"Inconvenient Convenience Store": Life affects life

"The Inconvenient Convenience Store" written by the Korean writer Kim Ho-ran became very popular as soon as it was published. It has received good reputation and has sold copyrights in many countries and is currently being adapted for film and television. This shows that this book has extraordinary charm.

The existence of convenience stores is to provide customers with a convenient shopping experience. However, the convenience stores in the book are very inconvenient, with few product styles, low prices, poor location, and promotion activities are not as good as other convenience stores and supermarkets. , so the convenience store’s revenue has been poor, but the store owner still insists on running the business because he wants to provide job opportunities for the clerks. These clerks are marginalized people and may not be able to survive if they lose their jobs, so the store owner wants to continue to provide them with part-time jobs. opportunity until they find better development. This convenience store, which is advertised as inconvenient, unfolds one life story after another, making people forget to leave, and each article brings infinite warmth to readers.

The novel begins when Ms. Lian, the owner of a convenience store, loses her wallet at the station. A street friend takes the wallet back from the person who took it away and returns it. In order to thank him, Ms. Lian lets him eat lunch at the convenience store every day. Later, because of the night shift clerk, After resigning, he simply hired this street friend to work in a convenience store. At first, he could not even speak, but he quickly became familiar with the operation of the convenience store. This homeless man lost his memory due to alcoholism. He could not even remember his own name and knew nothing about the past. He reluctantly started working in a convenience store and promised the store owner to stop drinking. Other store clerks and customers are quite critical of this street friend who has no past, but he quietly affects the people around him while rebuilding his life in the convenience store.

"The Inconvenient Convenience Store" is composed of eight short stories. Each story changes the perspective, linking one link to another, forming a complete story in which life affects life. Each short story is an independent story, and the central point is this mysterious street friend who calls himself "Dugu". The story begins with the store owner inviting him to work in a convenience store, then continues with the convenience store clerk, and then continues with the convenience store regulars and customers who have just moved to the neighborhood. The story continues all the way until it finally returns to Dugu.

Except for the shopkeeper, everyone was prejudiced against Dugu from the beginning. The shopkeeper hated this man who came out of nowhere to become his colleague. The customers were disgusted with this clumsy and nosy shopkeeper, but after getting along with him, After that, they were always touched by this man to the depths of their hearts. A word or an action would light up the dark corners, making them regain hope in life.

Everyone has their own troubles. It may be that they cannot meet the needs of their family members, or they may not be able to meet their expectations. It may be that they are ostracized in the company and not recognized when they return home. It may be that they have encountered bottlenecks in their creation and are considering closing their books. It may be that opportunities that they cannot afford suddenly appear in front of them when they continue to fail in life... When facing troubles, the parties involved always seem to be trapped in a dead end and can't find a way out no matter what. However, when they meet Dugu in a convenience store, they feel like they are in a state of confusion. During the initiation, the breakthrough point suddenly appears in front of you. As long as you clear away the fog, you will suddenly become enlightened.

What is the story behind this enlightened man? Why did he lose his memory due to alcoholism and become a street friend? The last two chapters gradually reveal the mystery of Dugu, but make readers feel reluctant to leave and want to continue reading the life story that happened in the convenience store. The interaction between Dugu and everyone is written movingly and delicately. Each short story has a subtle echo, using different perspectives to make the stories complementary and interconnected, which is very moving.

The story of "The Inconvenient Convenience Store" is not only healing, but also exposes many social problems, such as the gap between rich and poor, unemployment problems, interpersonal relationships, etc., making it easier for readers to resonate with it. The novel brings a heart-warming message: there is always a way out in life, and hope is ahead. Convenience stores are like gas stations, adding value to people. After taking a rest, they will naturally have the strength to keep going.

"Inconvenient Convenience Store" is definitely a heart-warming work. It is suitable for reading with a stick while drinking hot cocoa in the middle of winter. It will warm the heart and stomach.

Book title: "The Inconvenient Convenience Store"

Author: Jin Haoran

Publisher: Lonely Press

Date: 2022/9/1

Purchase e-book: https://moo.im/a/46noPX

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