Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
“I caught sight of myself reflected in the window of the convenience store I'd just come out of. My hands, my feet—they existed only for the store! For the first time, I could think of the me in the window as a being with meaning."
Synopsis
“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?” - Via Goodreads
Review
I heard good things about the novel but ended up reading Earthlings first. Similar ideas run through both narratives, and Murata focuses heavily on the theme of society versus the individual. Although Earthlings takes a more gruesome twist, Convenience Store Woman focuses on a 36-year old convenience store worker’s everyday life and actions. The protagonist, Keiko, has worked at the same convenience store since she was 18. The shop allows her to feel valued and needed as she doesn't seem to fit in anywhere else within the bounds of society. Although Keiko loves working at the convenience store, her community looks down on her for being a woman in her 30’s with no children, no husband, and no "real" job. In this sense, Keiko rebels against the tenets of her community, even when it appears she wants to fit in with friends and family.
There are significant hints that Keiko has autism or is at least somewhere on the spectrum. It becomes clear that Keiko mimics the expressions of her coworkers to match certain situations; her sister even provides advice about appropriate ways to speak with friends. Essentially, Keiko doesn't see the world in the same way that the people around her do, and the convenience store becomes a safe space she knows how to navigate well. There are several layers to consider when reading the story, but I think Keiko's experiences add perspective to a conversation concerning society versus the individual.
I enjoyed reading about Keiko and how practical she is (which is sometimes comical). In some sense, she does try to fit in, but this is mostly for convenience and only seems she's going through the motions of what's expected of her. For some, the story may be dull, and the ending may not have a hard-hitting revelation, but a change does occur in Keiko. Toward the end, Keiko begins to take ownership over herself and her decisions in a way she hadn’t previously. I think it’s also important to keep Keiko’s personality in mind when thinking about the character’s struggles and any developments made by the end. Overall, I loved the book, and I recommend picking it up!