There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job
- Downloads：8941
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-22 13:51:50
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kikuko Tsumura
- ISBN：1526622246
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Convenience Store Woman meets My Year of Rest and Relaxation in this strange， compelling， darkly funny tale of one woman's search for meaning in the modern workplace。
A young woman walks into an employment agency and requests a job that has the following traits: it is close to her home， and it requires no reading， no writing – and ideally， very little thinking。
She is sent to a nondescript office building where she is tasked with watching the hidden-camera feed of an author suspected of storing contraband goods。 But observing someone for hours on end can be so inconvenient and tiresome。 How will she stay awake？ When can she take delivery of her favourite brand of tea？ And， perhaps more importantly – how did she find herself in this situation in the first place？
As she moves from job to job， writing bus adverts for shops that mysteriously disappear， and composing advice for rice cracker wrappers that generate thousands of devoted followers， it becomes increasingly apparent that she's not searching for the easiest job at all， but something altogether more meaningful。。。
A young woman walks into an employment agency and requests a job that has the following traits: it is close to her home， and it requires no reading， no writing – and ideally， very little thinking。
She is sent to a nondescript office building where she is tasked with watching the hidden-camera feed of an author suspected of storing contraband goods。 But observing someone for hours on end can be so inconvenient and tiresome。 How will she stay awake？ When can she take delivery of her favourite brand of tea？ And， perhaps more importantly – how did she find herself in this situation in the first place？
As she moves from job to job， writing bus adverts for shops that mysteriously disappear， and composing advice for rice cracker wrappers that generate thousands of devoted followers， it becomes increasingly apparent that she's not searching for the easiest job at all， but something altogether more meaningful。。。
Reviews
Maria
，
A japanese woman trying out various odd jobs。 For me the cultural foreignness blended nicely with the weirdness of the jobs。 A kind of leisurely exploration around work life， following all kinds of social and other everyday worries。„I told him about the empty chestnut shells， and was told it was probably animals that carried them off。 And so， my worrying mind settled for its fodder on the price of the breadfruit crisps I was eating on a daily basis。“
Carly
，
I sort of loved this， even though objectively I can think of a lot of issues。 What I loved most is that I have never， ever wanted to eat something more than I wanted a Japanese rice cracker while reading the rice cracker company story。 OMG。 Like， seriously， OMG。 I had to have a snack immediately after reading that chapter， and the potato chips I had did not scratch the itch in the slightest。Anyway。 This is a novel， but it reads more like minimally-connected short stories for the most part。 They I sort of loved this， even though objectively I can think of a lot of issues。 What I loved most is that I have never， ever wanted to eat something more than I wanted a Japanese rice cracker while reading the rice cracker company story。 OMG。 Like， seriously， OMG。 I had to have a snack immediately after reading that chapter， and the potato chips I had did not scratch the itch in the slightest。Anyway。 This is a novel， but it reads more like minimally-connected short stories for the most part。 They have this quiet brilliance or weirdness to them that builds as you work through the chapter。 I laughed out loud a few times -- the jumbo manju （a type of Japanese sweet） with little manjus stuffed inside comes to mind as simply absurd。 But I can also see how another reader might find the whole book as very dull。 Or perhaps culturally impenetrable。I also didn't love the translation， though I'm not sure if I just am faulting the translator for being British。 Especially since I assume many translated works with Americanisms are forced on them constantly。 But still， it was jarring when the main character's mother asked whether something on TV was "on the telly，" considering that they are Japanese people in Japan。 I also think the English title is unfortunate and very hard to remember。 。。。more
Allison Piehl
，
