Her translation of Tomiko Inui's The Secret of the Blue Glass was shortlisted for the Marsh Award. The Extremist, The Copycats & The Fallout, The Lie: When DNA Reveals the Family Secret. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery. Please try your request again later. I did actually like the ending, but for me most of the book plodded and I don't feel like it was worth the time. She consciously sleeps, eats, and lives for her convenience store. I should think that most reviewers have used the word 'quirky' somewhere and - to be honest - it's hard to resist. [9], "Convenience store worker who moonlights as an author wins prestigious Akutagawa Prize", "【芥川賞会見】「コンビニ人間」で受賞した村田沙耶香さん「コンビニへの愛情を形にできた」", "For Japanese Novelist Sayaka Murata, Odd Is the New Normal", "Bestselling Japanese novelist's English debut a commentary on Japanese social pressures", "Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata review – sublimely weird", "ＦＭシアター『コンビニ人間』 出演者の栗山千明さんからメッセージをいただきました！", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Convenience_Store_Woman&oldid=989270637, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles to be expanded from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 November 2020, at 01:00. The English-language debut of an exciting young voice in international fiction, selling 660,000 copies in Japan alone, Convenience Store Woman is a bewitching portrayal of contemporary Japan through the eyes of a single woman who fits in to the rigidity of its work culture only too well. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. This is a strange, quirky novel which, although short in length, offers lots to think about. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 October 2018. 9781846276842. Convenience Store Woman; Skip to the end of the images gallery. Convenience Store Woman audiobook written by Sayaka Murata. She sees that the store is not as regulated and immediately begins rearranging the merchandise and assisting the staff. Get instant access to all your favorite books. Though she has the support of her elder sister, her … You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Keiko has never fit in, neither in her family, nor in school, but when at the age of eighteen she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of “Smile Mart,” she finds peace and purpose in her life. The highly regulated world of the konbini, where each action is prescribed by the corporate manual, allows her to maintain an identity acceptable to those around her and a sense of purpose. I had rather hoped that the main character, Keiko, who is clearly autistic and possibly sociopathic, might go spectacularly off the rails and I kind of wish she had, because her family and acquaintances are uniformly awful people. 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.” -Audible Keiko isn’t a relatable character but her quirks are at times amusing and even surreal, this proves to be entertaining and spurs the novel forward. She has found the perfect place for her working in a convenience store, yet her family and friends are all desperate for her to conform to the Japanese norms - every woman must get married or have a "proper" career. Please try again. [4] Aside from working as a writer, Murata worked at a convenience store three times a week, basing her novel on her experiences. In stock. On the front cover there's a review saying 'Haunting, dark, and often hilarious...' I didn't find myself laughing much at all. Convenience Store Woman (eBook) : Murata, Sayaka : Keiko Furukura had always been considered a strange child, and her parents always worried how she would get on in the real world, so when she takes on a job in a convenience store while at university, … It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness. Unable to add item to List. Try again. The novel won the Akutagawa Prize in 2016. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 August 2019. In stock. Meet Keiko. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Keiko maintains some friendships and a relationship with her sister, but finds it increasingly difficult to explain why, after 18 years, she is still single and working as a temp in a convenience store. Wish List Compare. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. There, she works to full energy levels during the day, and when she goes home after work the sounds of the convenience store are still ringing in her ears. But Keiko knows what … I enjoyed Keiko's struggles with her society's expectations, and the social pressures placed on single women. Convenience Store Woman is the funny tale following thirty six year old Keiko who has never had a boyfriend and worked in the same supermarket for eighteen years! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 February 2019. Convenience Store Woman is a novel that breaks the mould, much in the ways of its two central characters. Convenience Store Woman comes in three different colours. Ginny Tapley Takemori has translated fiction by more than a dozen early modern and contemporary Japanese writers. [5] It was published published as a book in July 2016 by Bungeishunjū. The novel won the Akutagawa Prize in 2016. I was hoping for more depth and strangeness. Keiko's family wishes she'd get a proper job. Her dedica… 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. In Stock - usually despatched within 48 hours. Approved third parties also use these tools in connection with our display of ads. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 October 2018. I enjoy Japanese fiction. Can't Buy Me Love: A wild coming of age journey through the swinging sixties. The story was short, superficial and did not challenge my perceptions. Add to Cart . I like the oddness of it. The Translator. I liked the message, at least the message that I got from it, which is basically to do what makes you happy inspite of society's expectations, however the story could have been better. Prime members enjoy fast & free shipping, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Prime Video and many more exclusive benefits. I really didn't take to any of the characters, it's usually quite easy to form a picture of characters in a novel and they become quite familiar, however they were all pretty unlikeable. '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 of The Housekeeper and the Professor 'What a weird and wonderful and deeply satisfying book this is. Keiko, the heroine of Convenience Store Woman, has worked a “dead-end job” for eighteen years. Convenience Store Woman is the heartwarming and surprising story of thirty-six-year-old Tokyo resident Keiko Furukura. It was first published in the June 2016 issue of Bungakukai. Visit Amazon's Ginny Tapley Takemori Page, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. No monthly commitment. Ultimately this is a delightful celebration of the need to be yourself rather than allow yourself to be ruled by others' expectations and inflexibilities. She has found the perfect place for her working in a convenience store, yet her family and friends are all desperate