s like to live in Japan (I’m planning to write a trilogy about a Japanese young woman). I didn’t know it is actually about an autistic woman. As I’m getting diagnosed about being on the spectrum myself, this revelation was a happy and sad moment for me. Happy, because it addresses the issue quite clearly. Sad, because there still is the need for it to be addressed.
The book is written in easy language, using Japanese phrases here and there (but they are translated immediately, so easy to understand). It is written from first point of view, so the reader gets a thorough insight in the mind of the autistic woman. Why she thinks certain things, why she does certain things, what makes her happy, and what doesn’t. It is all so relatable. Some issues are upsetting, even for me, but it is written about so lightly, that it almost seems normal. I didn’t like the ending as I found it too abrupt, but it is the ending that makes the book worthwhile and gives hope to people on the spectrum.
And yes, it does give some insight about life in Japan.