Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Convenience Store Woman manages to be both adorable and absurd and seriously addictive.
It's the perfect quick read that'll keep you uncontrollably smiling, painfully laughing and more times than one filled with disbelief and maybe even a little horror too.
This refreshing little novel follows the life of thirty six year old Keiko, who’s never had a boyfriend and only ever worked at the same convenience store for 18 years of her life. You'll be sure to fall in love with her quirky personality, as she helplessly drowns in society's expectations and is confronted by everything a woman of her age “should” be. Her parents are after her to get a proper job, her friends desperately want her to get married, and as for Keiko…well she's perfectly happy living in the world of her convenience store! A world in which she's as much a part of the magazine racks and food displays as they are a part of her.
As strange and as peculiar as this novel sounds; it truly is a gem. A book you'll be begging others to read, just so you can discuss how weird and wonderful it really is.
Reviewed by Vindhya Kathuria