Review: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, Ginny Tapley Takemori (Translator)

Summary from Goodreads:

Keiko Furukura had always been considered a strange child, and her parents always worried how she would get on in the real world, so when she takes on a job in a convenience store while at university, they are delighted for her. For her part, in the convenience store she finds a predictable world mandated by the store manual, which dictates how the workers should act and what they should say, and she copies her coworkers’ style of dress and speech patterns so that she can play the part of a normal person. However, eighteen years later, at age 36, she is still in the same job, has never had a boyfriend, and has only few friends. She feels comfortable in her life, but is aware that she is not living up to society’s expectations and causing her family to worry about her. When a similarly alienated but cynical and bitter young man comes to work in the store, he will upset Keiko’s contented stasis—but will it be for the better?


Sayaka Murata brilliantly captures the atmosphere of the familiar convenience store that is so much part of life in Japan. With some laugh-out-loud moments prompted by the disconnect between Keiko’s thoughts and those of the people around her, she provides a sharp look at Japanese society and the pressure to conform, as well as penetrating insights into the female mind. Convenience Store Woman is a fresh, charming portrait of an unforgettable heroine that recalls Banana Yoshimoto, Han Kang, and Amélie.

My Review:


What I Liked:

Writing. I don't know how much was changes from the original text to the English translation but I found myself enjoying Murata's writing style. 

Character. The main character, Keiko, who does not understand social interactions and mimics those around her. It was so interesting to read solely from her point of view as she deals with the normal people around her. She is constantly trying to please people around her while no understanding why they are upset.

Main Message. I found the commentary about society's expectations was well developed and added to the main story. The author used the main character and lack of understanding society and human interactions to expose how society puts pressure on people to conform to their ideals. 

Plot. Murata has created a unique short novel that tackles important issues and makes the reader think. It has a strange plot with an even stranger main character but it was a still intriguing read that kept invested in the novel until the end. 

What I Disliked:

Length/Plot. I found the main plot to be okay, it was interesting and very metaphorical but at sometimes it was confusing. After the first half of the novel I felt that the plot went all over the place. 

Ending. The last handful of pages and the conclusion were okay but I felt they were a bit rushed and unsatisfying. I got the main message but would have enjoyed more fleshed out conclusion. 

I recommend checking out this strange novel, it was short but worth the read.

My Rating:

4 Stars Out of 5 Stars