Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata - a small rant and review

hello again dear reader! It's been a while since i last posted a blog about books I've read and I'm glad to finally do some again! The book of the time is Convenience Store Woman written by the japanese author Sayaka Murata [another title of hers is Earthlings: A Novel, which is on my reading list hehe]

Simple description of the book [spoilers free]

It flows around the protagonist, Keiko Furukura, who is a 36-year-old woman who has been working part-time at a convenience store, or konbini [depending on the translated version you pick], for the last 18 years of her life.

And that's how it's descripted as a simple sinopsis of it. Adding to it, the book follows a lot the society pressure on the woman's body: marriage, children, money, career. And Sayaka's writting [one that it's descritive toqards the character's beliefs and vague at what it doesn't value] makes it feels above the small culture box that it was written.

What I found of it [few spoilers ahead!]

The book, despite being incredible small [with 174 pages] and with a simple premise of "the life of a convenience store woman, haha. working class" it goes SO abve that wth.

Clearly, at right the first 20 pages [or less] we can see Furukura being an outcaster. Not only at the memories of her childhood but also at how she only found safe at 'being human" at the preence of the convinience store and at the work manual they gave to employees. At first it gave me an... "ok, she certainly is someone who lives in her zone. I wonder how the author will take her off it-"

and, boy, how do I explain it was almost suffocating for a second.

it was a constant flow of jugding people towards Furukura. From her age and gender weighting at how she should behave and achieve, otherwise it would be a waste of her existence. Moments that her friends question what's wrong with her, which is shown that Furukura has lies ready to justify her choices... to the point those same friends makes themselves assumptions [Furukura' sexuality, possible future plans and even her constant flow of personality].

Until she met Shiraha, whom worked for a short period of time at the same convenience store and HOLY SHIT how this man pissed me off so fucking much- Shiraha is a misogynistic man, making blames that woman is a fragile gender that "only is searching for the stronger of the tribe" [yes, he blames the Stone Ages for being a completely lonely creep]... And this character and his sister pushes Furukura much more than her friendgrooup, work colleagues and even her family. It was a contrast between two of the "cockroaches" of society.

it was reaching a downhole... and somehow i felt it a lot. Plus, i still have to compliment Sayaka Murata's writting for the chills and, somehow, at how she made it like it was hugging you [condradictory I KNOW], but it was handled well the aspects of a judging society and it's outcasters being related to it.

Would I recommend?

Sure thing. However, it may not be everyone's cup of tea. I can see it more as one of those art píeces that comforts the disturbed and disturb the comfortable combined with a light writing that somehow feels too tight too. 

five from five stars.