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erebus53's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I was recommended this book by Abigail Melton Munday on the Autistics Worldwide Facebook Group. This is not a person I know, but as the group is public I feel OK naming them.
Seemed like a good idea to read a few titles in aid of Autism month.
The first thing that struck me about this book was how the sales pitch on the cover was completely wrong. As an Autistic reader, perhaps I have a different take on it, but I don't think it's witty or hilarious. I'd go with interesting and perhaps thought provoking. It's definitely much more funny (oh.), rather than funny (ha ha!).
My Japanese is quite sketchy, but as someone who ran the anime club for about a decade I was fairly culturally literate. This is a story set in Japan, and some of its "oddness" is Japanese, and some is neurological. It wasn't until the end of the book that I heard the original title was コンビニ人間 (Kombini Ningen - or convenience-store person). Looking up the Kanji for the protagonist's name, I was amused to find that it could indeed be considered a pun as, I have been told, is common in Japanese literature. Alternate readings of the name "Furukura" do have different meanings and though it could be commonly read as Old "River", it could also be read as "Hideaway", "hiding place" or "storehouse". This is an apt name for a girl who learns early in life that if she acts intuitively, her ways of doing things will get her into in big trouble. She instead becomes someone who masks herself behind walls of affectations and habits learned by copying the "normal" people around her.
This characterisation was interesting to me in a couple of ways. The first is that this girl is depicted as feeling justified for violence. In my experience, denying regret for childhood violence used when you are in the middle of a panic or urgent situation, is less about being remorseless and more about protecting yourself from being criticised. Engaging with negative self-critique can be really difficult when you don't even understand your own motivations. She clearly has some failure to understand the emotions of others, but her disdain for others at times borders on not just Autistic, but callous. Some writeups online suggest that the character might be sociopathic, but her rigid attention to rules and guidelines and her disinterest in lying or manipulation has me convinced that she's Autistic. I do find it a little problematic that this Autistic child is depicted as creepy and dangerous.. but at the same time, it's realistic to demonstrate the fact that when people don't understand you they may want to keep away from you.
The thematics of this book seem quite tongue in cheek. It's a commentary of the cultural ideas that we take for granted. You are an inhuman weirdo if you dedicate yourself to something you are an expert at, passionate about, but that also confers low social status. You are expected to selflessly find a man to dedicate yourself to the service of, maintaining your looks, cooking and cleaning, and bringing comfort with a calm and positive demeanour for the benefit of your household.
But, that's basically the same thing.. only with one of them you are required to also be a bedslave, and if, like this character, you are asexual, then you also come up against the influences of those who tell you that you are not good enough, and that you need to have a baby to be a valid contributing woman within a society.
Keiko feels pressured into finding a human male to affect a relationship with so as to keep the people around her happy with her. As she becomes more and more aware of the masks she feels she has to wear just to have human contact, she realises how false her friendships with others are, and how unwilling they are to accept her. The talk of Curing her difference hit me like an emotional fist. It's been so many years since I faced a person in my sphere who thought I was unworthy because I was strange, and it brought some of that memory back.
Some of the most moving parts in this story for me were Keiko's sense impressions of the Kombini. I know exactly what it is like to sense your environment through its sounds, and the clues and patterns that hint what your next interaction will be. I feel with my house. I am in tune with its rhythms and sounds in much the same way. I know when pets need feeding, and when the traffic will be loud, or quiet. The act of getting off public transport a block before your stop I immediately understood as a chance to figure out what the mood of the day was; is it likely to rain?, is a special event on?, are there roadworks?, will people feel energetic, or low?.. all these would affect the systems in the shop, and the hypervigilance that she channels into managing those systems felt SO familiar to me. Recognising patterns like how a person's body language or sounds can tell you what method of payment they might use, cash or card. Yep, this is how I interact with my world.
I think this book packs quite a bit in for a short read.
Seemed like a good idea to read a few titles in aid of Autism month.
The first thing that struck me about this book was how the sales pitch on the cover was completely wrong. As an Autistic reader, perhaps I have a different take on it, but I don't think it's witty or hilarious. I'd go with interesting and perhaps thought provoking. It's definitely much more funny (oh.), rather than funny (ha ha!).
