When I picked up Convenience Store Woman, I expected lighthearted stories about quirky customers and the small absurdities of working at a Japanese konbini. Instead, I found a book layered with nuance and depth.

The novel explores identity, conformity, and what it means to “fit in.” The main character, Keiko Furukura, has been working part-time at the same convenience store for over ten years. She’s 36, unmarried, and happy with her life—earning an income, renting her own apartment, and living on her own terms. But her family and society see her choices as a failure.

When Keiko introduces a man (a rather pathetic one) just to silence criticism, everyone is suddenly relieved. Because society understands that—even if it doesn’t understand her.

The book touches on themes I find deeply relatable: the pressure to marry, to live according to social standards, and the tension between personal happiness and others’ expectations.

Reading it left me conflicted. It’s not a book with clear answers. It’s more like a painting you keep coming back to, noticing new shades every time. There are no villains here—just people, each carrying their own truth, struggling to coexist.