I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. However, halfway through reading it, I realized that this could be one of the best things I read this year. And after finishing it, I can confirm that yes, it is one of my top reads of 2021. 

We follow Keiko Furukura, a 36-year-old woman who works part-time in a convenience store. She has been working at the same store for 18 years, and she sees no problem with it. She struggles with understanding social cues and societal norms and expectations, but the repetitive routine of her convenience store duties gives her comfort and a sense of security. Feeling like a misfit her entire life, once Keiko starts working at the store, she finally feels like she belongs. 

"At that moment, for the first time ever, I felt I'd become a part in the machine of society. I've been reborn, I thought. That day, I actually became a normal cog in society." 

Throughout the book, we see Furukura doing what she can to fit in, even if she doesn't fully understand how to do it. But as an employee at the convenience store, she figured that all she had to do was follow everything in the store manual, do her work efficiently, and people will view her as "normal." 

But as time passes and Furukura enters her thirties, societal expectations catch up to her. Suddenly friends and family are commenting about how she should get married soon or questioning why she was still stuck in a part-time job. At a barbecue with some of her friends and their husbands, they went so far as to suggest she create an online profile for a marriage site. One of the husbands present even said to her, "You can't go on like this, and deep down, you must be getting desperate, no? Once you get past a certain age it'll be too late." 

To which Furukura responds, "I can't go on like this? You mean I shouldn't be living the way I am now? Why do you say that?" 

Furukura wants to understand how to fit in and be useful to society. But nobody seems to make an effort to understand HER. Everyone just wants to make Furukura fit in a box that makes sense to them. 

Furukura ends up striking a deal with a former co-worker, Shiraha. Ugh, I got annoyed at everything Shiraha said. Whenever he spoke, I just wanted to roll my eyes and say, "pOoR bAbY" 🤢 Anyway, they end up living together so they can fend off nosey people by letting them assume that they're in a relationship. When Furukura tells her friends and sister that she has a man living with her, they are so happy for her. 

"It was as though everyone was saying that for the first time, I was part of their circle. I had a feeling they were all welcoming me on board. Painfully aware that until now they'd evidently thought of me as an outsider, I listened to them carry on excitedly..." 

Keiko Furukura has built her entire life upon her routines and responsibilities as a convenience store worker. She works there all day. Her food and drink come from the store's shelves. She sleeps 8 hours a night to make sure her body is prepared for the next workday. She loves her job because no one expects her to be anything more than what she is: a convenience store worker. 

I got really sad for Furukura when she had to resign from her job. Everyone was happy for her and congratulated her on her decision when in fact, she did not want to leave. Resigning from her part-time job and looking for "real work" was what everyone else expected from her. In wanting to seem "normal," Furukura just went along with what everyone else wanted. 

I'm glad that in the end, she stood up for herself and what she wanted. 

I have said this in a previous post, but I'll say it again. Sayaka Murata's writing is simple and straightforward, but it is never dull. It still conveys vivid imagery, and the social commentary in this book is both insightful and funny. I also loved reading about the little moments in Furukura's day, like when she goes about restocking the shelves or making sure the promo items were on display. 

Even though Convenience Store Woman is a short book, it made me think a lot about society, the expectations of being a woman in this world, and about the kind of relationships we build with the people in our lives. 

I am so glad I read this book, and I probably won’t shut up about it to my friends for the next few weeks. And I recommend you read it if you haven’t already!