Mari

I would recommend reading this book if you're a fan of the film. They're very different from each other, so reading this was like a whole different experience to watching the film. I like how fleshed out the characters were, and the scenes were very descriptive. There was definitely a lot of detailed descriptions of violent occurrences in story. And the atmosphere was just so creepy. I think King was able to capture that really well.

I'm renewing my subscription to depression premium.

Dazai Osamu’s works, I feel, must be read when you're at a very specific place mentally, unless you want to later find yourself falling into the abyss. It's because he completely understands the depths that human despair can reach, that is the reason why his books are received as “dark, realistic, depressing”. A lot of what was written in this book clearly reflects Dazai sensei’s own feelings towards life and living. There's a lot to be said about the frequency in which death and suicide are mentioned in this book. Which is all the more reason why I think the timing in reading this book matters.

If you're looking for a relaxing read, with not a lot of things happening plot-wise, then this book is for you. The book centers more on Furukura’s character, and how her life is tied to the convenience store she works at. It's pretty slow-paced, a lot of dialogue, and a bit of commentary on the kind of societal expectations Furukura has to navigate through within the story.

This is the third work I’ve read from Murata Sayaka. And since I started, I found a sort of pattern with the characters she writes. It almost always has this recurring theme: a character, often the protagonist, is someone who is very different from the average person. Someone quite alienated with society. Someone “not quite human”. Not normal, by society’s standards.

The same still applies for this book’s protagonist, Furukura Keiko. She lives her life by the convenience store, relies on the store’s “moral compass” to help her navigate through the kind of society she lives in.

I'd say it's a pity that she lives like that, but, as in real life, other people actually *do* kind of live like that. The difference is, for Keiko, she is meant for it and it's something she wants.

It made me cry several times, I think owing to the timing of reading this book at that point in my life. Although the pace is quite slow, and there were way too many flashbacks (sometimes felt dragged on too long), there were a lot of moments in the book that really got to me. Especially moments in the present time, where it showed Mia's moments with her relatives and friends. It hit a little close to home.

I still give this 3.5 stars as I think there were a lot of moments where it could be written better. I didn't empathize much with the main character's backstory. But the best parts for me were towards the end.