Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Convenience Store Woman is about a 36-year-old woman who has worked in a convenience store for her entire adult life. Keiko is viewed as a little weird for still working a lowly, part-time job and not being married. Keiko also mirrors those around her to put on the appearance of being a functioning adult. Keiko has trouble connecting emotionally with others.

The novel has an autobiographical feel to it. I felt like I was reading about a real woman in Japan. It was a fun light read.

In a society where people conform to gender, class, personal, and professional roles, Keiko Furukura stands out for her inability to blend in. Keiko is thirty-six and has been working part-time in a convenience store for eighteen years. This brilliant short novel describes her life and her long traveled path to reach acceptance in a role as a valued employee, working hard to perform at the level of excellence. Keiko trained herself to speak loudly and cheerfully to each customer and give them what they need with a smile, in the exact manner in which she received her training so long ago. She re-stocks the store perfectly and new every minute detail about the running of the business. It is her pride and joy.

As a child. Keiko did not fit in, starting in elementary school, with acting in a somewhat aggressive way when she saw something done against another child. Some people might suggest that Keiko is on the autistic spectrum, but that is not a part of the story. Keiko doesn't get better as she grows up, she rarely socializes and depends on her younger sister to help her with social cues. When she is in college and finds a part-time job in the store, Keiko seems to have found her niche.

Keiko has seen workers come and go and even managers who leave after a relatively short time. She knows that certain new employees probably won't make it and most often, she is correct. Her work peers realize she is different but depend on her and respect her knowledge of the job. I enjoyed learning about all the various snacks served in the store and was so happy that Keiko's path led her to the exact place she needed to inhabit.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grove Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Convenience Store Woman is a character-driven novel. Our protagonist is Keiko Furukura who's a bit different - very likely she's on the Autism spectrum - and is unable to read society's cues, unless somebody spells them out to her clearly. She doesn't have any hobbies; worst of all - she's got no expectations or dreams for herself. She's a thirty six-year-old virgin who's been a convenience store worker for eighteen years. She breathes the shop. Her life, her routines revolve around her work schedule. She's very competent, but that's about it. She's like a robot.

I found this novel sad, there were no endearing quirks or funny moments. Occasionally, Keiko came up with some smart observations about society, other people's expectations, people's inability to fully embrace those outside the norm.

While I can't say I was bored reading this, after all, it's quite short, I'm afraid I wasn't charmed either. I thought the novel's tone was kind of flat, which in a way worked to show us Keiko's automaton, routine-filled life.

I must admit I would have never targeted this book to read had someone on Goodreads not recommended it. It kind of flies under the radar by its unassuming cover, but is actually quite thought-provoking.

This is a story about a young Japanese woman named Keiko who has been working part-time at a 24-hour convenience store since the age of 18. She is now 36. Her parents, friends, and society itself has regarded Keiko as "not normal" due to the fact that she is still a virgin, unmarried and never dated, and for working part-time hours at this convenience store rather than transitioning to a more suitable/ better job. In fact, whenever anyone questions her as to why she's still working at this convenience store job, she uses a helpful retort that her sister came up with: "It's just because I'm not very strong, so I'm better off in a casual job."

The family suspects something is wrong with Keiko for some other reasons as well. As a young child in school, Keiko witnessed some unruly children fighting at recess and the teacher called out, "Somebody stop them!" Acting quickly, Keiko retrieved a spade from a nearby shed and bashed one of the surly boys over the head with it. It seems as though Keiko sees things in black and white terms, and when she heard the teacher cry out for help, Keiko acted accordingly. Of course, a parent/teacher meeting was called to address this infraction and seeing her Mom's serious demeanor, Keiko realized she must have done something wrong. However, she still couldn't understand why. Keiko soon realized that the less she said, the better.

Another example of Keiko's odd thought pattern was how she related to her sister's baby. Upon visiting the sister one day, she looked upon the baby and thought of it as being sort of an animal. She also thought about her other little nephew, and how it really didn't matter which baby she visited...they were kind of the same animal. Then when the baby cried and her sister made an effort to console her, she thought about what a big hassle it must be to do that. Her eyes then stole over to the little knife on the table that had just been used to serve cake, and thought how easy it would be to use it to shut the baby up. Of course, Keiko knew to keep thoughts such as these to herself.

Keiko finds her best self in the tightly controlled environment of the convenience store. It has a manual covering everything the employees must do, and she follows it to the letter involving dress, greeting customers and many other protocols. She follows these to the letter and receives good feedback for doing so. In addition, she draws upon the personalities of those she works with to form her own personality. In this way, she will garner more acceptance in the world. For instance, when she admires another female worker's way of talking and dressing, she copies the speech pattern and purchases clothing from the same fashion stores. Keiko had her own very small apartment, although it had roaches and was old. She would take dented cans of food home from the convenience store, but would be sure to eat other healthy foods like vegetables and rice, plus get enough sleep. She knew she had to follow these rules in order to stay healthy and serve the well-being of the convenience store.

Needless to say, this was a very interesting character study. It was told in simple language, translated beautifully from its original Japanese. It was a quick and satisfying read which I would highly recommend.

This short novel epitomizes everything I love about Japanese literature. Keiko is strange, unable to completely fit in in a culture where conformity is compulsive. She thinks things that other people do not, and finds the never-ending obsession over careers, marriage, and children incomprehensible. But her life takes a turn for the better when she finds a job at a convenience store. All of a sudden, her life has meaning. The store hums life into her.

...Eighteen years later, still a convenience store employee, Keiko is pretending to be a woman she’s not. And other people are starting to catch on.

Like many Japanese novels I’ve read in the past, this is a quiet book. What makes it fascinating is Keiko and her rationalizations of the choices she’s made, and her attempts to mimic acceptable women around her. I also love learning about Japanese culture, which is another perk of this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

The quirky heroine of this novel is a natural as a convenience store employee, even though life outside the store is more confusing and difficult. This is an enjoyable riff on social pressure, status concerns and conformity. Review posted to Goodreads.

Did not read. Removing from shelf. Did not read. Removing from shelf. Did not read. Removing from shelf. Did not read. Removing from shelf.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Press for a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thirty-six year old Keiko Furukura is tired of people insisting that she either get married or get a “real” job. Keiko has worked part-time at Smile Mart, a convenience store chain since she was 18 years old. She loves her job and she does it well, so she doesn’t understand why the meddlers in her life just can’t be happy for her.

See, Keiko isn’t what most people consider to be a “normal” girl. First of all, she’s only ever worked in a convenience store, she isn’t interested in getting married, and she has trouble discerning what’s the right thing to wear or the right thing to say. To hide what others consider to be her “imperfections,” Keiko dives into her work each day, living and breathing for the convenience store. She mimics her coworkers’ speech patterns & ways of dress, & talks as little of her state of life as possible.

Keiko attends to her job day in and day out without complaint, never calling in sick, never taking a day off, always there when needed. Meanwhile her friends and family continue to pressure her to get married or quit work at the convenience store. When a new male coworker starts at Keiko’s store, her whole world is shaken up. Will Keiko risk getting close to him, and what will be the consequences if she does?

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is a big read in a small package. Clocking in at a little over 150 pages, this fast little novel packs in a lot of story in a short amount of time. Readers are introduced to the quirky, but endearing Keiko, and are quickly pulled in by the sights and sounds of her convenience store. It’s easy to see why Keiko is so enraptured by her job. The routine, the script, the normalcy of it all is somewhat comforting, especially to a woman like Keiko who has apparent issues with stepping outside of her comfort zone.

Convenience Store Woman focuses on the unfortunate societal norms of women - get married, and if you’re not married, you better have a high-profile job - and Keiko just can’t see what the problem is. If she is happy, why aren’t others happy for her? You can’t help but feel frustrated for Keiko and her plight as her coworkers, family, friends, and even their husbands share their opinions of why Keiko isn’t “normal.” The book explores Keiko’s struggle to stay true to herself, while not caving in to the increasing pressures of society.

Translated from its original Japanese, Convenience Store Woman is an engaging, comical read about a woman who does not fit the mold, and even better, has no desire to conform. Readers will root for Keiko as she attempts to ward off the pressures of society, and strives to prove to the world that her life has meaning.

3.5, rounded up (but with MUCH internal turmoil)

I don’t know about you, but I never think about convenience stores. (Except, wait, right now I’m thinking about the fact that 7-11s don’t have bathrooms. How is that convenient I want to know.) Convenience stores are all Cheetos and lottery tickets, in and out in a matter of minutes. Hit the road, jack, head on out to your next stop.

Well, when you read this book, the convenience store is front and center. The customers hit the road lickety-split, like they’re supposed to, but one of the workers, Keiko, is almost a shut-in. Basically she’s married to the store, and the relationship has been going on for 18 years. Or you can think of the convenience store as her addiction, her God. This store, oh this store is her everything. She follows the rules and is obsessed with stocking shelves and creating signs to promote the special of the day. When she’s not in the store, she is thinking about it. She carries the store’s sounds around in her head—all the clicks and clacks that most of us never tune into. To her these sounds are like lullabies. And she feels like she is part of the store:

“When I think that my body is entirely made up of food from this store, I feel like I’m as much a part of the store as the magazine racks or the coffee machine.”

To say the least, Keiko is a weird duck. We get to see a little of her life as a kid, and it confirms that she has been a weirdo forever. It’s a buzz phrase these days, but I’m guessing Keiko is “on the spectrum.”

Keiko is robotic and passive, which made it hard for me to feel much for her. She did entertain me—many of the things she does and thinks are pretty funny. And she fascinated me—I definitely wanted to see what she would do next. In terms of a character study, the book gets an A-plus. Well, I’ll change that to a B, because there are two times when Keiko shows a dark side. One is an action and one is a thought, very brief. I just didn’t buy it. For a few minutes, I wondered whether the book was going to turn into a thriller. I don’t get why the writer went there. We know Keiko is weird. It’s not necessary to throw in an odd trait that doesn’t fit with her personality.

This book is all about conformity. Keiko wants to conform so much that she imitates people’s mannerisms and speech patterns, which becomes comical. Family and friends want her to act normal, and they won’t drop it. They want her to be married and they want her to have a better job. The pressure is on.

The story gets infinitely more interesting when a guy comes into her life. Their relationship is totally bizarro. Keiko and the guy have conversations about conformity, mostly meaning the guy spews his ideas. He’s a little pedantic and the ideas seem sophomoric at times. Also, the ideas are repeated too much. In those cases, the writing seems amateurish.

I loved the originality of the plot and the character and liked that it was told in first-person. It was a kick learning so much about Japanese convenience stores (I wonder if they have restrooms?!), and I loved getting the picture of the work scene there. Of course, I just loved getting a peek at Japanese culture in general. As often happens when I read a book from a different land, I wish I could beam myself up—and in this case, land in Tokyo. I would definitely head for a convenience store. Would I be greeted when I entered, like in Keiko’s store?

This is a fast, entertaining read by a popular Japanese writer. (A cool fact: The writer worked in a convenience store when she wrote this book!) The language is simplistic, which I sometimes liked but sometimes made me crave sophistication. I was going to say this book is lightweight, but actually it’s not because it drills home how society’s expectations affect your life and shows how people treat those who don’t conform.

I’m giving this book 3.5 stars. I’ve been hopping madly back and forth, trying to decide whether to round up or down. Even while writing this review, I’ve changed my mind twice!! For now I’ve settled on rounding up. The book is definitely way more than a meh, and because it’s so original, I don’t think I’ll forget about it. Meanwhile, I can’t believe I’m spending so much time worrying about (and moaning about) a stupid number! I liked the book—just get over it, Debbie!

I’m so sorry I didn’t show the contents of the Joy Jar and Complaint Board in easy-to-read lists, like I usually do. It might have made my rating problem easier! But I’d say the Joy Jar ekes out a win. Although the book isn’t a wow, I would recommend it, especially to those who enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

My review is 4.1 stars.

I don't know anything about this book and the author until this book arrived in my hands. This is a different book, from my expectations, surprising but I would say a good surprise. The MC of this book is considered to be completely different from the other people.

If someone will ask me a question that what will do - try imitating others to be normal or follow yourself to be different from others? I would say everytime that I would like to be different because I'll be who I am actually, from inside. I never have to change anything. In my opinion, this book is revolving around that idea. The main character "Keiko Furukura" is different from everybody and she just wants to be normal like everyone.

I wanted this book to be more, as I was not happy regarding the size of the book. And while reading each and every page of the book, there are a lot of emotions that are passing by inside me. I was completely fallen for the characters of the book and I love the plot and the theme of the book. I don't know anything about the author but the author is so talented and very good at writing scenes and the dialogues.

There was a special connection with the story, plot and the scenes. I definitely want to read more books by the author.

*** Thank you Grove Atlantic Publications for providing me with the ARC of the book ***

Keiko Furukura has an unusual flaw. Though she’s intelligent, she doesn’t understand other people. Ever since she was a child, she had a hard time knowing how to act, how to speak, how to emote, how to just be in the world. But she seems to have found a place for herself in Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata (translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori). As an employee of Smile Mart, Keiko performs the role of a thirties-something part-time convenience store worker. She functions well enough, until the day when he meets the reprehensible Shiraha and realizes that her friends and family keep asking when she’s going to get married.

I really enjoyed reading about neuro-atypical Keiko. Once I stopped trying to diagnose her (I couldn’t help it; I took a semester of psychology as an undergrad), I learned to see through her eyes. She’s a scientist who constantly studies the people around her to learn how to be “normal.” She adopts mannerisms and speech patterns from the people around her. Essentially, she’s been acting her entire life, because her default state is affectless, unambitious, baffling, and occasionally frightening to the people she meets and her family. In the same way that she doesn’t understand people, they don’t understand her. The chance to look at society through Keiko’s eyes reveals a lot about how inexplicable most cultural norms are.

Shiraha, on the other hand, does not try to fit in. He is an awful person, straight from a red pill reddit thread. He talks about the Stone Age constantly to “explain” why men and women are expected to behave in certain ways, sneers at any kind of gainful employment, and is basically a dick. And yet, Keiko is willing to put up with him because having a “boyfriend” makes her life a bit easier. People stop wondering about her quite so much because she suddenly makes sense to them.

But as Convenience Store Woman develops, it becomes clear that Keiko is in an untenable position. Does she keep up the charade? Or does she insist on being who she is, in spite of the social consequences? I also felt a little bit of extra tension because most of the Japanese literature I’ve read lately had me worried about the possibility of things taking a turn for the macabre. (At the risk of spoiling things, I’m happy to report that no one dies in this book.) I wasn’t sure what to expect from Convenience Store Woman. What I found turned out to be interesting, unusual, and moving. I really liked this novella.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration. It will be released 12 June 2018.

What a delightfully bizarre book.

Keiko's a bit of an outsider just trying her best to fit into the world around her. She's content with the rather mundane life she lives. The convenience store isn't just her place of employment, it's the only place she feels like she belongs and everything finally makes sense. She parrots and imitates everyone she meets - mostly to keep them off her back - but working at the same convenience store for 18 years is starting to make some eyebrows lift. Something needs to change.

This basic premise keeps the book flowing in such a compulsive way. I've seen a few uses of the word "quirky" in other reviews and they're not wrong. Keiko's narration is so deadpan and off-kilter that there are several points that honestly made me laugh out loud. The whole thing reads quite cinematically as well, in a very slice-of-life indie movie kind of way. CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN is easy, it's strange, and it's just a lot of fun to breeze through.

3.5 stars — What a strange little book—at times delightful, at times disturbing, and also kind of darkly whimsical? Still sorting out my thoughts on this one...not what I was expecting, but I think I enjoyed it.