I happened to read an article about this novel a few days ago， and decided to set aside the book I'd planned to read next and dive into this one instead。 It's now possibly my favorite novel。Kikuko Tsumura's gently captivating book is about a woman going through a period of extreme uncertainty about her career。 She chooses to work a series of short term jobs after leaving the position she studied for and held for over a decade。 Though she grapples with stress， neuroticism， anxiety over interactio I happened to read an article about this novel a few days ago， and decided to set aside the book I'd planned to read next and dive into this one instead。 It's now possibly my favorite novel。Kikuko Tsumura's gently captivating book is about a woman going through a period of extreme uncertainty about her career。 She chooses to work a series of short term jobs after leaving the position she studied for and held for over a decade。 Though she grapples with stress， neuroticism， anxiety over interactions with coworkers， impostor syndrome， and a variety of other workplace issues （some veering deliciously toward the supernatural）， the book is really about the meaning we find in work and the massive role it plays in our lives whether we want it to or not。 The story is told with a dry wit and sweet （but never saccharine） sentimentality。 The book is broken into five sections - each corresponding to one of her jobs - and I found myself immediately engrossed in each new position and circumstance。 If only we could all find temp work so interesting！ But that's part of the point I suppose - there's more going on in every workplace than meets the eye， and life's important lessons can be learned in the most unexpected ways。 。。。more
Alistair
，
The book is better than Convenience Store Woman。 It's so good I will name it one of my favorites for 2021。 It was surreal， engaging， and so darn funny。 I'm genuinely flabbergasted by the harsh reviews。 If you appreciate quirky and strange， and have a sense of humor， this book is for you。 We need more contemporary Japanese writers translated in English。 The book is better than Convenience Store Woman。 It's so good I will name it one of my favorites for 2021。 It was surreal， engaging， and so darn funny。 I'm genuinely flabbergasted by the harsh reviews。 If you appreciate quirky and strange， and have a sense of humor， this book is for you。 We need more contemporary Japanese writers translated in English。 。。。more
Toni
，
Recommended to me by a friend， There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by K Tsumura is a novel that finds me asking whether true meaning is becoming harder to find as millennials， like millionaires， acquire， perhaps， too many choices？ Winner of the English Pen award， this insightful look at the modern workforce shows that burnout is a significant risk in any job。 The protagonists ability to manage a range of roles through a jobs programme is quietly inspirational， providing some grounding to those Recommended to me by a friend， There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by K Tsumura is a novel that finds me asking whether true meaning is becoming harder to find as millennials， like millionaires， acquire， perhaps， too many choices？ Winner of the English Pen award， this insightful look at the modern workforce shows that burnout is a significant risk in any job。 The protagonists ability to manage a range of roles through a jobs programme is quietly inspirational， providing some grounding to those searching for an ‘easy job’。 There is an eeriness to the jobs made available that relates well to the current manufactured Covid-19 economy experience。 The true worth of the tale is revealed at the end and， I believe， resinates with many of our frontline workers in a Covid climate。 。。。more
Thomas Barrett
，
There was a lot to like about this deliberately inane satire of work。 Fans of Murakami and Convenience Store Woman will enjoy it。
Shreya
，
I think a reader’s opinion of this book will depend a lot on when they’re reading it。 I finished reading this just today， in the middle of the second wave of COVID-19 in India， as I’m fast approaching burn out myself and it resonated so deeply with me。 I loved the irreverent tone， the quippy observations and the belief that there’s an innate goodness in people。 I also liked how our protagonist’s journey from job to job ends。 If you’re looking for a read that seems to alleviate anxiety， this is i I think a reader’s opinion of this book will depend a lot on when they’re reading it。 I finished reading this just today， in the middle of the second wave of COVID-19 in India， as I’m fast approaching burn out myself and it resonated so deeply with me。 I loved the irreverent tone， the quippy observations and the belief that there’s an innate goodness in people。 I also liked how our protagonist’s journey from job to job ends。 If you’re looking for a read that seems to alleviate anxiety， this is it。 。。。more
Kirby Croland
，
This book wasn’t bad it was a easy read overall just not my favorite。
Wendyjune
，
