A review by starryybella
Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata
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: Misogyny, Ableism, and Sexism
Moderate: Stalking and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence