A review by michellechien930
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

4.0

Living in a country whose dense population of convenience stores is not unlike Japan, I was naturally curious as to how the intricate workings of these stores were. I tutor a student who has worked in a convenience store for over two years, and I also know a convenience store worker who has been there for the ten years I've lived in this community. It's interesting to understand as to how Japanese society views these people and how they view themselves. This book is about nonconformity, but it really is much more than that. The main character is strange; she doesn't understand the antics and behavior of the people around her, and yet likes to observe and mimic them in order to be a part of the social norm. I'd like to say it was a "nice" and "uplifting" story, but it is not. It is about the harsh conditions of living in society, and how nonconformity can ruin a person's livelihood. I found the conversations between Keiko and Shiraha to be quite profound, and yet also really dark at times. It made me think about the criticism upon society's many rules and how people can strive to live their own lives.