Tsumura is an unusual writer。 She writes a massive book （399 pages） all about navigating work and workplaces。 I could see some people being bored with this book as it moves at a slower pace than most books， but it's really a lovely work。 She delves into the cultures of workplaces and how there is so much that is unsaid about the way we go into jobs and how there is very little understanding of what a job is。 How people say yes to things that there is actually very little information about， and w Tsumura is an unusual writer。 She writes a massive book （399 pages） all about navigating work and workplaces。 I could see some people being bored with this book as it moves at a slower pace than most books， but it's really a lovely work。 She delves into the cultures of workplaces and how there is so much that is unsaid about the way we go into jobs and how there is very little understanding of what a job is。 How people say yes to things that there is actually very little information about， and where you are expected to spend the majority of your time。 It borders on inhumane at times， small things like finding a suitable lunch can be massive tasks， making the decision of who to trust or sit with for lunch is daunting。 There are a bunch of assumptions and power issues going on with employers and employees and I think Tsumura hits on this beautifully， in each story there is an element of unknown， and it borders on the supernatural which reminds me of David Lynch styles of storytelling。 Where the mundane is strange and obscure and one has to figure out who or what to believe。 。。。more
Misato Noto
，
普段なかなか目につかないような珍しい仕事を渡り歩くという設定に興味を惹かれて読み始めた。仕事の内容などは実際にありそうなもので面白かったが、どのストーリーにもありえなさすぎる展開が待ち受けていて、そのたびに若干興醒めした。
Codii
，
This style just wasn't for me。 It's probably my fault as I first thought it was non-fiction but the mystical nature of it just didn't do it for me。 I know that's what a lot of people love about Japanese culture so I'm not discounting that。 This style just wasn't for me。 It's probably my fault as I first thought it was non-fiction but the mystical nature of it just didn't do it for me。 I know that's what a lot of people love about Japanese culture so I'm not discounting that。 。。。more
Anita Roberts
，
Initially I struggled with the oddly detailed and dull prose style that this book uses。 I wondered whether the translation from Japanese had lost a more attractive writing style。 But after the first section， I got more and more enthralled by the workplace mysteries and opaque characters， and much more attached to the prose that held it all together by giving equal weight to the narrator’s poetic and banal observations。The interactions are all so politely mild and restrained。 After a while the ea Initially I struggled with the oddly detailed and dull prose style that this book uses。 I wondered whether the translation from Japanese had lost a more attractive writing style。 But after the first section， I got more and more enthralled by the workplace mysteries and opaque characters， and much more attached to the prose that held it all together by giving equal weight to the narrator’s poetic and banal observations。The interactions are all so politely mild and restrained。 After a while the earnest treatment of mundane subjects like the virtue of rice crisp flavours or the colours of advertising posters starts to seem almost hilarious （although I don’t know whether that was the intention）。In the end I found the story immensely satisfying and somehow calming， it seemed like the love child of Barbara Pym and Haruki Murakami。 。。。more
Joy
，
At first I too expected this to be similar to The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada as well as All My Goodbyes by Mariana Dimópulos （and Temporary， although I haven't read that one）。 An indictment of the gig economy， of globalization， lack of workers' rights。 Boring mind-numbing entry level jobs with minimal pay and benefits。 In the novel's 'note on the author，' it's stated that author Kikuko Tsumura experienced workplace harassment in her first job out of college。 A thirty-six year old unnamed Japanese At first I too expected this to be similar to The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada as well as All My Goodbyes by Mariana Dimópulos （and Temporary， although I haven't read that one）。 An indictment of the gig economy， of globalization， lack of workers' rights。 Boring mind-numbing entry level jobs with minimal pay and benefits。 In the novel's 'note on the author，' it's stated that author Kikuko Tsumura experienced workplace harassment in her first job out of college。 A thirty-six year old unnamed Japanese woman， burnt out by her previous job of fourteen years， requests to be placed in low requirement （"I didn't want to have any more feelings about my work than strictly necessary， I was done with all that。"） close to her home solitary temporary jobs。 So starts her string of these jobs， with very innocuous sounding titles and descriptions， yet something strange and inexplicable occurs in the midst of each one。 