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Convenience Store Woman
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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 societys 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 Keikos contented stasisbut 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 Keikos 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 Amlie.
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kelli7990
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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I‘m sharing some book recommendations about weird girls. I‘ve always thought I was weird and awkward because I‘m Autistic and I‘ve been Autistic my whole life. I used to be a member of an app called MeetMe and a guy that I was chatting with on there told me that I‘m weird and my response was,”A lot of people are weird.” And he said,” I know that.”

https://fable.co/blog/weird-girl-book-recommendations

kelli7990 After that guy told me that I‘m weird, I‘ve tried to not be weird but I don‘t think I can stop because it‘s the Autism that makes me act weird. I can‘t help it. Anyway, the only book I‘ve read from this list is Convenience Store Woman and it has a single Autistic woman. I enjoyed the book. I saw myself in her. I don‘t have a job but I could still relate to her. (edited) 2mo
21 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Mehso-so

This was an odd little book, but I think I liked it. It‘s a fascinating exploration of neurodivergence, societal expectations, and what makes a good life—although the narrator is often frustrating to read. I was also frustrated by a rushed and underdeveloped ending, especially because at just over 160 pages, there certainly was space to flesh out the conclusion a bit more. ⤵️

BarbaraJean Also: it was interesting to read this not long after having read Butter, which also focuses on the limitations and expectations Japanese society places on women—but in very different ways. 4mo
35 likes1 comment
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TheBookgeekFrau
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So cute!! 🩷🩵🤍 8mo
Eggs Great choice 👏🏻 8mo
36 likes2 comments
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Billypar
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

One of my very favorite kinds of character-driven novels. Murata's title character describes her difficulty relating to other people and how her work in a convenience store became a sort of salvation for her. Many novels would lead someone like this towards making some kind of first-time human connection, but Murata shows how much more interesting it can be to get to know this person instead of portraying her lifestyle as a problem to solve.

Cathythoughts Great review. I recently read and enjoyed this one. I‘d like to read more by this writer 👍🏻❤️ 8mo
batsy Great point about presenting her as a problem to solve. That's what made this unique. She also resists the "redemption" angle. 8mo
Billypar @Cathythoughts Yeah, this was my first of hers, but I definitely want to read more. 8mo
See All 9 Comments
Billypar @batsy Yeah, I love how it's free of all the usual tropes. And how many literary novels are out there where the lead is truly self-fulfilled right from the start? 8mo
Aimeesue Nice review. I‘ve had this on my Kindle for a while and will have to move it up - so tired of every MC seen as needing to be “fixed.” Currently reading Sherry Thomas‘ Sherlockian series, starting with A Study in Scarlet Women, which has a similar MC. Brilliant, really. Shouldn‘t feel revolutionary, yet somehow it does. 8mo
Billypar @Aimeesue I haven't read that series, but the Sherlock character in central is a good parallel to Murata's Keiko since both are bewildered by societal norms but follow their own passion and unique skill set with great success. No disrespect to Dostoevsky, but this would be the exact sort of novel I would want after Brothers Karamazov: a quick read with a narrow first-person perspective. 8mo
Reggie Awww I felt so bad for her when she couldn‘t hear the store anymore. I loved this book. 8mo
Aimeesue @Billypar Ha! I‘m gonna need a brain relaxing book after TBK! Single perspective would be great after all the chaos. 8mo
Billypar @Reggie I remember your glowing review, and it's stuck in my mind as one I needed to try ever since. So thanks for that! 8mo
51 likes9 comments
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TalesandTexts
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

There is art, science and soul that goes into running a convenience store.

Keiko is a loveable - albeit frustrating - character. You root for her, but can‘t help being annoyed with her for some of the whacky decisions she takes.

Shiraha - the resident incel - really gets on your nerves.

This book was a powerful introduction into the way patriarchy functions and expresses itself in Japan.

Both the translation and narration were great.

Cathythoughts Nice review. I really enjoyed this book. 👍🏻 8mo
29 likes2 comments
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shantireads11
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Heartwarming, relatable, beautifully written and translated. Always love a book that changes my perspective of the world… and this one did so in under 200 pages! #onedayread #mycupoftea

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Cathythoughts
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

A short , quirky book that I couldn‘t put down once I started it. A real snapshot of a real life .. I loved our mc .. It‘s one I‘ll be thinking about.

TheBookgeekFrau I still think about it. So quirky, and yet so good. 9mo
Cathythoughts @TheBookgeekFrau Yes indeed. It‘s one to remember 👍🏻❤️ 9mo
batsy Glad you liked it, Cathy! So true @TheBookgeekFrau it's a book that I can't forget. 9mo
Cathythoughts @batsy Such a good book. I won‘t forget it either. X 9mo
66 likes4 comments
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anushareflects
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

A quirky tale of a woman whose life‘s mission and purpose is to be a convenience store worker. An indictment of Japanese (and Asian) cultures which value marriage and motherhood over career for women; and only ever particular types of careers over others. A strange and phenomenal tale of being yourself against all odds and against society‘s harsh judgments. Performance on audible is truly fantastic. A memorable read!

