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smalltimereadsConvenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata was published by Grove Atlantic.
What a weird, wonderful book.
Murata does such an excellent job at describing the life of a convenience store- all the little considerations, the sounds, the rhythms. Keiko takes her job seriously, and she loves it and it gives her a purpose in life. But, unfortunately, we live in a society.
I've only read Earthlings and Convenience Store Woman by Murata, but I wonder whether the rest of her stories have the same themes of alienation from society, of people who just want to exist but are constantly under pressure and scrutiny from family and friends and strangers.
Where Earthlings' distance from society was upsetting, here it's matter of fact and almost joyous. The ending felt triumphant.
The copy I have has several reviews describe the book as "unsettling," and I wonder- is what they found unsettling Keiko's distanced views of the world? Or how she feels pressured to conform despite being happy in her place in life? Or is in Shiraha, in which case, fair. Shiraha is garbage, despite holding similar views to Keiko.
Also, Ginny Tapley Takemori once again nails the translation.
What a weird, wonderful book.
Murata does such an excellent job at describing the life of a convenience store- all the little considerations, the sounds, the rhythms. Keiko takes her job seriously, and she loves it and it gives her a purpose in life. But, unfortunately, we live in a society.
I've only read Earthlings and Convenience Store Woman by Murata, but I wonder whether the rest of her stories have the same themes of alienation from society, of people who just want to exist but are constantly under pressure and scrutiny from family and friends and strangers.
Where Earthlings' distance from society was upsetting, here it's matter of fact and almost joyous. The ending felt triumphant.
The copy I have has several reviews describe the book as "unsettling," and I wonder- is what they found unsettling Keiko's distanced views of the world? Or how she feels pressured to conform despite being happy in her place in life? Or is in Shiraha, in which case, fair. Shiraha is garbage, despite holding similar views to Keiko.
Also, Ginny Tapley Takemori once again nails the translation.