Each separate job can be read like a vignette or short story though some of them have crosslinks towards the end。 The people she encounters in each job have their own interesting backstory， none of them are nasty or odious towards her。 What reeled me in was the gradual revealing of our protagonist's nature。 At each job， she can't seem to help herself but care too much and go above and beyond what's required。 Tellingly， her bosses are always male and beyond the stated job description， they also give her a nebulous task that she has to tease out。 One can infer this empathetic sensitive nature is what made her so excellent at her previous job at great personal cost。 She is extremely observant and perceptive （"roughness of tone that brought into clear relief the gap that yawned between 'listening' and 'actually taking in。'"） Even when she's supposedly giving herself a breather and recovering from the stress of her demanding previous job， her self restrictive personal life makes me wonder。。。。 When someone at one of her temporary jobs peers at her， says she looks tired and perhaps needs some rest， her reaction is alarm and backing off。 I find her restrained hidden self intriguing， an enigma， she never wants to impose on other people and even at the end， never really 'lets loose' and trust us readers enough to show us her deepest pains and hurts。 Instead， a proxy who was in the same profession as her tells us his journey of breakdown。The thoughtful consideration of others and politeness is imbued throughout this very Japanese novel， a keystone underpinning Japanese society。 If Kikuko Tsumura is making a point， say about gender inequality in Japan， she's doing it delicately and with subtlety， with a light touch。 Some of translator Polly Barton's insertions like the rare vulgarity or British-tinged slang jut out unsuitably。 [I find it quite telling too that in the acknowledgement section the actual author had one short succinct sentence while the translator blabbed on。] As our protagonist goes through different work settings （park forest， residential neighbourhood， office， bus， home）， we get a slice of life glimpse。 I wonder if it's customary for Japanese novels to include nature in their novels just like in haikus; in any case， I enjoyed the refreshing walks and discovery of native chestnut， persimmon， alder and breadfruit trees along with our erstwhile temporary park employee。 Likewise， the descriptions of typical local neighbourhood shops selling giant manjus， bento boxes etc and neighbours' everyday conversations were lulling and charming。 In addition， Ms Tsumura must have an interest in Spanish because there's flourishes of Spanish culture in her vignettes like a neighbourhood flamenco centre， a football team called Cangrejo （crab） and a footballer from the Basque region as well as Spanish words on community posters。 Definitely don't go reading this when you're hungry because you'll suddenly be craving or wanting to try unique Japanese foodstuff like "eringi mushrooms wrapped in bacon， gingko nuts and quail eggs，" ume and shiso nyūmen， homemade inari-zushi。 （In my neck of the woods， regretably there's nothing remotely like a kushiyaki or gyūdon restaurant， only faux Japanese establishments。） The various teas mentioned - fresh maté， plum-flavoured kelp， ginger hojicha， burdock - had this herbal drinker's eyes gleam with interest。 Thank goodness a friend had just gifted me some Japanese specialty rice crackers and salted sakura tea， a complementary accompaniment while reading， although I'm still curious about the Natto， mirin and squid flavoured rice crackers in the book。Sometimes a book just happens to come along that jives with your being and mean something personal。 For me， some of the magical words in the novel were emotional labour， kintsugi， Voynich manuscript， ayudarte， Lonely No More （'Which is more important， I wonder - not to be lonely， or to live the life you've chosen for yourself？'） Since learning about the concept of kintsugi （gold lacquer repair of broken ceramics） a few years ago， the idea that something broken can be even MORE beautiful and stronger because of （not in spite of） its scars and cracks has been both uplifting and galvanizing to me。（view spoiler）[ I don't really agree with her decision to go back to her original job of medical SW which exacted such a heavy toll such that she had to shut herself down。 Everytime she encountered what seemed like the universe conspiring urging her to go back， she would sigh which I interpret as an inner sign of reluctance。 She experiences PTSD symptoms from seeing a book of her trade。 Yes， she wants to be useful and do something meaningful and help people but her personality is such that when she's pushed to her limit teethering on the edge， she still wouldn't bother anyone or ask for help。 This is a particular problem， especially grave in those in the healthcare professions。 Who cares for the carer？ I have seen and experienced so many examples of those broken by the physical and emotional demands of the job。 I'm thinking of a colleague who committed suicide after being on call for three days straight in the ICU。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Vivi