My Japanese is quite sketchy, but as someone who ran the anime club for about a decade I was fairly culturally literate. This is a story set in Japan, and some of its "oddness" is Japanese, and some is neurological. It wasn't until the end of the book that I heard the original title was コンビニ人間 (Kombini Ningen - or convenience-store person). Looking up the Kanji for the protagonist's name, I was amused to find that it could indeed be considered a pun as, I have been told, is common in Japanese literature. Alternate readings of the name "Furukura" do have different meanings and though it could be commonly read as Old "River", it could also be read as "Hideaway", "hiding place" or "storehouse". This is an apt name for a girl who learns early in life that if she acts intuitively, her ways of doing things will get her into in big trouble. She instead becomes someone who masks herself behind walls of affectations and habits learned by copying the "normal" people around her.
This characterisation was interesting to me in a couple of ways. The first is that this girl is depicted as feeling justified for violence. In my experience, denying regret for childhood violence used when you are in the middle of a panic or urgent situation, is less about being remorseless and more about protecting yourself from being criticised. Engaging with negative self-critique can be really difficult when you don't even understand your own motivations. She clearly has some failure to understand the emotions of others, but her disdain for others at times borders on not just Autistic, but callous. Some writeups online suggest that the character might be sociopathic, but her rigid attention to rules and guidelines and her disinterest in lying or manipulation has me convinced that she's Autistic. I do find it a little problematic that this Autistic child is depicted as creepy and dangerous.. but at the same time, it's realistic to demonstrate the fact that when people don't understand you they may want to keep away from you.
The thematics of this book seem quite tongue in cheek. It's a commentary of the cultural ideas that we take for granted. You are an inhuman weirdo if you dedicate yourself to something you are an expert at, passionate about, but that also confers low social status. You are expected to selflessly find a man to dedicate yourself to the service of, maintaining your looks, cooking and cleaning, and bringing comfort with a calm and positive demeanour for the benefit of your household.
But, that's basically the same thing.. only with one of them you are required to also be a bedslave, and if, like this character, you are asexual, then you also come up against the influences of those who tell you that you are not good enough, and that you need to have a baby to be a valid contributing woman within a society.
Keiko feels pressured into finding a human male to affect a relationship with so as to keep the people around her happy with her. As she becomes more and more aware of the masks she feels she has to wear just to have human contact, she realises how false her friendships with others are, and how unwilling they are to accept her. The talk of Curing her difference hit me like an emotional fist. It's been so many years since I faced a person in my sphere who thought I was unworthy because I was strange, and it brought some of that memory back.
Some of the most moving parts in this story for me were Keiko's sense impressions of the Kombini. I know exactly what it is like to sense your environment through its sounds, and the clues and patterns that hint what your next interaction will be. I feel with my house. I am in tune with its rhythms and sounds in much the same way. I know when pets need feeding, and when the traffic will be loud, or quiet. The act of getting off public transport a block before your stop I immediately understood as a chance to figure out what the mood of the day was; is it likely to rain?, is a special event on?, are there roadworks?, will people feel energetic, or low?.. all these would affect the systems in the shop, and the hypervigilance that she channels into managing those systems felt SO familiar to me. Recognising patterns like how a person's body language or sounds can tell you what method of payment they might use, cash or card. Yep, this is how I interact with my world.
I think this book packs quite a bit in for a short read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Stalking, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Chronic illness
dosxhime's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm relating too much to Keiko, and that scares me omfggggg.
The prose of this novel is amazing and conveys Keiko's thought process well. I (kinda) understand the reflection the author was getting at and honestly, it gave me a bit of anxiety. In a good way, of course.
The ending made me laugh because wow Keiko can't resist who she is at all.
4/5 B-
The prose of this novel is amazing and conveys Keiko's thought process well. I (kinda) understand the reflection the author was getting at and honestly, it gave me a bit of anxiety. In a good way, of course.
The ending made me laugh because wow Keiko can't resist who she is at all.
4/5 B-
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape
rionstorm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. The main character is heavily autistic coded, and absolutely charming. I adored her from the very start.
I really enjoyed her matter of fact narration, and the loving attention she put into describing different aspects of the convenience store.
I loved the ending too, it was so satisfying and nice to see her follow her own wants and let go of neurotypical societal demands and expectations placed on her which she neither agreed with or cared about.
Definitely reccomend :)
I really enjoyed her matter of fact narration, and the loving attention she put into describing different aspects of the convenience store.
