Past discussion:
Week One, pages 1-81
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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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Monday, 11/2 - Wrap-up
Keith takes his sorry ass for tea because he's an outsider ( blatantly, self-destructively, because he's a lazy jerk who thinks he's a genius) like she( but she's at least a productive member of society). So misplaced! However, she accepted using him as a shield.
ReplyDeleteI am so mad at everyone else for thinking this was good for keiko. Even the sister and sister in law, who see it's a bad thing, accept it. However, I sort of like the sister-in-law; she's not taken in by shihira's shit and speaks plainly to keiko. Not nice but kind in its own way.
Thus is a happy ending for Keiko- she has clarity about her future. Quote? Not sure, but i like" so apparently it would be better for the human race if shihira and I didnt mate...I was quite relieved about this." And "... the animal me, the convenience store worker, has absolutely no use for you whatsoever." Also, after the drama with the sister in law, all she says is,"...can I use my shower for once today?".
And keiko was so thoughtful in that random convenience store- I know it's supposed to be weird, but I've sometimes straightened up shelves in stores sometimes when I pass them. I can see how her CSW spirit needed to do that.
And the depression part was painful- I ached for her.
My phone keeps autocorrecting Keiko to Keith. Sorry about not catching them all.
DeleteI found the quote I really liked: Keiko to Shahira: "... well, I guess anyone who devotes their life to fighting society in order to be free must get pretty sincere about suffering..."
DeleteWhat a burn! Even if she was simply rationally saying it. It definitely hit its mark.
She IS using him as a shield. I guess I just wanted her to have a better shield? One who lets her use her own bathroom!
DeleteRight? I am so mad at her support system! Why do they think this is GOOD, especially after they meet him?
Ah, Keiko. I loved how, when she took Shiraha (ew) in, she compared it to having a pet. It was fascinating how everyone thought it was better for Keiko to be in a relationship with a TOTAL LOSER than to be single. It helped them to "understand" her better (or so they thought)- people can relate to a bad relationship more than Keiko's solitary oddness.
ReplyDeleteThe interesting thing about Keiko is that there are so many things she doesn't understand about society and how to fit in- but then she has some very deep insights. The part where she looks at Shiraha's eyes- "I find the shape of people's eyes particularly interesting when they're being condescending. I see a wariness or a fear of being contradicted or sometimes a belligerent streak ready to jump on any attack. And if they're unaware of being condescending, their glazed-over eyeballs are steeped in a fluid mix of ecstasy and a sense of superiority." It's like she doesn't understand the superficial aspects of life, but has a much deeper understanding than most people of elemental truths.
Just flipping through the book, I saw so many amazing lines that I hadn't even appreciated before. Since the book is so short, I think I'm going to reread the whole thing. I might even buy a copy so I can highlight some parts. I don't think I can choose a favorite quote just yet.
I really liked the ending. I was relieved that Keiko understood herself and realized what she needs to be happy.
Ooohh...I like that observation that people can relate more to a bad relationship than no relationship. Maybe that's it. But that still doesn't say good things about society, does it?
DeleteI go back and forth on the ending and whether or not it's truly happy or not. I mean, it absolutely IS if Keiko is satisfied with it. But it doesn't deal with some of the things she's worried about - aging at the convenience store, etc. Maybe none of that matters?
I know several single women who are subjected to the constant scrutiny of others for their single status. Some are happily single, some would prefer to be in a relationship but haven't met someone, all loath the constant comments they receive about their singleness. Who wants to constantly try to convince someone else they are okay with how things are going in their life and how hurtful it is to have people make remarks about a situation they can't change?
ReplyDeleteSo, I really felt bad for Keiko when her coworkers focussed on her "relationship" with Shiraha when she wanted to be noticed for her dedication to her job, her friends feeling so excited for her regardless of whether this really was a good relationship for her. Their advice is "getting pregnant is the best thing with a man like that." - GAH!! On page 113 Keiko realizes how her status amongst her friends has now changed when she thinks, "It was as though everyone was saying that for the first time I was part of their circle" and "Painfully aware that until now they'd evidently thought of me as an outsider." Then her sister, who was her main supporter, shows up in tears begging her to try to be normal.
I liked the line on page 110 "I'd kind of sensed that I was taking in a fraud when I let Shiraha come to live with me." She could potentially see through him and while she initially agreed that "it was convenient to have him around", as her friends and family were initially so happy for her new relationship status, she had the ability to decide what was best for her.
I loved the ending when she "pulled herself up straight and faced him (Shiraha) squarely/human me it is probably convenient to have you around, to keep family and friends off my back, but animal me, the convenience store work, has absolutely no use for you whatsoever." I was glad Keiko was able to follow the path that she knew was right for her rather than what was considered "normal" by everyone else.
Most (not all) of the single women I know are divorced and most of them say pretty definitely that they will not be a relationship again unless it's a net benefit for them. But I wonder if Keiko's situation - never having been in a serious relationship at all - is different. Now that she's had this Shiraha situation, it will be different for her?
DeleteI though it was interesting that at first she could sort of see through him and use him as a shield as mbmom11 said above, but she eventually fell for his logic and quit her job. She didn't want to quit her job! So why did she? What hold did he have over here?
I loved the first 3/4 of the book, but the Shirarha section filled me with rage.
ReplyDeleteI was just so sad for Keiko. He was clearly such a horrible guy and it made me sad because I have seen similar things happen in the real world (obviously it happens all the time; I just mean even within my own sphere of observation) where women feel the need to be with a man to satisfy society. And people are so "happy" for your "success" in having a mate, overlooking the fact he/she is a net negative.
It's frustrating on so many levels, not least of which is that life IS often easier when you are attached. You share the burden of work (not in this case, ARGH. MORE RAGE), emotions, and ideally share the workload on many domestic things (again, not happening with Keiko).
I hope she stays working at a convenience store her whole life. I do wonder if the fact she's starting somewhere new will be a fresh beginning. She can tell them she's divorced or something else that will satisfy their curiosity about how she's still single.
I found this book to be engrossing and fascinating, but I didn't like it until the VERY end, when Keiko fully rejected society's desires for her. Up til then, well, I kind of wanted her to murder Shiraha. I know, I know, it's not that kind of book.
ReplyDeleteThis really made me think about whether and how I am pushing my own biases and hopes/dreams and ideas for "success" onto my friends and family. What a disappointment to learn that Keiko's sister, who seemed so supportive, was also so desperate for Keiko to conform to social norms that she wouldn't question the whole awful Shiraha situation!
Speaking of the Shiraha situation, I was still in Romance Novel Mode for quite a bit of this half of the book. And at first, I thought it was pretty smart for those two to shack up. Hell yes, live your lives AND get everyone else off your backs! There was even a moment where Shiraha kind of stepped in for Keiko with -- I can't remember who? her mom??? a fellow convenience store worker? -- someone and said they were considering getting married and basically made things seem better than they were. I thought maybe he would change into someone kind and protective. But he did NOT change. (Why is one of the things about him that made me the most furious that he complained about Keiko's cooking and yet DID NOT COOK THINGS HIMSELF??? Be the change, buddy.) I did not understand why Keiko went along with him when it became clear that he wasn't going to support her in the lifestyle she wanted to maintain. He made her quit her job??? When she was the breadwinner??? I just don't understand AT ALL what happened there. It felt very out of character, too, for Keiko to agree to his demands. But... I suppose that was her big attempt to concede to the wishes of "society," so maybe it makes sense that she would have to falter before she could fully understand and accept her true self???