bookishhoard reviewed Convenience Store Woman by 村田沙耶香
Unputdownable
5 stars
I loved this book so much!
176 pages
English language
Published Nov. 26, 2019 by Granta Books.
Convenience Store Woman
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 …
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?
Peter Boot reviewed Buurtsupermens by 村田沙耶香
Innemend maar voorspelbaar
3 stars
Het label wordt in het boek niet gebruikt, maar de hoofdpersoon van het boek (Keiko) is behoorlijk autistisch. Ze kan functioneren als medewerker van een buurtsuper, want daar gelden er heldere regels en weet ze precies wat er van haar wordt verwacht. Buiten de winkel met mensen omgaan is niet zo makkelijk. Je gaat met haar sympathiseren omdat de eisen die familie en vrienden aan haar stellen op een andere manier zo vreselijk voorspelbaar zijn: zoek een betere baan, trouw en krijg kinderen. Omdat haar omgeving zo onverdraagzaam is en haar niet accepteert, wordt ze een rebel. Maar eigenlijk leidt ze een nogal tragisch leven. Het boek is wel innemend, maar ik vind de manier waarop met de tragiek van Keiko's leven wordt omgesprongen een beetje luchthartig. Ze is teveel een typetje, te aaibaar, te voorspelbaar.
Het label wordt in het boek niet gebruikt, maar de hoofdpersoon van het boek (Keiko) is behoorlijk autistisch. Ze kan functioneren als medewerker van een buurtsuper, want daar gelden er heldere regels en weet ze precies wat er van haar wordt verwacht. Buiten de winkel met mensen omgaan is niet zo makkelijk. Je gaat met haar sympathiseren omdat de eisen die familie en vrienden aan haar stellen op een andere manier zo vreselijk voorspelbaar zijn: zoek een betere baan, trouw en krijg kinderen. Omdat haar omgeving zo onverdraagzaam is en haar niet accepteert, wordt ze een rebel. Maar eigenlijk leidt ze een nogal tragisch leven. Het boek is wel innemend, maar ik vind de manier waarop met de tragiek van Keiko's leven wordt omgesprongen een beetje luchthartig. Ze is teveel een typetje, te aaibaar, te voorspelbaar.
Leyssandra reviewed Convenience Store Woman by Ginny Tapley Takemori
None
4 stars
I can relate to Keiko; struggling to navigate through society's view of life, untangling the unwritten rules of human interaction, and trying to understand why people have such disdain for some jobs and praise for often simpler ones.
I can relate to Keiko; struggling to navigate through society's view of life, untangling the unwritten rules of human interaction, and trying to understand why people have such disdain for some jobs and praise for often simpler ones.
Jens reviewed Convenience Store Woman by Ginny Tapley Takemori
Review of 'Convenience Store Woman' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Uneventful in the first half, overly in-your face in the second, and overall just depressing, this book unfortunately didn’t do much for me.
ianatxt reviewed Convenience Store Woman by Ginny Tapley Takemori
Review of 'Convenience Store Woman' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Officially now one of my favorite books. What a journey. I love how simple and mundane everything is in this, and yet how magical Sayaka Murata makes it. It's beyond words really. The story of a somewhat out-of-place, late-thirties woman working in a convenience store and simply not following society's expectations--not because she knows better, not out of spite, not because of a grand plan, but because she simply doesn't care and she's living her life just how she likes it--and leaving everyone STUNNED. What an absolute thrill and delight. What amazing "antagonists" we have in this. What an amazing mind in the protagonist. Absolutely love love love.
Officially now one of my favorite books. What a journey. I love how simple and mundane everything is in this, and yet how magical Sayaka Murata makes it. It's beyond words really. The story of a somewhat out-of-place, late-thirties woman working in a convenience store and simply not following society's expectations--not because she knows better, not out of spite, not because of a grand plan, but because she simply doesn't care and she's living her life just how she likes it--and leaving everyone STUNNED. What an absolute thrill and delight. What amazing "antagonists" we have in this. What an amazing mind in the protagonist. Absolutely love love love.
aetheras reviewed Convenience Store Woman by Ginny Tapley Takemori
Review of 'Convenience Store Woman' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
i will definitely be re-reading this, i loved every minute of it.
