CBBC Week Two: Convenience Store Woman, page 81- end

Past discussion:
Week One, pages 1-81

Welcome to Week Two of Cool Bloggers Book Club (CBBC) for Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. This week we'll be discussing the second half of the book from pages 81 to the end.

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What happened in these chapters?

Keiko starts to feel uneasy about her future in the convenience store. 

When you do physical labor, you end up being no longer useful when your physical condition deteriorates. However hard I work, however dependable I am, when my body grows old then no doubt I took will be a worn-out part, ready to be replaced, no longer of any use to the convenience store. (page 83)

Shiraha, the lazy roustabout who was fired for stalking, is lurking outside the store. Keiko thinks he's maybe still stalking someone, but then realizes he's crying. She takes him out for tea. He's an asshat who is constantly spouting incel-type propaganda about how modern society is just like the Stone Age.

"Don't make it sound so easy! We men have it much harder than women, you know. If you're not yet a fully fledged member of society, then it's get a job, and if you've got a job, it's earn more money, and if you earn more money, it's get married and have offspring. Society is continually judging us. Don't lump me together with women. You lot have a cushy time of it," he said sullenly. (page 89)

Keiko sort of falls for it (...I couldn't say he was completely wrong. page 90) and invites him back to her house when she learns he has no place to go. They settle into a mutually beneficial relationship where Shiraha hides from the world (AKA his family) in Keiko's apartment and she uses him as a shield with friends and family who think this is a step towards "normal" for Keiko. 

Under pressure from Shiraha, Keiko quits her job at Smile Mart. Then she falls into a depression without the routine of work. While she's on her way to an interview, she is drawn into a different convenience store and starts putting order to everything that's in disarray. 

"The voice of the convenience store won't stop flowing through me. I was born to hear this voice." (page 161)

She calls off her interview and embraces her existence as a convenience store worker. 

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Sarah's listening!

Thing I looked up:

POP ads (page 117, 119) - Japanese pop culture and commercial advertising ("POP ads" or CMs - commercial messages) are famous for their high-energy, quirky, and surreal crossover styles. I suspect the one at Smile Mart is more of hand made ad? 

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Elisabeth has coordinated her nail polish to the book cover! 

Lines of note:

I hadn't added a teabag since I didn't really feel any need to drink flavored water. (page 88)

Anyone else snort laugh at this? 

"I'm sorry, but there's no way I'll ever be able to get it up with you, Furukura."

"Get it up? Um, what has that got to do with marriage? Marriage is a matter of paperwork, an erection is a physiological phenomenon." (page 92)

MORE SNORT LAUGHING.

"Will you ever be cured, Keiko...?" ..."I simply can't take it anymore. How can we make you normal? How much longer must I put up with this?" (page 131)

Ouch. 

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Jacquie and her daughter's cat are enjoying the book by the fireplace!

Questions to ponder:

1) Everyone's reaction to Keiko's involvement with Shiraha is positive - congratulating her, telling her she's normal. How did you feel about these reactions? Are they rooted in care for Keiko or is it a desire for societal conformity?

2) Do you think people have to hit certain life milestones - jobs/careers, marriage, kids, owning a home, etc. - to be successful? 

3) Why did Keiko take Shiraha for tea? Why did she invite him to stay with her? Do you understand her motivations? 

4) What do you think will become of Keiko? Will her family support her decision to find work again in a convenience store? Is this a happy ending? 

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Homework for you: Drop me a line with your favorite quote/moment from the book. We can vote on the Best Of next week. 

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Upcoming CBBC schedule:
Monday, 11/2 - Wrap-up