Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata and narrated by Nancy Wu.

Listening time for Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is 3 hours, 21 minutes.

I've heard a lot of buzz surrounding Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, so I decided to give this novel a listen. I am glad I gave this novel a try as it was surprising good! I enjoyed the storyline and main character, Keiko, for Convenience Store Woman. It's an interesting novel that examines the notion of what it means to fit into society, what it means to be normal, along with examining traditional gender and societal stereotypes about relationships, etc. Convenience Store Woman is a novel that definitely makes you think about what it means to "fit in" and feel a sense of "belonging" within one's culture/community. 

Also, I found Nancy Wu to be a good narrator.

Below is the plot summary for Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata from Amazon:

The English-language debut of one of Japan’s most talented contemporary writers, selling over 650,000 copies there, Convenience Store Woman is the heartwarming and surprising story of thirty-six-year-old Tokyo resident Keiko Furukura. 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. Managers come and go, but Keiko stays at the store for eighteen years. It’s almost hard to tell where the store ends and she begins. 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 an unusual psyche and a world hidden from view, Convenience Store Woman is 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.

I am giving Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy ready!!