SamAnne A beautiful book that packs a lot into a short novel. 9mo
anushareflects @SamAnne completely agree! 9mo
9 likes2 comments
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aimee23
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

1/12. Amazing how it shows us that no matter how monotonous one‘s life is, it‘s important because it gives your days structure. I really enjoyed this book! Such an easy read. Also, it‘s a bonus that I love Japan and been there twice already, so the convenience store life there is something that I have experienced. It also spoke to me that it‘s ok to not follow societal norms. Bought at 1/6/24 ❤️

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TheBookgeekFrau
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

@TieDyeDude - here are my thoughts on this book

A bizarre little book, but damn, I really rather liked it.

At its heart it's saying it's ok to march to the beat of your own drummer. It's about the feeling of peace when finding where you fit and finally being able to say, 'This is who I am and I'm good with that.'

4/62
#BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

#MountTBR #ReadAway2024 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

DieAReader 🥳Great! (edited) 10mo
CoffeeNBooks I kind of felt the same way about this book! 10mo
TheBookgeekFrau @CoffeeNBooks It was such a perfect book at the perfect time and offered up a quiet calming place for me to escape to 10mo
bthegood Glad you enjoyed it - similar feelings as you when I read it - 🙂 10mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 10mo
45 likes5 comments
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TheBookgeekFrau
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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"A convenience store is a world of sound."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

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TheBookgeekFrau
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Next up

KadaGul @TheBookgeekFrau I started to read this book 📖 for Library Challenge. But u couldn't finish. It went sooooo slow. Like if this book 📖 was in a race w/ a snail 🐌 , Snail 🐌 will be a winner 🏆 for sure #SNOOZEFEST #BAIL #CNF 10mo
TheBookgeekFrau @KadaGul I can see your point. But I'm actually enjoying the MC's mindfulness and appreciation of her job. It's exactly the kind of read I need right now. 10mo
TieDyeDude I'm interested in what you think. I enjoyed it, but it was strange. 10mo
TheBookgeekFrau @TieDyeDude It is strange lol - I'm not disliking so far, so we'll see 😁 10mo
54 likes4 comments
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stimmlos
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
Pickpick

interesting concept, quick read, unlikeable characters done in an enjoyable way

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TugstenDragon
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

This is kinda of a boring book at first, but the more you start thinking about it, the more interesting I think it is. There has been multiple times in my everyday life where I feel like I am confronted by themes and messages in the book, it‘s been pretty eye opening.

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lumbricuslibri
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

🤯 OH MY GODS I love this. 😂

dabbe Look at da sleepy kitty! 🖤🐾🖤 1y
60 likes1 comment
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MysticFaerie
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

4⭐️/5⭐️

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Acoleman
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
Pickpick

This was a quirky and sweet little novel.

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ReadingOver50
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

A really cute novella following the life of Keiko and she works at the Smile Mart near her home. Everyone thinks she is weird because she is 36 and unmarried.

This is a story of how Keiko tried to fit in, but eventually learns how to live as she pleases. It was sad how Keiko knows she doesn't fit in, but doesn't exactly know why. Her personality is just different from the norm, and society has a hard time accepting this. I enjoyed reading this.

109 likes1 stack add
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Scochrane26
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

I didn‘t read this when it was first released. Now, I‘m pretty sure I‘m going on a trip to Japan in 2025, which is a place I never thought I would go, but I always want to travel if I have an opportunity. I listened to a podcast (Strong Sense of Place) about Japan, & this book was recommended.
I loved this book, did the audio version. I kept rooting for the MC to keep working at the store & ignore all the traditional roles.

SamAnne Loved this book as well. My parents lived in Japan in the 60s before I was born. I‘ve always wanted to travel there. 1y
36 likes1 comment
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TieDyeDude
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Mehso-so

This is tough to rate. The story overall was good. A middle aged woman just wants to be left alone living her life as a low-level convenience store worker, but her community keeps trying to force her to wed or get a "real" job. There were a few points, though, where it got weird. Like when she imagines killing a crying baby to keep it quiet. I could almost see this adapted as a very quiet, slow burn monster movie. Very strange, but well written

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ju.ca.no
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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I have enjoyed this one a lot! I found the main character very likable and felt sorry for her and and angry with everyone else for the way they treated her. It‘s about Keiko, who has been working in a convenience store every since school and absolutely loves it. There she understands how to behave, how to act, while outside the store‘s manual she doesn‘t know how to be „normal“ (as everone else calls it). 5/5🌟

SamAnne I loved this one! 2y
ju.ca.no @SamAnne it was so good!! 2y
SamAnne @ju.ca.no I now want to read more women Japanese authors. I can‘t bear Murakami. 2y
See All 7 Comments
ju.ca.no @SamAnne oh I love Murakami🙊 but I also loved: Hiromi Kawakami or Banana Yoshimoto :) and I‘ve just started (and am liking it so far): (edited) 2y
E.Bolhafner That sounds so good! 2y
ju.ca.no @E.Bolhafner it‘s a really quick and compelling read! 2y
BiblioLitten I loved this one! 2y
73 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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ju.ca.no
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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The next one of the way too many books I have ordered before book depository closed down has arrived🥰 and I‘m starting it right away🫶🏽 I had my eyes on this one for so long!