for her to conform to the Japanese norms - every woman must get married or have a "proper" career. My Rating: 4 Stars. Her translation of Sayaka Murata’s Akutagawa prizewinning novel Convenience Store Woman was one of the New Yorker’s best books of 2018, Foyle’s Book of the Year 2018, and was shortlisted for the Indies Choice Award and Best Translated Book Award. ISBN-13: 9780802128256 Summary Keiko Furukura had always been considered a strange child, and her parents always worried how she would get on in the real world. Aside from working as a writer, Murata worked at a convenience store three times a week, basing her novel on her experiences. Publisher: Granta. Her friends wonder why she won't get married. It is a brief exploration of Japanese cultural expectations and the experience of somebody who sits outside of these. The Convenience Store Woman critiques society’s obsession with normality by demonstrating how empty and contrived the notion of acting 'normally' really is. I enjoyed Keiko's struggles with her society's expectations, and … Qty. Listen online or offline with Android, iOS, web, Chromecast, and Google Assistant. [7] In a profile for The New York Times, the author explained she "wanted to illustrate how odd the people who believe they are ordinary or normal are" and that she admires Keiko's character, who chooses and is fine with not having sex at all. It was published published as a book in July 2016 by The Fortunicity of Birdie Dalal: Are our Lives driven by Fate or Chance? One of the most celebrated of the new generation of Japanese writers, Sayaka Murata has won not only the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, but the Gunzo, Noma, and Mishima Yukio Prizes as well. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Convenience Store Woman (Japanese: コンビニ人間, Hepburn: Konbini Ningen) is a 2016 novel by Japanese writer Sayaka Murata. This was the more gentle side to the book, and paints Keiko as a simple but thorough person. Keiko is 36 years old. There's a problem loading this menu at the moment. Convenience Store Woman Sayaka Murata quantity. I think that I had very different expectations going into this and wonder if it would be more enjoyable in Japanese. She studies her colleages, family and friends in order to create a facsimile of "normality" that they will find acceptable. [6], Joyce Lau of the South China Morning Post gave the novel four out of five stars, calling it a "cutting commentary on the pressure society puts on its citizens, particularly single women. Convenience Store Woman Paperback / softback by Sayaka Murata. For the 2020 holiday season, returnable items shipped between 1 October and 31 December can be returned until 31 January, 2021. Ginny Tapley Takemori has translated Ryu Murakami, Miyabe Miyuki, Akiyuki Nosaka, and Kyotaro Nishimura, among others. Mrs. Izumi is a thirty-seven-year-old supervisor at Smile Mart. “ Convenience Store Woman,” a novel by the best-selling Japanese author Sayaka Murata, is the first of her ten novels to be translated into English. This being a short novel I thought I would have finished it quickly, however I've had to really force myself to finish it. Meet the Author, Sayaka Murata. In her popular novel, Convenience Store Woman, Japanese author Sayaka Murata tells the story of Keiko Furukura, a worker at an unnamed convenience store who is … This was a novel I had seen around a lot recently and since I’m a big fan of Japanese literature, I had a feeling this book would not let me down and it sure didn’t! Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. 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. The book centers on … Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. “Convenience Store Woman” is Murata’s 10th novel, and her first to be translated into English. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Something went wrong. Not particularly funny, not a brilliant story, slightly disappointed. Paperback / softback. Add to basket. I HAVE THE RIGHT TO DESTROY MYSELF (Harvest Original). So when she takes on a job in a convenience store while at university, they are delighted for her. Our heroine, Keiko, is a first person character who describes her world from an autistic perspective. Convenience Store Woman is a fresh, charming portrait of an unforgettable heroine that recalls Banana Yoshimoto, Han Kang, and Amélie. RRP £8.99. Then the reader realises she is very isolated and lost in a world of mimicry and confusion. She models her behaviour, dress style, and even speech patterns on those of her coworkers. Convenience Store Woman tells the story of a 36-year-old social misfit who has worked for 18 years in a titular store in Tokyo. “Convenience Store Woman” has been translated into Korean and French and sold almost a million copies in Germany. She is 36-years-old and works part-time in a convenience store. Try Google Play Audiobooks today! Her behaviour, even as a young girl, was odd and her parents tried to get her to fit in. Previous page of related Sponsored Products, Interview with Raven Leilani, author of Luster, Portobello Books Ltd; 1st edition (5 July 2018), Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 December 2018. Convenience Store Woman Sayaka Murata, 2016 (2018, U.S.) Grove Atlantic 176 pp. Sayaka Murata (author), Ginny Tapley Takemori, Ginny Tapley Takemori (translator) Paperback. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. It is the first of Murata's novels to be translated into English.[6]. As part of the plan, Keiko eventually quits her job in the konbini, though she immediately feels that her life has lost purpose. There is an odd paradox where she seems to be impervious to the opinions of others, but is also a slave to trying to fit in. She's never had a boyfriend, and she's been working in the same supermarket for eighteen years. I enjoyed Keiko's struggles with her society's expectations, and the social pressures placed on single women. While they have no affection for each other, Shiraha eventually moves in with Keiko. Having said that, I liked that it was off kilter and that we got to see the world through Keiko's eyes. "[8], The novel won the Akutagawa Prize and sold over 600,000 copies in Japan. Narrated by Nancy Wu. Be the first to review this product. Add to basket; Charlotte Bronte Before Jane Eyre Glynnis Fawkes £ 10.99. However, she finds life difficult and usually copies those around her – taking social cues to help her fit in. Firstly, the author demonstrates how Keiko defies people’s expectations of how a normal child should act from a very young age. SKU: 9781846276842 Category: Paperback Fiction Tags: Books, Granta, P, F, Sayaka, Murata, japanese-fiction. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY APR 9, 2018. Related Products. She is efficient always and stern when necessary, qualities Keiko admires in a convenience store worker. : Belgian Sisters in the Nazi Resistance, The Haunting of Thores-Cross: A Yorkshire Ghost Story, The Men On Fire: A Complete Romance Series (3-Book Box Set). 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