，
Could not connect with the story and the writing style。
Shermin
，
Contains Japanese lifestyle and nuances which I really appreciated since I can't travel there now。 A casual story about a woman taking multiple odd jobs and getting invested to her role to a certain level， before desiring to leave。 I see it as taking a new adventure elsewhere。 Pretty nice and chill book。 It's like getting a few very different small stories in this single book。 Contains Japanese lifestyle and nuances which I really appreciated since I can't travel there now。 A casual story about a woman taking multiple odd jobs and getting invested to her role to a certain level， before desiring to leave。 I see it as taking a new adventure elsewhere。 Pretty nice and chill book。 It's like getting a few very different small stories in this single book。 。。。more
Henk
，
Reads like a breeze but I didn’t feel that the five loosely connected stories， of people being in general nicer than one imagines upfront， added up to something more in this novelAccepting those ups and downs， choosing to take on difficult jobs - that’s what life is about。More thoughts to follow but I feel the first story was actually not really needed or doesn't resonate with the rest of the book， which is a shame because the deadpan tone and sarcasm in that part was my favourite while reading。 Reads like a breeze but I didn’t feel that the five loosely connected stories， of people being in general nicer than one imagines upfront， added up to something more in this novelAccepting those ups and downs， choosing to take on difficult jobs - that’s what life is about。More thoughts to follow but I feel the first story was actually not really needed or doesn't resonate with the rest of the book， which is a shame because the deadpan tone and sarcasm in that part was my favourite while reading。 。。。more
Scribbling Kat
，
I found this insightful and at points hilariously surreal。 More than one job gives you the impression that either something fishy or supernatural is going on， and all of them are interesting to observe。 The first job with the surveillance of the author features a full page of her being upset about some sausage that he got a flyer for， but because she watches the footage a day or so after it happens， she misses the offer for German wurst and complains about it at length。 She’s seething when he fr I found this insightful and at points hilariously surreal。 More than one job gives you the impression that either something fishy or supernatural is going on， and all of them are interesting to observe。 The first job with the surveillance of the author features a full page of her being upset about some sausage that he got a flyer for， but because she watches the footage a day or so after it happens， she misses the offer for German wurst and complains about it at length。 She’s seething when he fries up some of that sausage and she has to watch him eat it。 Wurst day of the week for her。In another job she climbs out of a window to escape a certain situation and because the space between buildings is too narrow， she gets out of there sideways like a crab and all I could hear in my head was Zoidberg going woop woop woop。It took me a while to figure out that the MC was female， even though it matters relatively little for the story （and if you read the back cover， unlike me， you would already know！）。 The pace was a bit slow at times， as there is only so much enthusiasm one can have for the problems of suburban housewives in Japan。 In the postering job I may have lost track of who is who at points but it didn’t affect the enjoyment of the story in general。The protagonist is likeable but definitely has some flaws。 She is a deeply caring person that gets too invested in everything she does and for every job I hoped she would stay on but she always left for a variety of reasons， some imagined， some real。Overall a great read about a woman trying to find her way back to what she cares about。 。。。more
Barbara Switzer
，
didn't finish 。。。lacks a plot didn't finish 。。。lacks a plot 。。。more
Morgan Schulman
，
Spoiler alert:XXXXXXXAs a social worker I really felt seen。 🤨
Brooke
，
