Synopsis
- Kyoko Tanihara, the protagonist, is a 28-year-old contract employee at Musashino Bookstore, a mid-sized bookstore in Kichijoji.
- Her love of books led her to take the job, but the reality is low pay, heavy workloads, and dealing with complaints every day.
- Her biggest source of stress is her store manager, who is “too stupid” to read the mood and rambles on about meaningless things at morning meetings, irritating her.
- When her trusted senior colleague, Mari Koyanagi, suddenly resigns, Kyoko loses her emotional support.
- Meanwhile, through her interactions with Isoda, a junior part-time employee, she realizes that she was someone’s idol, and gradually regains her positive attitude.
- Despite being thrown into turmoil by the store manager’s words and actions, Kyoko reaffirms her pride in her work and her love for books.
- Towards the end, the story takes an unexpected turn, revealing a surprising side to the store manager’s “idiocy” and introducing a subtle mystery.
Review
The writing is so entertaining that I found myself laughing while reading. It was a truly enjoyable book.
In addition, this book also allowed me to sense the professionalism of the store staff.
I love bookstores, and when I go inside, I often find myself drawn to the various posters.
I realize that behind these posters are the staff’s ingenuity and ingenuity in their work.
The story sometimes discusses the dissatisfaction of bookstore staff with their jobs, including financial issues, but more than anything, it conveys their love for their work.
I believe this book will remind not only bookstore staff, but everyone of how rewarding their work can be greatly influenced by how interesting and approachable it is.
I was also impressed by the protagonist’s words that literary books are the best form of self-improvement.
I certainly feel that literary books have a greater impact on the mind than business books.