This was a really peculiar little book. I'm not sure what I thought I was getting into, but I don't think I was quite prepared for Keiko when I started reading. She operates on a completely different level than the rest of society, and her internal musings often come in jarring contrast to the rest of the world's (and my) expectations.

Since she started working at the convenience store at age 18, Keiko has reveled in the comfort and consistency of the tightly controlled environment. She does her job extraordinarily well, living her whole life in harmony with the store. She's picked up some brilliant strategies for blending in with others, but now that she's getting older, people are starting to scrutinize a little more. At the same time, a new employee disrupts the status quo by loudly voicing his own unpopular opinions about society. What follows is a bizarre, thoughtful, and sometimes hilarious exploration of the rules of society and how we treat people who don't fit in.

I honestly don't know how to recommend this book, but I'm glad I read it.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know what’s the exact meaning in Japanese, but the "convenience” word used here captured the essence of the book perfectly - such a versatile word with so many meanings.

We have an awkward 36 years old woman, who is working at this convenience store for the past 18 years. She never had a boyfriend, nor other job than this. As a child, she was different than the rest, to the point her parents took her to a psychologist. She used to think out of the box, being pragmatic and with a practical solution for everything, even if most of the times, the solutions were unorthodox, to say the least (these were also the funniest moments of the story for me).

But because everybody thought she was different than the rest, she tried all her life to keep appearances and finding this job suited her perfectly at the time, along with different excuses used when people start asking questions about her linear life. When questions became too many, she finds another solution to fit in: a convenience relationship.

For such a small book, it has so many layers: it’s about today’s judgmental society, about our working selves - who are taking their tolls on our personal life and free time - and ultimately, about the compromises we make to fit society and have some peace of mind.

Despite the fact that I didn’t approve some of the choices she made, I resonated with her completely in the end. Afterall, one’s life is one’s life and we should not care about what others say; everybody should construct their life as they see fit; we live our lives, not other’s and viceversa.

And even though is kind of sad on occasion, it also has its moments of black humor; fine irony at today’ society, with its rigid and prejudiced mentality, is present all over the story. The writing is fluent and balanced, easy to follow - a couple of hours reading, worthy all the way.

This was a wonderful, short story. The main character is on the autistic spectrum and has trouble figuring out people or society. Society's norms makes question what she should do with her life. All she wants to do is work at a convenience store but she's considered too old. I loved reading her journey over her struggle with doing what society wants and what she really wants.

Japan’s convenience stores are things of wonder so I jumped at the chance to read a book that perfectly captures Japanese convenience store culture. Convenience Store Woman by Sakaya Murata has attained critical acclaim in Japan since its release in 2016, but its English translation won’t be available until the mid-June. It follows a woman named Keiko, who is a bit of an oddball. She lacks the ambition of her peers and is uninterested in romantic relationships; instead, she lives and breathes her job at a convenience store. She has been there eighteen years and running, satisfied with the order and routine this work provides her. One day, when a new employee is added to the roster, Keiko’s life is given a shake up and she finds herself pondering how she might better meet society’s expectations. I very much enjoyed this little book. It’s a perfect mix of quirky and charming, with a small touch of darkness.

The plot of the story is interesting at the same time unusual and a bit weird. It definitely shows a side of human nature often overlooked and purposely ignored.

Very poignant book and very well written tbor ok highly enjoyed

Convenience Store Woman is a charming novel about a quirky and socially inept character who defies convention, baffling everyone around her.

When Keiko Furukura starts working at a convenience store during her time at university, she feels that she has finally found somewhere she belongs. She loves the predictability of stocking the shelves, counting out bills, and talking with regular customers. Pulling from the behavior of her colleagues, she’s able to piece together the appearance of what people expect of a woman her age.

But eighteen years later, both her family and her co-workers at the convenience store wonder why she hasn’t found a husband and moved on from the store. As their questioning becomes more insistent, Keiko is faced with the decision to conform or to live the life she wants to live.

Murata brings to the page a penetrating look at Japanese culture and the pressure many feel to conform. The woman she creates in this novel is a pleasure to spend time with. Looking at the world through her eyes offers a fresh perspective on tradition and expectations.