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A review by justinkhchen
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
4.0
4.5 stars
An explicit analysis of Asian Culture, and how it can be suffocating to people who don't fit in the expected standards.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, in part because I have lived in Asia in the past (Taiwan), and this book stirs up a lot of nostalgia—stepping into an Asian convenience store is an unique experience nonexistent anywhere else in the world, with its conditioned temperature, fluorescent light, shelves of product for purchase, and extremely standardized interaction from its staff. It also brings up the primary reason why my family chose to relocate out of Asia, because conforming to societal expectation is almost a requirement for survival.
In many ways this book is very 'Japanese/Asian', to the point I think foreign readers, without context, might interpret Convenience Store Woman as an exaggerated fantasy, but in reality quite close to the truth.
I interpret its ending as tragic, Keiko is ultimately trapped; Convenience Store Woman concludes a person can only be accepted by society if he/she participates in the most trivial activities at the expected stages of their life, such as sex, marriage, ambition, and willingness to gossip, no matter if he/she possesses other strength/talent (notice Keiko never receive a promotion, even within the convenience store microcosm).
I'm aware some people interpret Keiko as autistic, which definitely has its merit, though I want to believe Sayaka Murata is making a wider commentary, rather than targeting people with specific condition.
An explicit analysis of Asian Culture, and how it can be suffocating to people who don't fit in the expected standards.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, in part because I have lived in Asia in the past (Taiwan), and this book stirs up a lot of nostalgia—stepping into an Asian convenience store is an unique experience nonexistent anywhere else in the world, with its conditioned temperature, fluorescent light, shelves of product for purchase, and extremely standardized interaction from its staff. It also brings up the primary reason why my family chose to relocate out of Asia, because conforming to societal expectation is almost a requirement for survival.
In many ways this book is very 'Japanese/Asian', to the point I think foreign readers, without context, might interpret Convenience Store Woman as an exaggerated fantasy, but in reality quite close to the truth.
I interpret its ending as tragic, Keiko is ultimately trapped; Convenience Store Woman concludes a person can only be accepted by society if he/she participates in the most trivial activities at the expected stages of their life, such as sex, marriage, ambition, and willingness to gossip, no matter if he/she possesses other strength/talent (notice Keiko never receive a promotion, even within the convenience store microcosm).
I'm aware some people interpret Keiko as autistic, which definitely has its merit, though I want to believe Sayaka Murata is making a wider commentary, rather than targeting people with specific condition.