Scan barcode
A review by mikkareads
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Irasshaimase konnichi wa!"
Keiko is in her mid-thirties, single, and has spent half her life working as a part-time employee in a 24-hour convenience store, a 'konbini.' As required by the store's code of conduct, she diligently perfects the art of correct customer interaction, the right facial expressions, and the proper tone of voice. She takes pride in selling the daily specials more than 200 times.
She eats to serve the store. She takes care of herself to serve the store. She gets adequate sleep to serve the store. Routine is nearly as vital to her as breathing. She doesn't understand other people; she merely mimics their behavior, as societal expectations are a foreign language she doesn't speak.
The konbini is a microcosm that provides Keiko with security and fulfillment. She doesn't ask much from life, and she doesn't harm anyone, but her contentment is seen as a challenge. In her mid-thirties but still single? In her mid-thirties but no children yet? In her mid-thirties, but still at the bottom rung of the career ladder? The pressure is ever present and daunting.
出る釘は打たれる
Old Japanese Proverb:
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down."
In her quest to establish herself as a respected member of society, Keiko veers down paths that only further distance her from the norm. She dares to try something new, but Sayaka Murata doesn't portray this as liberation. In sober words, she paints a chilling, albeit exaggerated, picture of the constraints imposed on women by society. The protagonist's environment and inner life are also outlined with just a few, yet poignant strokes.
In my eyes, the economy of the writing style is not a flaw but an art: the story is often downright bizarre, yet fundamentally believable; it's focused solely on the most essential aspects of the issue. This is a novel that hides its true impact between the lines — and a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Keiko is in her mid-thirties, single, and has spent half her life working as a part-time employee in a 24-hour convenience store, a 'konbini.' As required by the store's code of conduct, she diligently perfects the art of correct customer interaction, the right facial expressions, and the proper tone of voice. She takes pride in selling the daily specials more than 200 times.
She eats to serve the store. She takes care of herself to serve the store. She gets adequate sleep to serve the store. Routine is nearly as vital to her as breathing. She doesn't understand other people; she merely mimics their behavior, as societal expectations are a foreign language she doesn't speak.
The konbini is a microcosm that provides Keiko with security and fulfillment. She doesn't ask much from life, and she doesn't harm anyone, but her contentment is seen as a challenge. In her mid-thirties but still single? In her mid-thirties but no children yet? In her mid-thirties, but still at the bottom rung of the career ladder? The pressure is ever present and daunting.
出る釘は打たれる
Old Japanese Proverb:
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down."
In her quest to establish herself as a respected member of society, Keiko veers down paths that only further distance her from the norm. She dares to try something new, but Sayaka Murata doesn't portray this as liberation. In sober words, she paints a chilling, albeit exaggerated, picture of the constraints imposed on women by society. The protagonist's environment and inner life are also outlined with just a few, yet poignant strokes.
In my eyes, the economy of the writing style is not a flaw but an art: the story is often downright bizarre, yet fundamentally believable; it's focused solely on the most essential aspects of the issue. This is a novel that hides its true impact between the lines — and a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.