'Life Ceremony' by Sayaka Murata is a collection of twelve short stories that are harsh, unsettling, disturbing, and sometimes humorous. The stories range from surreal to speculative to whimsical to bizarre, reflecting human nature and societal norms while focusing on characters who defy societal norms and do not fit into the mold established by contemporary society. Murata's writing style is bold, aggressive, and thought-provoking, attacking traditions, systems, and hierarchies while making a sharp analysis of social rules, contemporary people's situations, and women's identities.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Life Ceremony include descriptions and themes of cannibalism, body horror, sexual awakening, and unsettling depictions of social and familial norms.
From The Publisher:
The long-awaited first short story-collection by the author of the cult sensation Convenience Store Woman, tales of weird love, heartfelt friendships, and the unsettling nature of human existence
With Life Ceremony, the incomparable Sayaka Murata is back with her first collection of short stories ever to be translated into English. In Japan, Murata is particularly admired for her short stories, which are sometimes sweet, sometimes shocking, and always imbued with an otherworldly imagination and uncanniness.
In these twelve stories, Murata mixes an unusual cocktail of humor and horror to portray both the loners and outcasts as well as turning the norms and traditions of society on their head to better question them. Whether the stories take place in modern-day Japan, the future, or an alternate reality is left to the reader's interpretation, as the characters often seem strange in their normality in a frighteningly abnormal world. In "A First-Rate Material," Nana and Naoki are happily engaged, but Naoki can't stand the conventional use of deceased people's bodies for clothing, accessories, and furniture, and a disagreement around this threatens to derail their perfect wedding day. "Lovers on the Breeze" is told from the perspective of a curtain in a child's bedroom that jealously watches the young girl Naoko as she has her first kiss with a boy from her class and does its best to stop her. "Eating the City" explores the strange norms around food and foraging, while "Hatchling" closes the collection with an extraordinary depiction of the fractured personality of someone who tries too hard to fit in.
In these strange and wonderful stories of family and friendship, sex and intimacy, belonging and individuality, Murata asks above all what it means to be a human in our world and offers answers that surprise and linger.
Ratings (13)
Incredible (5) | |
Loved It (6) | |
Liked It (2) |
Reader Stats (45):
Read It (14) | |
Want To Read (27) | |
Not Interested (4) |
1 comment(s)
I LOVED these stories. I didn't realize going in it was multiple short stories and was so happy to find this out. The stories were SO good, I was sucked in with the first page. (I listened to the audiobook and loved it)
What can you read after
Life Ceremony?
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