There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job

By: Kikuko Tsumura, Polly Barton - translator

Narrated by: Cindy Kay

A young woman walks into an employment agency and requests a job that has the following traits: It’s close to her home, and it requires no reading, no writing, and, ideally, very little thinking.

Her first gig - watching the hidden-camera feed of an author suspected of storing contraband goods - turns out to be inconvenient. (When can she go to the bathroom?) Her next gives way to the supernatural: announcing advertisements for shops that mysteriously disappear. As she moves from job to job - writing trivia for rice cracker packages and punching entry tickets to a purportedly haunted public park - it becomes increasingly apparent that she's not searching for the easiest job at all but something altogether more meaningful. But when she finally discovers an alternative to the daily grind, it comes with a price.

This is the first time work by Kikuko Tsumura - winner of Japan's most prestigious literary award - and has been translated into English. There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job is as witty as it is unsettling - a jolting look at the maladies of late capitalist life through the unique and fascinating lens of modern Japanese culture.

©2021 Kikuko Tsumura (P)2021 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Relatable

As someone currently suffering from burn out this book spoke to me in a comforting way. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also each new job has a mini anomaly going on which was fun. My favorite was the first surveillance job.

A Marvelous Blend of Humor and Existential Reflection

What made this audiobook truly stand out was the seamless balance between Tsumura’s thought-provoking exploration of work life and Kay’s compelling voice acting. The way Kay brings life to the protagonist’s quiet moments of reflection, and the absurdity of her odd jobs, made the entire experience feel both intimate and profound. It’s rare to find an audiobook that captures the spirit of a story so well, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys slow-burning, introspective stories with a touch of humor and a focus on personal growth.

Cozy and off-beat

I loved this book. It was perfect for my mood at the moment. It’s great as an audio book because it’s several serialized mini-stories that all match a theme. The twists and unexpected and mysterious. I’d recommend to anyone looking for something comfy but a little different.

Good Vibes, Unusual Format, A Little Bit Bland

I just wanted to listen to something with a good narration voice and "clean" story. This pretty much hit the spot. 'There's No Such Thing as An Easy Job' is overall upbeat, and no vulgarities like insults or slurs are in it. Although it includes topics like smuggling, cults, and office gossip, nothing gets deep, dark, or upsetting. The story maintains intrigue by slowly introducing subtle, possibly supernatural mysteries for the main character to investigate, but most of the text is the main character's observations. The observations are often mundane, but they immerse you into the office job boredom. If you scrutinize the text, you can pick up on details about Japanese culture, but ultimately this is a story to relax not learn from. A lot of the story's mysteries are wrapped up too simply. The main character remains measured and peaceable throughout a continued barrage of similar workdays; it is an unusual depiction. The job roles for the side characters are unfortunately stereotyped by gender, but the characterization is relatively varied and realistic and therefore inoffensive.

my favorite audibook this year

i liked the narrator, the storyline didn't get boring to me at all, it was a fun listen!