We wrap up Season 1 with our first-ever guest! Matt joins us to chat about Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata—a sharp, surreal look at societal norms, personal identity, and the rhythm of retail life. We discuss quirky characters, Murata’s real-life inspiration, and whether we’ve all felt a little bit like Keiko.
Episode Timepoints:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Welcoming Matthew
06:00 A Discussion of Convenience Store Woman
56:25 Summary
59:00 Outro
Other Books Mentioned in this Episode:
Normal People - Sally Rooney
Never Let Me Go - Kazui Ishiguro
Until the Coffee Gets Cold - Toshikazu Kawaguchi
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Christy Lefteri
Earthlings - Sayaka Murata
Will and Testament - Vigdis Hjorth
Fun Home - Alison Bechdel
Firefly - Jos Wheedon
Brave New World - Alduous Huxley
Foundation - Isaac Asimov
Extra Reading/Homework!
The New Yorker Article: Sayaka Murata’s Eerie “Convenience Store Woman” Is a Love Story Between a Misfit and a Store | The New Yorker
Interview with the author: Sayaka Murata: 'I acted how I thought a cute woman should act - it was horrible' | Sayaka Murata | The Guardian
Naoise Dolan: I thought I was too different to see myself in a novel – but Sayaka Murata got me | Naoise Dolan | The Guardian
Interview with the translator: Ginny Tapley Takemori on translating Convenience Store Woman - Books on Asia
