Book Talk | Convenience Store Woman and The Catcher in the Rye


These books are not part of my lockdown reading list because there is no lockdown reading list! These are two of the many unfinished books that I've accumulated for no reason except that I am a lazy slow reader. I promised myself I won't buy a new one until I finish reading them all. They just happen to be first ones I finished reading so far during this period. 

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. 
People should choose to live the way they want, pursue their own dreams and not live according to the standards set by others, or by society.
I bought this book at the time I made that promise!(haks! Sorry) because of the rave reviews written on its cover of how hilarious, witty and a page-turner it was. 
Its story sends a meaningful message of how people should choose to live the way they want, pursue their own dreams and not live according to the standards set by others, or by society. I'm all for individuality and being fearless. It is just unsettling for me to find a character that seemed to be exhibiting signs of being in the spectrum of autism humorous. The book did not state that Keiko, the main character has some condition. I don't think the author meant to make fun of people with conditions either, and I'm not an expert to diagnose, as well. I first thought maybe I don't get the sense of humor because of cultural differences?.. or it's just exaggerated for comedy, like the walling scenes in a drama. Keiko's train of thought and personality were just a bit extreme for me. Her inability to comprehend why people find her way to solve a problem violent presented with some sort of innocence is just not funny to me. I had to look up reviews on goodreads just to reaffirm my understanding of the moral of the story. 

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. 
This is a classic that everybody has read, except me, so I got my self one. After reading the Convenience Store, my senses were telling me not to finish reading this one next. With Keiko shocking me and the situation the world is currently in, why read through the Caulfield kid's anguishes? 
They are not in the same category, though. This is indeed, a real classic, well written and timeless. Teenage angst is timeless! I guess. I went ahead and finished reading it in one sitting. I didn't go stir crazy. There were parts that made me laugh. Most parts are just, to borrow old Holden Caulfield's favorite word, depressing. He is depressing. It wasn't until chapter 21 that I finally started to enjoy reading it. I just wanted him to get to his sister badly. 
It wasn't just about an angry kid. He is troubled for sure, but there were characters in his story – both the phonies and the sincere ones - that helped shape him, as he expressed in the end that he somehow missed them. 

I'm not rating them low. I don't have the right to. Not finding a material appealing to me at first does not stop me from appreciating true talent, and does not stop me from reading. Judging from how I was affected by their storytelling only proves what true talented writers they are. I would recommend these books to everyone. I recommend everyone to read. Just read.



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