Audiobook Review – Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, Narrated by Nancy Wu (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 3 hours and 21 minutes
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Release Date: June 12, 2018
ASIN: B07BC4YRJR
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed Audiobook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Tokyo resident Keiko Furukara has never fit in – neither in her family, nor in school – but when at the age of 18 she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of national convenience store chain Smile Mart, she realizes instantly that she has found her purpose in life. Delighted to be able to exist in a place where the rules of social interaction are crystal clear (many are laid out line-by-line in the store’s manual), Keiko does her best to copy the dress, mannerisms, and mode of speech of her colleagues, playing the part of a “normal” person excellently, more or less.
Keiko is the perfect employee – never late, always worrying about how to maximize sales, brilliantly conscientious, and highly energetic. Managers come and go but Keiko remains at the store for 18 years. It’s almost hard to tell where the store ends and she begins. At 36, Keiko is very happy in her life, but the people close to her, from her family to her coworkers, pressure her to settle down with a man and to find a proper profession. Eventually, she is pushed to make a huge change. The static world of Keiko is upended – but will it be for the better?”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on audiobook from the library.
Thoughts: This was a fun and quick listen (I listened to it on audiobook). I enjoyed how it looks at someone who doesn’t fit in mentally with general society and how she manages to find a place for herself despite this. She is constantly struggling against society’s expectations of how she should be “normal” and work to fix herself.
This story follows Keiko. You glean from the story that she is severely autistic and just doesn’t fit into society very well. Although she graduates with a degree she finds herself most comfortable within the rules and bounds of a convenience store. She is very, very good at her work and takes a lot of joy in it. Unfortunately, her family and friends are constantly trying to “fix” her and she wants to make them happy so she embarks on an experiment to be more “normal”.
This was intriguing and well done. I really enjoyed how it drives home the point that society should let people do what they are good at and what makes them happy (when it is as innocuous as working at a convenience store). Everyone is different and should be allowed to live the life that suits them without striving to meet others expectations.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. It is a fun and quick story about a woman who just doesn’t fit in with normal society but is able to make a home/life for herself anyway. I would recommend this if you are intrigued by autism and/or those who don’t fit in with social norms. It was a thought-provoking, if simple read.