In a world plagued with jobs that demand more and more of their workers without appropriate compensation， it is no wonder that so many people burn out， which is exactly what happens to Kikuko Tsumura's unnamed protagonist in her new novel， There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job。 This woman in her 30s is done with the hard work and what's something easy 。。。 and that's specifically what she asks for at her employment agency - an easy job。 But she is soon to find out that there is no such thing as an In a world plagued with jobs that demand more and more of their workers without appropriate compensation， it is no wonder that so many people burn out， which is exactly what happens to Kikuko Tsumura's unnamed protagonist in her new novel， There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job。 This woman in her 30s is done with the hard work and what's something easy 。。。 and that's specifically what she asks for at her employment agency - an easy job。 But she is soon to find out that there is no such thing as an easy job， as the title of this novel implies。There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job follows the protagonist through her work at five different jobs - one in surveillance， where she watches a man on camera hoping to catch a glimpse of contraband supposedly in his possession; one in bus advertisements， where she writes copy for ads played on the bus line; one in cracker packet advertising， where she comes up with a novel idea for the back of a cracker packet; one in poster promotion， where she puts up posters in the homes of people and businesses; and one at a national park， where she performs park maintenance。 This book is solely focused on the narrator's work， so that is the only aspect of her life that we see。 While I am a fan of career-focused novels， this one falls short， frankly because none of the protagonist's jobs are particularly interesting。 I can see where the author tried to inject some "spark" into these easy， boring jobs， and while her ideas may do well in Japan， where this book is set， I don't know how well they will go over with an American audience。 If you can accept that a book about easy jobs will， in nature， not be the most exciting read， there is a lot to enjoy on these pages。 Readers are given a healthy dose of Japanese life and culture， and will enjoy drawing parallels between working conditions in Japan as opposed to those in the United States。 。。。more
Olivia
，
It's a fabulous idea！。 The story undoubtedly portrayed what many people have considered。 It's subtle and nicely ties up the loose ends by the end of thestory。 Although I can't help but feel like it would be nice to have some explanation of how the strange things noticed earlier in her job trials occurred - why are the shops disappearing when the ads are pulled; what is the Lonely No More club about。。。 Nonetheless， a brilliant idea and nice meandering narrative brings a smile to you nonetheless。 It's a fabulous idea！。 The story undoubtedly portrayed what many people have considered。 It's subtle and nicely ties up the loose ends by the end of thestory。 Although I can't help but feel like it would be nice to have some explanation of how the strange things noticed earlier in her job trials occurred - why are the shops disappearing when the ads are pulled; what is the Lonely No More club about。。。 Nonetheless， a brilliant idea and nice meandering narrative brings a smile to you nonetheless。 。。。more
E。F。
，
I requested a copy of Kikuko Tsumura's There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job because several people likened it to Convenience Store Woman。 But there aren't many similarities beyond the narrators being single， thirty-something women with "easy" jobs in Japan。 While Keiko's convenience store job gives her a feeling of satisfaction and normalcy， the unnamed narrator in There's No Such Thing seeks out jobs that won't stir any feelings。 She wants a job without stress or emotional investment， and she j I requested a copy of Kikuko Tsumura's There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job because several people likened it to Convenience Store Woman。 But there aren't many similarities beyond the narrators being single， thirty-something women with "easy" jobs in Japan。 While Keiko's convenience store job gives her a feeling of satisfaction and normalcy， the unnamed narrator in There's No Such Thing seeks out jobs that won't stir any feelings。 She wants a job without stress or emotional investment， and she jumps from one to the next by way of a recruitment agency。This book is structured with one job per chapter。 While the last chapter includes a number of callbacks， there aren't many direct connections between the others， which leaves the book feeling like a collection of short stories or essays: "The Surveillance Job，" "The Bus Advertising Job，" "The Cracker Packet Job，" "The Postering Job，" and "The Easy Job in the Hut in the Big Forest。" Each chapter is focussed on its related job; there's no sense of the narrator's home life， and little information about the burnout that left her looking for easy work。 Unfortunately， because each chapter feels so much like an individual story， there's little momentum to push the reader to start the next chapter when one has ended。The narrator takes this string of odd jobs after burning out and quitting her full-time job。 After she moves back in with her parents， she has to find a job—any job—when her unemployment insurance runs out。 Her one requirement at the recruitment agency is that she wants a job that barely qualifies as a job。 If I'd read this book in my mid-twenties while feeling numb from a 3+ hour daily commute and mandatory overtime， it might have struck a deeper chord—but maybe not。 This discussion of burnout and brainless work occurs in a space where the narrator is strangely blasé about her salary， and where she doesn't encounter social pressure to have a better job （à la Convenience Store Woman）。 It's the friction between not wanting （or being able） to work and having to work that usually drives this type of story， or makes it relatable。 Without financial or social pressures， or a sharper look at the narrator's home life， it's as though these jobs occur in a vacuum， which may be why the narrative struggles so hard for momentum。I'm torn on this book。 On one hand， I understand that the narrator specifically seeks out non-stimulating work and therefore a non-stimulating story might be inevitable， but there's something a little too dull about the presentation。 The language strikes an odd tone—both stilted and casual—and events are narrated from a distance。 Part of this is because the narrator is hesitant to get too involved with any job。 However， the language doesn't liven up very much even when she does get more involved with her job or coworkers。 It's also hard to visualize events。 There's a lot of talk of going places and doing things but comparatively few descriptive elements。 It's written more like， "I did this and then I did that。"Near the end of a few chapters， the tone is warmer because the narrator can't help involving herself and caring （to varying degrees） about each job。 In the second chapter （my favorite）， she works for an ad agency and is told to watch for "things appearing that shouldn't be there。" This chapter might be a little too surreal when compared to others， but the mysterious element gives it a much-needed spark。 The cracker-packet job was also interesting because it offered the most insight into the narrator's interior life and her way of managing job-related stress。 This job requires her to research and write themed trivia and advice for the backs of cracker packets， and she swings between taking satisfaction in her work and indulging her feelings of self doubt。Overall: 2。7 （out of 5。0） The comparisons to Convenience Store Woman set an unfair bar for this book。 There's less here in terms of humor and vibrancy， but the stories might be more engaging if they were trimmed a bit （I don't think I read any of them in a single sitting， which is unusual for me）。 The nature of these five jobs leads to repetition， of course， and while this book isn't meant to be action-packed， there's a way to discuss mundane things that isn't mundane。NB: This book was provided for review by the publisher， Bloomsbury USA （via NetGalley）。 。。。more
Katey Outka
，
I've seen some other reviewers lamenting the comparison of this book to "Convenience Store Woman" and "My Year of Rest and Relaxation。" Sure， it's not an exact parallel， but this book *feels* the same as those books - and I loved it in the same way。 There was something so uncomfortable and unexpected about the narrator， and her decisions kept surprising me - but at the same time， she felt familiar。 So many of my questions while reading were never answered， which will leave me thinking about this I've seen some other reviewers lamenting the comparison of this book to "Convenience Store Woman" and "My Year of Rest and Relaxation。" Sure， it's not an exact parallel， but this book *feels* the same as those books - and I loved it in the same way。 There was something so uncomfortable and unexpected about the narrator， and her decisions kept surprising me - but at the same time， she felt familiar。 So many of my questions while reading were never answered， which will leave me thinking about this book for a while。。。 。。。more
Anthony Gerace
，
Absolutely incredible。 This book functions as a lovely companion to Hilary Leichter’s “Temporary” （or maybe vice versa， as this was originally written in 2025）， but comes at the subject matter from a lightly magical， somewhat resigned place that feel melancholy without being “sad”。 In fact the book is deeply strange once you get into it， tackling wellness cults， magical thinking， surveillance， both in watching and being watched， and imposter syndrome。 It’s a sprawling but small book and the endi Absolutely incredible。 This book functions as a lovely companion to Hilary Leichter’s “Temporary” （or maybe vice versa， as this was originally written in 2025）， but comes at the subject matter from a lightly magical， somewhat resigned place that feel melancholy without being “sad”。 In fact the book is deeply strange once you get into it， tackling wellness cults， magical thinking， surveillance， both in watching and being watched， and imposter syndrome。 It’s a sprawling but small book and the ending is so perfectly satisfying in its optimism and criticism。 I wasn’t completely sold on Polly Barton as a translator after reading “Where the Wild Ladies Are” but her translation here is beautifully understated and I think captures the main character’s quest for meaning in work in a very satisfying way。 Highly highly recommend！ 。。。more