I loved the ending too,
Definitely reccomend :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Misogyny
Minor: Violence, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
zotty's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, and Acephobia/Arophobia
sianjkh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jumpscare warning: incel
a very good book nonetheless. lent it to my english teacher and school librarian and they both said it was very good 👍
a very good book nonetheless. lent it to my english teacher and school librarian and they both said it was very good 👍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Minor: Child abuse and Violence
pvbobrien's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Misogyny
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence and Pregnancy
savvy999's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A pointed exploration of capitalism and societal expectation, with an unsettling but ultimately charming narrator.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
starryybella's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I originally came across this book when I was looking for new books during "Women in Translation" Month in August. It had a really cute cover that attracted me and being that I came across it on TikTok and had it recommended to me by a close friend, I had to buy it.
The book, to briefly summarize, is about 36-year-old Keiko Furukawa, a woman who has worked at the Hiiromachi Station Smile Mart as a part-timer for 18 years. Always an outcast since she was young, she finally found a place to fit in. Through the store manual, she finally finds a way to conform to her peers. However, it seems like everyone else arounds her doesn't approve of this job where she's finally fitting in and where she's happy that she has some sense of purpose. She's never been in a relationship or had sex before and it doesn't faze her at all. People think she should have grown out of the job she has. There's some part about Keiko that needs "fixing", since she isn't married by now and has never had a job beyond this convenience store. But it shouldn't matter if she's content with it, right?
Now, to my opinions - I made a specific annotation about my book about the times I suspected Keiko is neurodivergent. As a neurodivergent person, there were behaviors that some of my neurodivergent friends have also described them having when they were younger.
Then again, this isn't confirmed. Call it a "headcanon" of mine.
However, it does seem canon, and a recurring topic with the author, that Keiko is asexual and has no desire for sex.
It's also, to my surprise, loosely based on the author's 18-year tenure through several convenience stores. Murata said in an interview with the New York Times, “For me, when I was working as a college student, I was a very shy girl. But at the stores, I was instructed to raise my voice and talk in a loud friendly voice, so I became that kind of active and lively person in that circumstance.”
One of the most strange, funny, endearing, and yet profound books I've ever read, "Convenience Store Woman" made its way into my heart, making a bold statement about society's expectations about single people, society's aversion from asexuality, and the embrace of the odd.
The book, to briefly summarize, is about 36-year-old Keiko Furukawa, a woman who has worked at the Hiiromachi Station Smile Mart as a part-timer for 18 years. Always an outcast since she was young, she finally found a place to fit in. Through the store manual, she finally finds a way to conform to her peers. However, it seems like everyone else arounds her doesn't approve of this job where she's finally fitting in and where she's happy that she has some sense of purpose. She's never been in a relationship or had sex before and it doesn't faze her at all. People think she should have grown out of the job she has. There's some part about Keiko that needs "fixing", since she isn't married by now and has never had a job beyond this convenience store. But it shouldn't matter if she's content with it, right?
Now, to my opinions - I made a specific annotation about my book about the times I suspected Keiko is neurodivergent. As a neurodivergent person, there were behaviors that some of my neurodivergent friends have also described them having when they were younger.
Then again, this isn't confirmed. Call it a "headcanon" of mine.
However, it does seem canon, and a recurring topic with the author, that Keiko is asexual and has no desire for sex.
It's also, to my surprise, loosely based on the author's 18-year tenure through several convenience stores. Murata said in an interview with the New York Times, “For me, when I was working as a college student, I was a very shy girl. But at the stores, I was instructed to raise my voice and talk in a loud friendly voice, so I became that kind of active and lively person in that circumstance.”
One of the most strange, funny, endearing, and yet profound books I've ever read, "Convenience Store Woman" made its way into my heart, making a bold statement about society's expectations about single people, society's aversion from asexuality, and the embrace of the odd.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Stalking and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence
livbooks's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The shortness of it makes it a lot more bearable. If it has dragged on 400+ pages I definitely would have dnf’ed it. It was just okay nothing special, a quick read but I wouldn’t recommend it tbh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
fujo_cat's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Oh wow, this was so enjoyable!! Honestly, she gave me so many autistic vibes (or neurodivergent, but I find them to be more specific to autistic fellas, as one myself) and that's why I felt relating so much to her :D
On the other hand, I would have dropped Shihara's (is that his name? I was listening to the audiobook) sorry ass much sooner, oof.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment