Keiko grows up in a normal family in a normal suburban residential area. But Keiko is not, what most people would consider normal. She seems to be missing a general sense of what is acceptable behaviour. This causes grief to her family. They worry about how she will cope with life and how she will fit in.
One day, whilst studying at university, Keiko discovers a new convenience store opening. And as it turns out, there is a place where she fits in.
“First we practised the various phrases we needed to use in the store. Standing shoulder to shoulder in a line, our backs straight, we lifted the corners of our mouths to match the smiling face in the training poster and in turn called out the stock welcoming phrase: Irasshaimase! …. It was the first time anyone had ever taught me how to accomplish a normal facial expression and manner of speech.”
To most of us, this would probably be our worst nightmare; a job where all independent initiative is taken away from us, even our choice of facial expression and the phrases we use to greet others. But for Keiko, it is perfect.
Early in life she learned, that the best way to avoid awkward situations was to say as little as possible, copy others and follow orders. In the convenience store, that is exactly the right behaviour and they even train her, how to do it. Soon she becomes an integrated part of the convenience store and the convenience store becomes an integrated part of her.
“My present self is formed almost completely of the people around me. I am currently made up of 30 percent Mrs. Izumi, 30 percent Sugawara, 20 percent the manager, and the rest absorbed from past colleagues such as Sasaki, who left six months ago, and Okasaki, who was our supervisor until a year ago. My speech is especially infected by everyone around me and is currently a mix of that of Mrs. Izumi and Sugawara.”
Convenience Store Woman is a short, quirky read, which offers a continuous stream of social commentary, questioning our insistence on normality and our need to “cure” everyone, who isn’t normal, even if they are coping fine.
“This society hasn’t changed one bit. People who don’t fit into the village are expelled: men who don’t hunt, women who don’t give birth to children. 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.”
“She’s far happier thinking her sister is normal, even if she has a lot of problems, than she is having an abnormal sister for whom everything is fine.”
I find the themes of normality and conformity (also featured in John Wyndham’s Chocky) fascinating. More often than not, Keiko’s views seem to be the rational ones, which makes you wonder, how these old traditional views can still survive in a modern society.
The tone of the story is light, yet the topics are serious. You can’t help smiling and cheering for Keiko, but at the same time feeling unbelievably sad for her. This fine balance is delicately managed by the author.
I love the descriptions of the convenience store as a microcosmos. Murata draws a humorous picture of an efficient ant-like colony, where everyone has a specific, well-defined role and is working to optimise for the community, rather than for the individual. Workers come and go, the daily deal changes, but the convenience store with its rules and values stays the same, much like society itself.
Keiko is the most quirky character, I have come across for a while. You should check her out.
Convenience Store Woman was my second read for the Japanese Literature Challenge 13, which runs through Q1 2020. Check out Dolce Bellezza for further information.
Title: Convenience Store Woman [2016]
Author: Sayaka Murata
Format: eBook
Genre: Japanese Fiction, Contemporary
Lovely review Stargazer. I read and reviewed this book last year, too. I really liked it – and its exposé of Japan’s push for conformity. It’s such a Japanese read, but also applicable more widely too.
Thanks so much! I seem to remember, you have been to Japan? To me it has always appeared to be a fascinating country and I love Japanese design, not to mention the food! Hopefully, there will be a chance to go at a later stage. I am sure you are right about Japan having a stronger push for conformity, but I recognised a lot of things which applied to the Western world as well.
You remember well, stargazer. I’ve been there four times now. I do hope you get there one day. You are right the book can be relevant to the west as well. That general applicability is what make great literature I think isn’t it?
Completely agree about the general applicability. Four times in Japan – sounds like it really is an interesting place. Feel free to let me know if you can recommend any authors from there, I’m keen to pursue more Japanese literature in the future.
I enjoyed your review, Stargazer! I read this one a year or so ago and really enjoyed the quirky characterization and the way the subtle writing of the author too.
Thanks Jennifer, I’m glad you liked it as well! So far I’m really enjoying the writing of the – relatively few – Japanese authors I’ve been reading.
Glad you enjoyed this one! It’s an understated, perceptive little read.
Absolutely! I think it managed to say a lot in relatively few pages.
Great review, I loved the additions you included. It sounds refreshing to read about someone who doesn’t think and act like the rest of the world. It’ll remind us how conditioned we are too.
Thanks! Yes, there were a lot of quote-worthy statements, I had to restrict myself to not quote the whole book! Very refreshing to read about someone a bit different; the tendency of wanting to fit people into certain boxes always annoys me.
Outstanding and insightful review, Stargazer💜
Thanks Jonetta 😀
Sounds excellent! If only we could concentrate more on telling people to find something to do where they feel contented rather than constantly striving for “success”, whatever that is! Like Keiko, I’d much rather be abnormal and happy than normal and miserable…
It was a great read! I completely agree, people should do what makes them happy (as long as it’s not illegal or immoral…). Yup, much better to be abnormal and happy than normal and miserable. But of course, that’s what we would feel about ourselves, would we be able to feel the same about our children or close family members?
You haven’t met my close family, have you? 😉
😂
Great review. This sounds right up my street. I must read it. Thank you.
Thanks, it was a great read!
Excellent review! I like the idea behind this book and how it puts everything we understand of “normalcy” and “conformity” in perspective. Too often it feels like we have been something we’re not to fit in. Definitely something worth checking out. Thanks for sharing! 😀
Thank you! It definitely put a lot of things into perspective and it was great to see the situation from Keiko’s side, not just her surroundings. Mostly, she seemed utterly sensible to me! 😀
Excellent review! I’ve been on the fence about reading it, but I’ll go add it to my list x
Thanks Meggy, it really was an interesting little story.
Great review. I keep thinking that we’re nowhere to departing from these inherited norms of behaviour no matter how much we root and cheer for characters like Arya on screen, the reality is far from existing. Can’t wait to read this, I’ve had my eye on this for a while now!
I hope you’ll enjoy it, Keiko was such a great character! Yes, in reality there are still a lot of expectations to individuals in relation to the norms, although it’s probably more significant in some countries, such as Japan.