Monika
，
After our narrator experiences burnout， she decides to work only on easy jobs。 This book accumulates everything I love about Japanese literature – unusual characters， attention to detail， paradoxes， bizarre twists and mystery。 Although this book is not full of introspection – a feature I adore in literature – I absolutely loved following our protagonist， about whom I learn more with every new job。 Paradoxically， although she demands less and less adventurous jobs， she gets herself involved in va After our narrator experiences burnout， she decides to work only on easy jobs。 This book accumulates everything I love about Japanese literature – unusual characters， attention to detail， paradoxes， bizarre twists and mystery。 Although this book is not full of introspection – a feature I adore in literature – I absolutely loved following our protagonist， about whom I learn more with every new job。 Paradoxically， although she demands less and less adventurous jobs， she gets herself involved in various duties， such as playing psychologist while writing self-help advice， or doing a sort of detective job。 I don’t know what else I could ask from a book – it was entertaining and enriching， as I learned about Japanese workplace culture – a perfect blend of humour and the profound。 。。。more
Su
，
3。5
Susan J Steel
，
I loved this book， nothing big or exciting happens， but it is very well written， odd， strangely addicting。 If you like Haruki Murakami I think you'd like this book。 I loved this book， nothing big or exciting happens， but it is very well written， odd， strangely addicting。 If you like Haruki Murakami I think you'd like this book。 。。。more
Jenna
，
2021 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge #3: a non-European novel in translation。 2021 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: a book where the main character works at your current or dream job。 （You find out near the end what her “real job” is that she’s taking a burnout break from！）
Joe M
，
Japan has really cornered the market on offbeat， quirky workplace novels， and like its contemporaries such as Convenience Store Woman， The Factory， or even the quotidian pacing of many Murakami novels， There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job is another enjoyable entry in this tradition。 Rather than going with a more conventional novel format， Tsumura's book feels more like a serialization or collection of linked stories， albeit with some interconnectivity that weaves them together， and it's fun to Japan has really cornered the market on offbeat， quirky workplace novels， and like its contemporaries such as Convenience Store Woman， The Factory， or even the quotidian pacing of many Murakami novels， There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job is another enjoyable entry in this tradition。 Rather than going with a more conventional novel format， Tsumura's book feels more like a serialization or collection of linked stories， albeit with some interconnectivity that weaves them together， and it's fun to watch our unnamed heroine as she navigates a series of unusual jobs in search of self-discovery。 I loved the narrator's deadpan， self-deprecating humor and like the best repetitive tasks， Tsumura's writing has a real hypnotic and soothing quality to it。 While I wouldn't go so far as to call this book suspenseful， I was always curious to know what was going to happen next， and for a story about mundane temp jobs， There's No Such Thing is never dull， and frequently features surprising turns and small mysteries to unravel。 Oddly， this book also feels like perfect Covid-19 reading as for many of us enduring lockdown with the days repeating and blending into one another， the search for meaning in the mundane has become a big theme for 2021。 I quite enjoyed it for that， even if the book is content to never stray too far from the safe waters it's most comfortable in。 Several relevant， contemporary workplace issues crop up that are ripe for exploration， but the book always takes the route of light and humorous rather than digging into anything too deeply。 This might not be the most compelling book I read this year， but certainly an entertaining and memorable experience。 。。。more
Jamie Sands
，