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taibreakfast 's review for:
Convenience Store Woman
by Sayaka Murata
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A funny, smart, and charming little novel that shows us the world through an "odd" protagonist. I think the protagonist is neurodivergent but the point of the story isn't so much about in what way(s) she's neurodivergent or what diagnosis might she get. It's more so an entry point to reflect back to us just how harsh society often is about conforming to norms: people around her care much more that she's "normal" rather than happy. This can be really depressing! At times, the story is so sad and a little alarming, but the overall takeaway is optimistic, surprisingly.
There is one character who loves to hear himself talk and has an awful sexist attitude and is really just not likeable but he serves a useful function in the story of making plain the unspoken beliefs of society, some that many people probably think they're too enlightened to believe but probably hold way deep down, due to internalized ableism. And he's also useful to show the consequences of the thought experiment: if our protagonist did conform, would it make her happy? It further shows (and the annoying character even says himself) how dysfunctional our society actually is, that people need to contort themselves into very narrow versions of themselves (or really, not themselves at all) to survive in late stage capitalism.
The peek into the Japanese convenience store culture is also fascinating!
Listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend. The narrator does a great job with the voices and lending personality to the different characters through voice acting. And a very short listen!
There is one character who loves to hear himself talk and has an awful sexist attitude and is really just not likeable but he serves a useful function in the story of making plain the unspoken beliefs of society, some that many people probably think they're too enlightened to believe but probably hold way deep down, due to internalized ableism. And he's also useful to show the consequences of the thought experiment: if our protagonist did conform, would it make her happy? It further shows (and the annoying character even says himself) how dysfunctional our society actually is, that people need to contort themselves into very narrow versions of themselves (or really, not themselves at all) to survive in late stage capitalism.
The peek into the Japanese convenience store culture is also fascinating!
Listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend. The narrator does a great job with the voices and lending personality to the different characters through voice acting. And a very short listen!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexism
Moderate: Toxic relationship