A review by random_spider
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

dark funny reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 

------Stat Score------

Plot/Content: 7/10
Characters/POVs: 8/10
Prose/Style: 8/10
Themes/Messages: 9/10
Enjoyability/Impact: 9/10

OVERALL RATING: 9/10 (amazing)

WOW! This book is absurd...and I love it! Highly recommended.

The woman narrowed her eyes and said, "This place never changes, does it?"

I paused, then answered, "You're right it doesn't!"

Synopsis and/or Premise:
Keiko was nothing more than a convenience store woman for almost two decades, and is happily contented with this 'mask' of normalcy. However, people around her life were becoming more worrisome due to her lack of personal growth/change and life achievements. Will she able to hide more?

The Good and The Bad:
This book will GRIP you, without fail from beginning to end. Hear me out! 😳 A short novel with chapter-less format, fast pacing, active prose, and peppery characterizations — who couldn't resist finishing it within a sitting or two? I mean, there's not much point resisting since the book was written in such quirky, entertaining manner you'll be surprised how the pages fly. It was also uniquely comedic in an unconventional way, since most of the humor stemmed from either the unpredictability of events or deadpan amusements. But of course, this book wasn't just show. IT HAD HEART ❤️. Complicated adult themes that were surprisingly dark and triggering were present within. Subjects such as social compliance, escapism, and stagnation were few of many being explored.

Now, let's talk about the two major characters: Keiko and Shiraha. They were both highlights on their own terms. Keiko, the protagonist, was one of my most personally relatable fictional character 🫂. She's was uniquely herself, yet was easy to grasp her character. Some Japanese literatures I read had their protagonists undergo little to no character development, but instead experience character revelation (alongside its consequences.) Keiko was no different from them. The best parts, perhaps, was her thought processes. A charismatic blend of ignorance and genuineness, and pure passion for the convenience store. She was basically what you get when you transform AI into a person. Shiraha, on the other hand, earned himself to be a member of "THE MOST DESPICABLE CHARACTERS". A complete Red Flag 🚩: He's a hypocrite, a lazy freeloader, misogynistic asshole, manipulative coward, condescending to others he considered low-life, self-centered creep, insecure loser, failure in life, and literally filthy. Such an absolute sore individual with no redeeming qualities. I just wanted to beat him up to pulp 😤...and that's why I didn't rate this book lower despite him being in there. His role was meant to be hated, and he excelled at it.

I humbly admire this book for being a social critic of some sort, specifically towards the concept of conformity. Society often told us what to do or what to be. And we're helpless against it since we humans are meant to be social creatures; we have a need to feel accepted/belonged. Using Keiko (and to a dangerous extent, Shiraha), the book strived to expose the harsh realities like pressure, judgement, and rigid mentalities. It also forced the readers in an awkward dilemma ⚖️: Support Keiko's life in the convenience store, or be with society that forces change on her. My choice was linked to Keiko's side, but I also can't ignore my disposition towards the other side's arguments. Also, I love how the ending of the book was tied to this predicament (sorry, can't spoil it.) A perfect, thought-provoking conclusion with a potent message.

However, I do have a single issue with this one:

1. Repetitive coercions/judgements 🗣️ - Honestly, this was the only thing I could find where the book falters a bit. The coercions weren't much of a problem for the majority of pages (around 2/3)...well, up until later when it became tedious and repetitive. There's also a lot of negativities on it, which excessively drains energy.

Final Thoughts:
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is a Japanese contemporary fiction short novel about a convenience store woman and the pressures placed upon by people around her. It's over-the-top, strangely humorous and depressing, and had a character I personally relate to. Now, despite not explicitly stated, the general consensus towards Keiko was she belonged within the spectrum of autism (which I just knew after reading other reviews). Not sure whether I also am, but I'm simply happy it got a decent representation within the story. Speaking of, the narrative was not I was expecting based on the blurb. Anyways, there were reviews which didn't quite understood the main point of this novel...so yeah, it ended up underrated.

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Links to my ratings and reviews:
Goodreads reviews
The StoryGraph