Keiko 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 “Smile Mart,” she finds peace and purpose in her life. In the store, unlike anywhere else, she understands the rules of social interaction―many are laid out line by line in the store’s manual―and she does her best to copy the dress, mannerisms, and speech of her colleagues, playing the part of a “normal” person excellently, more or less. Keiko is very happy, but the people close to her, from her family to her coworkers, increasingly pressure her to find a husband, and to start a proper career, prompting her to take desperate action…
A brilliant depiction of a world hidden from view, Convenience Store Woman is an ironic and sharp-eyed look at contemporary work culture and the pressures we all feel to conform, as well as a charming and completely fresh portrait of an unforgettable heroine.
Have you ever wondered if your sole purpose in life is to work in a convenience store? Well, wonder no more, because this book will answer that exact question.
Meet Keiko – a most likely asexual, possibly aromantic, and definitely neurodivergent 36-year-old woman who has worked for 18 years in the same convenience store. Her entire life is modelled around being the ideal employee.
“As long as you wear the skin of what’s considered an ordinary person and follow the manual, you won’t be driven out of the village or treated as a burden.”
― Sayaka Murata, Convenience Store Woman.
When Keiko first starts working at Smile Mart, she says it’s the first time anyone ever taught her how to be “normal” (within the confines of the store that is). Keiko thrives in structure and predictability and in being told what to do. She knows that working at a convenience store isn’t what most people would call a successful career, but it makes her happy.
The crux of the story is that, regardless of Keiko being content with her life and its mundanity, the people around her are not — constantly hinting that she needs to be “cured” or become “normal.” I think this is great commentary on how society is always pushing us to “progress.” To find the next best thing. Nobody in the story can seem to understand that Keiko is perfectly fine being who she is — marriage-less, childless, and working a dead-end job.
“Anyone who devotes their life to fighting society in order to be free must be pretty sincere about suffering.”
― Sayaka Murata, Convenience Store Woman.
People are so closed off to the idea that other people (re: Keiko) can want a different path from what is considered conventional, that even she begins to wonder, “maybe something is wrong with me.” This is what ultimately leads her to offering to live with one of the most insufferable men you’ll ever read about — Shiraha. Beloved, this is fake dating like you’ve never seen it before.
Insanely enough, despite being a creep, a deadbeat, and a leech, everyone seems more comfortable seeing Keiko with him than seeing her alone. Even those who can’t stand him. It’s absurd, but it’s – again – great commentary on how society encourages conformity even when it’s clearly harmful. As Shiraha himself (ironically) puts it, society has a way of “punishing foreign objects.”
“The normal world has no room for exceptions and always quietly eliminates foreign objects. Anyone who is lacking is disposed of.”
― Sayaka Murata, Convenience Store Woman.
Beloved, believe me when I say Shiraha has zero redeeming qualities. He is greedy, lazy, entitled, and not even handsome. Yet everyone prefers the illusion of normalcy over Keiko’s actually happiness.
Towards the end, Keiko loses her head a bit. She quits her job at the convenience store under Shiraha’s pestering to get a better job (so he can continue leeching off her) and much to everyone’s relief — since they all think she should be “moving ahead.” But stepping away from the store makes Keiko deeply unhappy.
Fortunately for everyone involved the book doesn’t linger too long on this arc. Her realisation that she belongs in a convenience store happens quick fast in a hurry (s/o to Nkateko for teaching me this phrase). Keiko finds herself in another store by the end of the book and though it doesn’t explicitly say this, I can only hope she parts ways with Shiraha and never speaks to him again.
“Maybe people who thought they were being violated felt a bit better when they attacked other people in the same way.”
― Sayaka Murata, Convenience Store Woman.
In its own weird, short way, Convenience Store Woman insists that it’s alright not to conform, to find meaning in what others dismiss as unconventional. Life doesn’t always have to be about “progression” and “the next best thing.” It cemened that there’s more than one script for how to live a content life.
Personally, I think the message was great, though the execution left something to be desired. The story is told from Keiko’s perspective, which means the writing mirrors her dry, matter-of-fact, detached approach to life. It works beautifully for characterisation but less so for engagement.
Also, despite the title, I was still baffled by how much of this book actually revolved around working at a convenience store. It kind of dragged the pacing for me. Still, it’s an interesting little book to add to your TBR — especially if you’re looking for a short read to finish in one afternoon. (I did not finish it in one afternoon.) 2.5/5 stars.
“For all we talk about modern society and individualism, anyone who doesn’t try to fit in can expect to be meddled with, coerced, and ultimately banished from the village.”
― Sayaka Murata, Convenience Store Woman
