A quirky, wryly humorous slice of Japanese fiction that smuggles a scalpel sharp dissection of gender politics and social expectations in amongst the deadpan lines and off-beat dialogue. Keiko finds her new job stacking shelves both rewarding and enjoyable, but her friends and family soon begin exerting pressure to force her down a very different path.
Keiko has never really fitted in. At school and university people find her odd and her family worries she'll never be normal. To appease them, Keiko takes a job at a newly opened convenience store. Here, she finds peace and purpose in the simple, daily tasks and routine interactions.
She is, she comes to understand, happiest as a convenience store worker. But in Keiko's social circle it just won't do for an unmarried woman to spend all her time stacking shelves and re-ordering green tea. As pressure mounts on Keiko to find either a new job, or worse, a husband, she is forced to take desperate action...
A best-seller in Japan, and the winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, Convenience Store Woman marks the English-language debut of a writer who has been hailed as the most exciting voice of her generation.
Cover design may vary. Convenience Store Woman comes in three different colours.
Publisher: Granta Books
ISBN: 9781846276842
Number of pages: 176
Weight: 130 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 10 mm
For literary refreshment, try the playful, artful Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata - Best Summer Books, Observer
Exhilaratingly weird and funny ... Unsettling and totally unpredictable - my copy is now heavily underlined - Sally Rooney, Guardian
A sure-fire hit of the summer... quirky and profound - Irish Times
Fascinating... universally familiar - Guardian
[A] short, deadpan gem... This is a true original - Stephanie Cross, Daily Mail
A new book from an incredible woman... from this dark and delightful [novel] springs a feminist rallying cry: trust yourself - Emerald Street
Murata's fascinating Convenience Store Woman, a tale about a happy misfit that's equal parts wily and disquieting - ‘Best Summer Books’ selected by Lisa McInerney, Irish Times
I picked up this novel on a trip to Japan and couldn't put it down. A haunting, dark, and often hilarious take on society's expectations of the single woman. As an extra bonus, it totally transformed my experience of going to convenience stores in Tokyo - Elif Batuman, author, The Idiot
A darkly comic novel - 'Best Summer Books’ selected by Viet Thanh Nguyen, Observer
Poignant, darkly comic and wonderfully uplifting, this novel will resonate with anyone who has ever felt out of kilter with the world around them - Summer Reads, Herald
This novel made me laugh. It was the first time for me to laugh in this way: it was absurd, comical, cute... audacious, and precise. It was overwhelming - Hiromi Kawakami, author, Strange Weather in Tokyo
Convenience Store Woman is a gem of a book. Quirky, deadpan, poignant, and quietly profound, it is a gift to anyone who has ever felt at odds with the world - and if we were truly being honest, I suspect that would be most of 'us' - Ruth Ozeki, author, A Tale for the Time Being
An offbeat, tongue-in-cheek read... a tale of finding one's own path to happiness - Laura Waddell, Skinny
The compelling English-language debut from Sayaka Murata ... enthralling - Elsbeth Lindner, Book Oxygen
When the protagonist [of Convenience Store Woman], a social outcast, is placed within the box of the artificially normalized convenience store, we begin to vividly see the strangeness of the people in the world outside - Yoko Ogawa, author, The Housekeeper and the Professor
Witty, wily, and astonishingly sharp, Convenience Store Woman proves that the deepest gouges can come from the lightest touch - Lisa McInerney
What a weird and wonderful and deeply satisfying book this is. Sayaka Murata is an utterly unique and revolutionary voice. I tore through Convenience Store Woman with great delight - Jami Attenberg, author, The Middlesteins
I was really amazed by Convenience Store Woman and the particular reality it exquisitely portrays... I am sincerely delighted that such a novel has come into being - Ryu Murakami, author, In The Miso Soup
Convenience Store Woman is snarky and tender. It shows a woman trying to puzzle out how to be normal. This brilliant book will resonate with all of us who find life a little strange - Rowan Hisayo Buchanen, author, Harmless Like You
Adorable! - Before Brunch
Quirky, funny and beautifully observed - Daily Mail
I love it...Everyone has time to read this book! - The Gloss
It's rare to find a relatively static narrative evoke such an intense atmosphere - Cherwell Online
A short yet exciting read - Bath Magazine
[Keiko's] story will resonate with readers who wish they could be content in their own little worlds - Sun
Keiko Furukura does not require much outside of the rhythms and structures of working part-time in a convenience store, but her few social acquaintances say that she needs to fix the way she lives her life. This smart... More
I just read Convenience Store Woman in one sitting... and it’s amazing.
Sayaka Murata has raised the bar when it comes to Japanese fiction.
A deadpan, comedic story about a woman who lives for her part-time job at a...
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What a refreshing novel!!
I knew I was going to love this book from the first page - the description of all the noises you hear in a store that we take for granted. I am always a bit nervous of books that have been...
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