Questions About La dependienta

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Answered Questions (17)

ROBYN MARKOW I read this novel awhile ago & sometimes it takes awhile for it's message to sink in so this is my final take on it: This book is a satire(& cautionar…moreI read this novel awhile ago & sometimes it takes awhile for it's message to sink in so this is my final take on it: This book is a satire(& cautionary tale) based on the stereotype of the Japanese Workaholic of which Keiko is an extreme example of. Therefore I think although she shows the classic signs of Autism,it wasn't the point of the author to depict someone who has it. It's that Keiko is so defined by her work that it completely overtakes her life. That & she really has no personality to speak of ( & has no interest in cultivating one) so the convenience store she works in fills that void. It shown in how she constantly thinks about it ,even when she's not working there & everything else her life is meaningless to her until, finally,Keiko turns into the human equivalent of a convenience store. She lives to (superficially) serve others & nothing else. (less)

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Is it like "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" type of book but with better parents ?

Sara Dawdy I do think it is - in fact, that comparison came to me while I was reading this book. Neither main character is able to interpret "normal" social stru…moreI do think it is - in fact, that comparison came to me while I was reading this book. Neither main character is able to interpret "normal" social structure and struggles to figure out what she truly wants against the messages she's getting from society around her. Keiko's revelation about what makes her happy may not match that of most people, but that she finds it at all - and the book's message that one can live a satisfying life without meeting anyone else's expectations for happiness - made the book enjoyable for me.(less)

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Paula If she was management she would have to relate and connect to people which would complicate her happiness which comes from the simplicity of her role …moreIf she was management she would have to relate and connect to people which would complicate her happiness which comes from the simplicity of her role at the store. That is my take anyway.(less)

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Is this really a memoir? Or is it a crafted fictional work?

Asia Groves It is a work of fiction, but Sayaka Murata was inspired by her own experience working in a convenience store, so I assume it has some autobiographical…moreIt is a work of fiction, but Sayaka Murata was inspired by her own experience working in a convenience store, so I assume it has some autobiographical influence. (less)

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Is Keiko a psychopath? - she doesn't seem to have any sense of empathy - the means she choses to resolve problems are efficient, not human (extreme case is when she meets her sister and newborn child) - lack of remorse and guilt - lack of emotions

Paula I think sociopath is a better descriptive for what you describe. But, I don't think that is it at all. Sociopaths are always trying to gain and will u…moreI think sociopath is a better descriptive for what you describe. But, I don't think that is it at all. Sociopaths are always trying to gain and will use people to promote their own game. She is happy living in a small world with routine and structure. She has difficulty connecting with others and I see her lack of emotion as just an adaptive response that she has chosen to remove herself because trying to play the game is too difficult...and painful b/c she can never quite play the game correctly by others standards. I think she is in the autism spectrum. (less)

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What is the reading age for this book?

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