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Convenience Store Woman

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Short fascinating character study of a woman who does not meet what society considers norms. Keiko is different, just different, and her life inside the convenience store makes sense to her, if not to others. You can argue about what her diagnosis might be but you'll surely find her really interesting, even if others do not. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is a great opportunity to read modern Japanese literature.

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"So the manual for life already existed. It was just that it was already ingrained in everyone's heads, and there wasn't any need to put it in writing."

Convenience Store Woman was a short, fast and sharp read following Keiko Furukura, a part-time convenience store worker in her mid-thirties. Furukura was always strange, even as a child she was finding herself in trouble for her bizarre and occasionally violent reactions. In college, what was supposed to be a casual job for extra cash ended up giving Furukura exactly what she needed: the tools to fit in. Through the convenience store worker's manual and the observation of the other employees Furukura became a working cog in society and can go about essentially unnoticed, which is exactly what she always wanted. The story starts 18 years after the fateful day she started work in the convenience store (and where she continues to work) and watches as she meets another societal misfit.

I thought this was a beautiful ode to anyone that feels that they don't fit in or don't quite meet the standards set for them by society. Written in the clean, stark voice of Furukura, I thought the writing style perfectly matched the narrative and Furukura herself. Although occasionally repetitive, I was fascinated by her sharp observations and her take on what it means to be human from someone that feels like an outsider to the species. I quite enjoyed this short and witty little book, while it wasn't what I expected I was more than pleasantly surprised.

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3.5/5 stars

One of my 2018 reading goals was to read more books by asian authors and about asian culture, so this book was perfect for that.

I've seen Convenience Store Woman being compared to Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman and while I do see the resemblance, I don't necessarily agree with the comparison.

Eleanor Oliphant was definitely a quirky character (my favorite kind) but I was able to relate to Eleanor on a deep emotional level, while Keiko from Convenience Store Woman felt very detached and unemotional, which I wasn't able to relate to, but enjoyed nonetheless. Both women follow the same thought process, but Convenience Store Woman definitely takes things to a more bizarre and at times, disturbing level.

I absolutely loved the message this book was trying to relay, I just wasn't very keen on it's delivery. While I enjoyed the brisk and to the point writing style, it also felt incomplete at times - I wished to know just a little bit more, just few more details to be able to paint a complete picture.

​Maybe I wasn't able to emotionally identify with Keiko much, but the book did make me feel one emotion very strongly - I absolutely despised Shiraha. With every insult he spewed out of his filthy mouth I just wanted to set him on fire and see his skinny, dirty form writhe in pain. He definitely takes a gold for being the most infuriating, hypocritical character ever created! It's astonishing really, how in so little pages a character managed to be so horrid.

This book does a phenomenal job painting the even day horrors of society - it is truly terrifying just how messed up we are.

So, who is Keiko? Is she really broken and needs fixing, like her parents told her all of her life? Or is she the only one who sees things clear? Is she a waste of space or is she a workaholic who lives, breathes and eats her job? You will have to read to find out!

Convenience Store Woman would be perfect for book clubs, school discussions and just any social event involving books. Because this short gem of a novel contains many lessons that need to be heard.

Many thanks to Grove Atlantic, Sayaka Murata, and Netgalley for the copy. All opinions are my own, honest and come from the heart. Convenience Store Woman will be published on June 22, 2018.

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The only thing I liked about this book was its cover. The story is about a convenience store worker. The plot is flat, the characters are dull and uninteresting. The point of the story is what? The woman is happy being a convenience store worker. Good for her. There is nothing redeeming about this book.

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An odd little book with quite eccentric characters
Keiko is the quirky protagonist and she decides that working in a convenience store is both satisfying and provides her with a sense of belonging. She feels very "connected" to the store and its routines and mundane tasks. She doesn't mind this, she thrives and enjoys her job and is a hard worker.

Her family constantly worries that she is "not normal." Society has certain "expectations" and she has chosen not to comply. There is a deeper message about life and the assumptions that all successful people are expected to follow, but Keiko isn't listening!

This is a quiet story about acceptance and judgement. I enjoyed spending time with Keiko!

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3 ½ stars

Convenience Store Woman was an odd book. Not a bad book, but definitely odd. Set in Tokyo and translated from Japanese, it features a women in her mid 30s who has been working in a convenience store for her whole adult life. Through her eyes, we understand that she is not meeting social expectations by not being married and by not having a higher status job. But it is also evident that her sense of who she is and who she wants to be does not beat to the drum of social expectations. Things are just fine for her working in the convenience store until she decides to try to conform to social norms… This book is very short, clever in the way it’s told, somewhat humorous and mildly depressing. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me access to an advance copy.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Sayaka Murata‘s Convenience Store Woman is a novella with such minimal plotting it almost reads like a character-study. The narrator is a thirty-five-year-old, single woman who works part-time at a convenience store in Japan. Keiko Furukura does not fit into Japanese society and may have trouble existing in other cultures as she has trouble deciphering mores. Keiko’s family wishes to “cure” her and she gradually learns how to modify her behavior so as not to call attention to herself. However, I wondered if Keiko was undiagnosed and on the autism spectrum. If so, the misunderstandings between Keiko and other characters seem less funny and more mocking.

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

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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.

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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.

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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 ***

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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.

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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.

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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.

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