Audiobook Review:
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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Aug 172018
 

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Ginny Tapley Takemori – translator
Nancy Wu – Narrator

Audible Audiobook
Listening Length: 3 hours and 21 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Audible.com Release Date: June 12, 2018
Thirty-six-year-old Tokyo resident Keiko Furukara has never fit in, neither in her family, nor in school, but when at the age of eighteen she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of a 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 stores 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 eighteen years. Its almost hard to tell where the store ends and she begins. 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? A brilliant depiction of an unusual psyche and an extraordinary world, Convenience Store Woman is both an ironic and sharp-eyed look at contemporary work culture and the pressures to conform, as well as a charming and completely fresh portrait of an unforgettable heroine.

Thoughts
I first saw this book when Kathy posted her thoughts on it. It sounded different than anything I’ve ever read and she enjoyed it so I thought I’d give it a try.

I loved Keiko. She grew up knowing she was different than other people and felt like she didn’t fit in, even at a young age. When she graduated high school she started working at a convenience store and finally found her place in the world. The routine, order, & sounds of the store made her feel comfortable and capable.  She was the perfect convenience store worker.

The characters are fun to get to know, especially Shiraha, the man she meets at the store who is more of an outcast than she ever thought she was. He has a low opinion of just about everyone, especially women . But Keiko and Shiraha start a relationship of sorts, and that was when her family finally eased up on worrying about her. After all, she was almost 40 yrs. old and had never had a boyfriend. Things were not quite what they thought though.

It was fun learning that cashiers in Japan talk differently to their customers than cashiers in the U.S. One of the things they say is “Your receipt, sir. Thank you for your custom!”. I also liked learning that they greet customers by saying “Irasshaimase”, which means “welcome” or “come in”.

This is a really short read (or in my case, listen) and I definitely enjoyed it. It’s a great choice if you’re in the mood for something different or a quick read.

Counts toward the following challenge:
Audiobook

 Posted by at 2:37 PM

  11 Responses to “Audiobook Review:
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata”

  1. Yvonne says:
    August 17, 2018 at 7:28 PM

    This does sound good. Your review makes me want to check it out.

    Reply
  2. bermudaonion (Kathy) says:
    August 17, 2018 at 8:55 PM

    I’m glad you enjoyed this one too. It was a very different read for me.

    Reply
  3. JoAnn @ Lakeside Musing says:
    August 18, 2018 at 8:51 AM

    Oh, this sounds delightful! I just put it on my library hold list. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Harvee says:
    August 20, 2018 at 7:13 AM

    I’m going to try to find this at the library. Any book set in modern day Japan is interesting to me.

    Reply
  5. Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library says:
    August 21, 2018 at 1:12 PM

    I’m not sure this would have pulled me in just from the blurb though I do love the cover. I like the sound of this one – especially about the differences between the Japanese and US cashiers. It never would have occurred to me that there was a difference.

    Reply
  6. Diane says:
    March 28, 2021 at 2:02 PM

    So happy to read your positive reaction to this one Vicki – the audio was outstanding.

    Reply

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