Convenience Store Woman
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Convenience Store Woman
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Narrated by:
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Nancy Wu
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Written by:
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Sayaka Murata
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Ginny Tapley Takemori - translator
About this listen
Tokyo resident Keiko Furukara has never fit in - neither in her family, nor in school - but when at the age of 18 she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of national convenience store chain Smile Mart, she realizes instantly that she has found her purpose in life. Delighted to be able to exist in a place where the rules of social interaction are crystal clear (many are laid out line-by-line in the store's manual), Keiko does her best to copy the dress, mannerisms, and mode of speech of her colleagues, playing the part of a "normal" person excellently, more or less.
Keiko is the perfect employee - never late, always worrying about how to maximize sales, brilliantly conscientious, and highly energetic. Managers come and go but Keiko remains at the store for 18 years. It's almost hard to tell where the store ends and she begins. At 36, Keiko is very happy in her life, but the people close to her, from her family to her coworkers, pressure her to settle down with a man and to find a proper profession. Eventually, she is pushed to make a huge change. The static world of Keiko is upended - but will it be for the better?
A brilliant depiction of an unusual psyche and an extraordinary world, Convenience Store Woman is both an ironic and sharp-eyed look at contemporary work culture and the pressures to conform, as well as a charming and completely fresh portrait of an unforgettable heroine.
©2018 Sayaka Murata and Ginny Tapley Takemori (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.What listeners say about Convenience Store Woman
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ngoc Nguyen
- 2021-12-28
Loved the main character!
You will either relate with her or you won’t but this book is definitely worth a listen!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Roberta W
- 2021-09-04
Mostly delightful
I was so looking forward to this book, having heard a great review. I did like it, but mostly the first half. Truly loved it. When the protagonist got involved with another character however, I was so put off by her decision and that I stopped listening. Later, reminding myself that it was fiction, and perhaps the story held more for me, I went back and listened to the end. What can I say? Delightful writing, definitely surprising…
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- CKH Vancouver
- 2022-06-12
Quirky, Enjoyable Novella
Darkly amusing book about a 36 year old woman who does not fit societal expectation but finds as a convenience store worker, with rigid rules about dress code, facial expressions, greetings etc., she now fits in. But she is still facing the expectations of getting a "real job" or getting married...
Marvellous Narrator.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- C. Babic
- 2023-11-05
Very quirky
I will need to think about this book for a while.. it’s good and quirky.. a very different listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jen
- 2022-08-26
Get this audiobook
For starters, I can't imagine this any other way but narrated by Nancy. Fantastic job on character voices.
The story is fantastic. Really nice flow and character development. Neuro-divergent and other non-normies will love this I think. It's so great lol
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- JohnS
- 2019-05-20
Alienation in a compact novel
As I read this book, I kept thinking that the convenience store is a metaphor for the alienating world of social isolation. The author portrays that alienation very well through a social misfit that seems unable to live in the "real" world. I enjoyed this book a lot, but it is not for everyone. The narration by Nancy Wu is perfect.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lady Sara
- 2022-04-05
Fantastic
I had been recommended this book by a few people and wow!! Just an incredibly powerful story about both compliance and being true to yourself. The discussions about having your body used up by capitalism or by your own needs is incredible.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anynomous
- 2022-05-26
Weird trope but excellently Written
This book follows in (or probably more likely inspired) the trope of The Maid, in which someone implied to be on the spectrum is posed as finding identity and joy in a precarious service job. Like The Maid, this doesn't sit well with me, as it seems to paint nerodivergence as a precursor for mindless capitalist work - however, I'm neither nerodivergent nor deeply familiar with the area of study, so I could be misreading it. However, unlike The Maid, this novel isn't just the trope - it is excellently written and quite captivating, with great character and plot development. I only wish it was longer!!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Natalie
- 2022-05-23
I wanted to like it more
I liked the main character a lot. I would have enjoyed the story more if the secondary character wasn't so abusive to her and if she hadn't put up with for so long. I guess the author was extreme to make a point, but I found it hard to listen to and it took away from the story for me.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rob
- 2022-01-06
Quick Calming Escape - Dying to find another.
Quickly escape into someone else's world and in their head of trying to fight society's expectations of women and "growing up." I really enjoyed the narrators voice and how short and sweet this book was. Would love a few more the exact same!
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