Convenience Store Woman

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Murata, Sayaka, Adult Book / Fiction / General / Murata, Sayaka
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Murata, Sayaka	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Murata, Sayaka	4-week checkout	Reshelving
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / General / Murata, Sayaka	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / General / Murata, Sayaka	4-week checkout	Due 07-12-2025
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / General / Murata, Sayaka	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / General / Murata, Sayaka	4-week checkout	Due 07-15-2025

"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 ." -- (Source of summary not specified)

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

one of my favorite books of 2018 submitted by spostjacobs on June 27, 2018, 10:31am Convenience Store Woman asks the perennial question of what constitutes a happy & fulfilling life (and who gets to decide) in interesting ways. The main character Keiko Furukura has been working in the same convenience store for 18 years, since she was a university student. Social interactions have always confused Keiko, and the routine that is part of her job gives her a sense of purpose. Her status as an unmarried, childless woman with a non-career track job has begun to make her family & friends feel as though they need to "fix" her (we can all guess their recommended "remedies). This tension allows author Sayaka Murata to critique societal conformance, but the novel never feels weighted down. Murata perfectly evokes the neon comfort of the convenience store and the self-contained world of working in any corporate store.

Slim and sly, a great read! submitted by Lucy S on July 3, 2018, 10:24am Keiko seems rigid and set in her ways to say the least, but is actually incredibly perceptive about other people. 18 years of carefully observing the habits and patterns of customers in a convenience store has given her an ability to read people. As Keiko lacks subtlety, the story she tells in this slim book is funny and sly, a subversive look at the expectations for women of a certain age and the unquestioned conventions of society.

Fun provocative read submitted by greenjen on July 14, 2019, 2:33pm This book was such a delight to find- immediately connecting us with our unconventional heroine who understands the logic of the world from her encounters with it - without the lens or desire for social approbation- except in the comforting construct of the convenience store. We’re all amalgamations of the people we encounter who influence us- but Furukura keeps a conscious running tally for us that is at once clever and reflective.

Such a fun, clever read that makes me miss Tokyo! submitted by mayapasini on February 15, 2021, 4:28pm This book was so funny and witty and was such a great critique of society's expectation on both men and women. It was a quick, light read which was nice. Also, book makes me miss Japanese convenience stores and their delicious food so much. The heroine is super relatable and her inquisitive but sardonic thought process was amazing. 5/5!

Simply wonderful submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 18, 2021, 10:13pm What a wonderful story. This translated Japanese story is about a woman who has broken with cultural norms by remaining single and working part-time in a convenience store. Her life suits her perfectly, but she is aware that others judge her for it, and she happens onto what appears, to her logic, to be a perfect solution. Quirky hijinks ensue.

Though the author never describes the narrator as autistic, her thoughts, reasoning, feelings, and explanations fit incredibly well with things I read from women who are #ActuallyAutistic, and while no single experience can ever describe a whole group’s experience, this book strikes me as a wonderful view into that world. Highly, highly recommended. (I listened to the audiobook, and while the narrator’s voice was a bit high pitched and took getting used to, she read wonderfully and did an excellent job with the text.)

A delight submitted by avandeusen on July 17, 2021, 10:49am I wish this book would get a little more attention because it is worth many people reading it. Murata really knows how to develop a setting and make the reader feel they are living in it with the characters.

Great literary book but terrible casual reading book submitted by mintaroni on June 27, 2022, 12:11pm The writing was so good I wanted to like it more, but ultimately it fell flat for me. It definitely made me feel and think which was the point I'm sure, but I felt so confined and unhappy by the end I could not recommend it to anyone. Great for literary analysis, but terrible for a pleasure read.

odd, but endearing submitted by svenetianer on August 28, 2022, 11:53pm I've found that people either love this book or hate it. I loved it.

Quirky and quick read submitted by Ann H Kim on June 26, 2023, 5:55pm I've been intrigued by the charming cover for a long time and finally read this slim volume. The main character is quirky but sweet, and I found the whole convenience store setting oddly fascinating.

a quick and charming read submitted by hrgray on July 25, 2023, 10:50pm Short enough to read in an afternoon, and provides a super interesting perspective on modern life in Japan. It also makes me miss Japanese convenience stores!

Charming submitted by booksandhibernation on August 16, 2024, 3:21pm I have an interesting love-hate relationship with Japanese fiction. The pattern seems to be that I find male author written books include too many female characters that feel like adornments or sexual objects, and the books written by female authors (like this one) witty and smart!

Good for book clubs submitted by Mtadams on June 18, 2025, 3:11pm This was an interesting book that lead to good conversation during a book club