SamAnne Loved it! 2y
Megabooks Loved this! 2y
65 likes2 comments
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booksandsympathy
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
Mehso-so

There were definitely some things I enjoyed about this book. I liked the main character and the commentary about society and the way it looks at people who are different. Also how it looks at retail workers. I was annoyed with everyone else in the book and the main character's "solution" to how to fit in better was horrible. I'm glad she decided to stay true to herself in the end. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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Moll
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
Pickpick

I loved this; I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did to be honest! Keiko is such a lush character - I really valued getting a little insight into her brain & she is the most perfect convenience store woman

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booksandsympathy
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Started this audiobook on my way to work this morning. I already recognize certain things from my time in retail. Some things are universal.

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TheEllieMo
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!

#ABookADay2023

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readers_attic
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

Life has a manual & it's engrained in all our brains. But if we choose not to follow those instructions & decide to lead life on your own terms you become "abnormal". Story of such an abnormal lady.

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JacintaMCarter
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

#2023Book3
I really got into this story and my heart broke for the main female character. But I was furious at the main male character and the other characters who encouraged his behavior. I know this story is fiction, but the way he treated her felt way too real to life.

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Night_Reader
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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$1.89 on Kindle! What a bargain!!! Grab it if you have a Kindle! Great book.

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Kazzie
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
Pickpick

What a strange book! I was so delighted by the ending - she shook of the nasty lazy man and lived her truth!

8 likes1 stack add
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Lieh
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
Mehso-so

I did not dislike this book.

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Bookworm54
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

This was a quick read about a 36 yr old woman, who has been working in a convenience store for 18 years. Friends and family begin to worry because she is in a part time job, isn‘t married, and hasn‘t even dated.

Overall I enjoyed this, despite not really liking any characters! I have a lot of jumbled thoughts I won‘t bore you with 😂
I think the main message for me is living the life you want even if it doesn‘t fit with societal norms.

Bookworm54 I think you sent me this book @Mrs_B ? I‘m so behind on my tbr I am losing track 😂 2y
Mrs_B @Bookworm54 possibly. I‘m glad you liked it! 2y
50 likes2 comments
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ChaoticMissAdventures
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

#WomenInTranslation
An interesting look at societal norms and how one woman tries to fit in and what she would lose and gain.
The overall writing was a bit too sparse for me, and I had some anxiety with her new friend but I appreciate how the book takes on expectations.

28 likes1 stack add
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ChaoticMissAdventures
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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#lettergame #letterC @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

One of the many books I am reading this month for Women in Translation, I just started today and am already in love with the writing.

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underground_bks
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

This brief, quirky, and potent novella about a woman who doesn‘t fit in anywhere but at the convenience store she‘s worked part time at for 18 years had me alternately laughing, cringing, and cheering, and ultimately left me reflecting on how radical it is to live authentically and the beauty of the vast array of ways living authentically can look like.

31 likes1 stack add
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Booksbymybed
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

I loved this story of an unconventional life, honest choices and ultimate belonging. It was absolutely charming.

melissajayne Read it a couple years ago and loved it as well. 2y
19 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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tjwill
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

Keiko Furukura has never felt like she fit in, except in her job as a convenience store worker. In the store, she knows the cues and feels the rhythm. In all other aspects of life, she just does what she thinks people expect of her. This is a quick read that makes human interaction into a satire.

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Jilly6183
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

I lived in Japan for 2 years so I am very familiar with the “konbini” and it made me homesick (if you can be homesick for a place you only lived briefly). Anyway, I loved this little novella about finding where you belong despite societal expectation.

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AbstractMonica
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

This was a unique, little story of Keiko Furukura- A woman who worked at a convenience store for over 18 years, only to appear as a functioning member of society. It was an interesting and quirky read that I devoured in one sitting.

18 likes1 stack add
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AbstractMonica
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Diving right into this short novel I picked up at B&N today :)

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she.hearts.horror
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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🥳🥳🥳

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she.hearts.horror
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

So much said using so little. 🖤🖤🖤🖤

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unreal
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

A great short book about the pressure to conform and self-discovery and having the strength to choose what makes you happy.

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mija333
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

As a 35 year old unmarried woman with no children I felt a deep sense of connection with Keiko. Repelling against all of society‘s expectations of us. And not by choice. For me, no matter how hard I tried I could never find a partner. Now of course I am too old. It is too late for her and for me.

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mija333
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata

She‘s far happier thinking her sister is normal, even if she has a lot of problems, than she is having an abnormal sister for whom everything is fine.

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mija333
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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It is the start of another day, the time when the world wakes up and the cogs of society begin to move. I am one of those cogs, going round and round.

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Sydneypaige
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
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Pickpick

As a commentary on work culture, relationships, and capitalist society as a whole, this is brilliant. The characters felt uncomfortable to me at times and cringy, but I imagine that‘s intentional by the author to support the commentary. Main character is brilliant and aware and so literal it hurt sometimes but I still adored her!

19 likes1 stack add