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A review by crybabybea
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I don't really know how anyone is getting cute or cozy out of this book. This book made me itchy.
Keiko, although she's not explicitly named as autistic, is a very relatable depiction of trying to be autistic in the modern world. She lives by her social scripts and her entire world collapses when she is no longer able to rely on them. When social settings get too nuanced, her careful practice falls apart and she is "exposed" and judged. Whether you view her as autistic or not, she represents people ostracized for not comforming.
The way people look at her is accurate to the autistic experience as well. People pity her, interrogate her, subtly make fun of her, judge her, tsk-tsk and hmm at her. Seriously the scene where she's at a party with her colleagues and they start questioning her and verbally pushing her into a corner made me nauseated. The way they make fun of her under her nose, under the guise of "concern". It's gross and too real.
I did find some things funny, but not in a quirky way. More like absurd and uncomfortable. Like, Keiko's reaction is so accurately autistic but I'm the only one who understands her. Kind of way.
Also, getting stuck with the off-putting incel who's also likely autistic and ostracized is an autistic girl canon event I fear. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her treat him like an object and refuse to give in to his ragebait. But even with the absurdity, there's an uncanny, suffocating feeling. Everyone around her suddenly treats her like a human because she checked off the box of "Successfully Mated". Even though he's toxic, abusive, greasy, and disgusting. At least she found a man!
Such scathing social commentary, set in an eerie, asphyxiating tone. And although it's set in Japan, it's totally relatable as an American as well. I think if you're reading this with offensively quirky Love on the Spectrum music in your head, you're reading it wrong.
Keiko, although she's not explicitly named as autistic, is a very relatable depiction of trying to be autistic in the modern world. She lives by her social scripts and her entire world collapses when she is no longer able to rely on them. When social settings get too nuanced, her careful practice falls apart and she is "exposed" and judged. Whether you view her as autistic or not, she represents people ostracized for not comforming.
The way people look at her is accurate to the autistic experience as well. People pity her, interrogate her, subtly make fun of her, judge her, tsk-tsk and hmm at her. Seriously the scene where she's at a party with her colleagues and they start questioning her and verbally pushing her into a corner made me nauseated. The way they make fun of her under her nose, under the guise of "concern". It's gross and too real.
I did find some things funny, but not in a quirky way. More like absurd and uncomfortable. Like, Keiko's reaction is so accurately autistic but I'm the only one who understands her. Kind of way.
Also, getting stuck with the off-putting incel who's also likely autistic and ostracized is an autistic girl canon event I fear. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her treat him like an object and refuse to give in to his ragebait. But even with the absurdity, there's an uncanny, suffocating feeling. Everyone around her suddenly treats her like a human because she checked off the box of "Successfully Mated". Even though he's toxic, abusive, greasy, and disgusting. At least she found a man!
Such scathing social commentary, set in an eerie, asphyxiating tone. And although it's set in Japan, it's totally relatable as an American as well. I think if you're reading this with offensively quirky Love on the Spectrum music in your head, you're reading it wrong.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism