Convenience Store Woman
By Sayaka Murata
Review by Marija
This is Murata’s 10th novel. It follows Keiko, a 36-year-old virgin with no partner (or interest in one), and a dedicated convenience store worker for 18 years. Murata herself has worked in convenience stores on-and-off for a similar amount of time, so the descriptions of this environment are detailed and precise.
Keiko is on the spectrum and relates to the world around her mainly through imitating it – the voices, accents, clothes. Otherwise, she finds the whole notion of humanity, its behavioural and societal quirks, the social mores, appropriate actions, and its stages – school, work, marriage, house etc. illogical and incomprehensible.
Her job in the Convenience Store gives her purpose, and enjoyment. However, her community at large find her life lacking, something she is very aware of, and tries to bridge.
Despite being a short novel written in an almost deadpan style, Keiko’s character moved me, and I find myself returning to both her fragility and strength in the face of society’s need for conformity, and the possible damage that comes from it.
