Sayaka Murata

"With Life Ceremony, the incomparable Sayaka Murata, whose Convenience Store Woman has now sold more than a million copies worldwide, returns with a brilliant and wonderfully unsettling collection, her most recent fiction to be published in Japan. In these twelve stories, Murata mixes an unusual cocktail of humor and horror and turns the norms and traditions of society on their head to better question them. 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 what it means to be a human in a world that often seems very strange, and offers answers that surprise and linger"--

Stories

Life Ceremony

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.

Karola

Mom always told me that sex education was important. "If you didn't know anything, you wouldn't be able to defend yourself" she said. So I had gone to class, but that didn't tell me anything about the "dirty" side of things, and it seemed there was plenty of that out there. 

Well, anyway, the world is but a brilliant mirage, a temporary illusion. I mean, it's an illusion you can only see now, so how about enjoying it to the full while you can?

傑恩

“His hand was giving shape to my outline as he stroked me.

“Sanae pictured the man. He’d been acting a bit weirdly, but that had made him look alive.”

“Toward life-forms, all she had was a yearning that left no room for hatred.”

“I mean, normal is a type of madness, isn’t it? I think it’s just that the only madness society allows is called normal.”

“The white liquid teeming with life was so pretty that I wanted to think it was the star sand itself.”

“Eating things you don’t like—that’s what enriches our existence, Kumi,” he said, and winked at her.”

I found myself feeling like a participant at this feast, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the sheer absurdity of this culinary chaos.

“The spread on the table now included the dishes from the magical city of Dundilas, the high-quality pouches of Happy Future Food, and the various insects.”

“A hundred years later, what would our bodies be used for? Would we be chair legs or sweaters or clock hands? Would we be used for a longer time after our deaths than the time we’d been alive?”

“I glanced down at my own nails. They looked identical to the ones on the chandelier. After I died, how lovely it would be to have them made into such a beautiful chandelier for someone to enjoy.”

akshita

normal is a type of madness, isn’t it? I think it’s just that the only madness society allows is called normal.

Everyone keeps telling little lies, and that’s how the mirage is created. That’s why it’s beautiful—because it’s a momentary make-believe world.

From the author of international bestseller “Convenience Store Woman” comes a collection of short fiction: weird, out of this world and like nothing you’ve read before.

An engaged couple falls out over the husband’s dislike of clothes and objects made from human materials; a young girl finds herself deeply enamoured with the curtain in her childhood bedroom; people honour their dead by eating them and then procreating. Published in English for the first time, this exclusive edition also includes the story that first brought Sayaka Murata international acclaim: ‘A Clean Marriage’, which tells the story of a happily asexual couple who must submit to some radical medical procedures if they are to conceive a longed-for child.

Mixing taboo-breaking body horror with feminist revenge fables, old ladies who love each other and young women finding empathy and transformation in unlikely places, Life Ceremony is a wild ride to the outer edges of one of the most original minds in contemporary fiction.

Klara Hansen 

“Do you think we're weird?" He shook his head. "No, I don't. I mean, normal is a type of madness, isn't it? I think it's just that the only madness society allows is called normal." 

"’but don't you think Naoki's sick? How come he's so neurotic about human materials?’ ‘I don't know. It's probably got something to do with having had a bad relationship with his father when he was little."

Beautiful section. The last story resonated a lot with me. 

Makes me think about overdue friendships, relationships, situationships where -- as they end, we say goodbye to a version of them that we will never exist again in our universe. They turn into a reminder of our old selves. Funny how sometimes, we say goodbye to people, without even truely realizing it.

Ceren

The easygoing, simple and cheerful Masashi had already been wiped out of our world. He might still exist somewhere where I'm not, but I would never meet him again.

People are more easily taken by ugly thungs, not lovely things. That's reality, they'll say,  that's the truth! Then they'll follow their imagination and follow a banal story to satisfy themselves, and they feel reassured.

Lindsay

I mean, normal is a type of madness, isn't isn't it? I think it's just that the only madness society allows is called normal.

Instinct doesn't exist. Morals don't exist. They were just fake sensibilities that came from a world that was constantly transforming transforming.

“Human hair is just the thing to wear for formal occasions, like meeting your future in-laws.”

“But it always was, wasn’t it? That’s what family is. Children always leave the nest,”

I’ll have to reference this story to shitty people all the time 

“People who always eat the same food are constantly missing out on the opportunity to learn, you see.”

Beneran nggak tau harus ngomong apa ketika halaman pertama langsung membahas kanibalisme /pos. Totally the topic i'm into. Please, give me more!

Aspen Moor

Eva Ströberg

Some stories are shocking and enchanting, some are downright boring with too much drivel. No matter what, Sayaka Murata's books are always fresh, discussing taboo topics as if it was an everyday issue.

life ceremony is a collection that makes you dive into it head first and stay there for a while, fermenting in its uncanny narratives and morality distortions. or, speaking in the concepts of life ceremony, it makes you want to merge with it, because this is precisely how the feelings of love, appreciation, and fondness are described in stories of sayaka murata. the author tests the limits of human laws and ethics and poses the important questions: what is normalcy? at what point does it turn into abnormality in society’s eye? and what should we do if our own sense of normalcy does not correspond to the one that is imposed on us by the society we exist in?

urbanistic tales of sayaka murata present a magnificent exploration of how easy it is to manipulate a person’s consciousness, what it deems to be rational and moral, and what it labels as barbaric and bizarre. here, the hearts of humans, cars, and concrete office buildings are beating in seamless harmony, with humans dissolving in each other and eating the city. the myths about the unity of man with nature, legends about the unsettling wild animals roaming around the country houses in mountains, memories of how the first life emerged from water, tales of shapeshifters — all of this is ingrained in our cells, and these concepts have to adapt to urban life with us, so that we give them new life, and they grant us their nostalgic comfort. 

 is splendid. its grotesque tenderness captivated me, so it’s safe to say that it became my favourite right away, followed by

“i mean, normal is a type of madness, isn’t it? i think it’s just that the only madness society allows is called normal.”

lily lily 

life ceremony is a collection that makes you dive into it head first and stay there for a while, fermenting in its uncanny narratives and morality distortions. or, speaking in the concepts of life ceremony, it makes you want to merge with it, because this is precisely how the feelings of love, appreciation, and fondness are described in stories of sayaka murata. the author tests the limits of human laws and ethics and poses the important questions: what is normalcy? at what point does it turn into abnormality in society’s eye? and what should we do if our own sense of normalcy does not correspond to the one that is imposed on us by the society we exist in?

urbanistic tales of sayaka murata present a magnificent exploration of how easy it is to manipulate a person’s consciousness, what it deems to be rational and moral, and what it labels as barbaric and bizarre. here, the hearts of humans, cars, and concrete office buildings are beating in seamless harmony, with humans dissolving in each other and eating the city. the myths about the unity of man with nature, legends about the unsettling wild animals roaming around the country houses in mountains, memories of how the first life emerged from water, tales of shapeshifters — all of this is ingrained in our cells, and these concepts have to adapt to urban life with us, so that we give them new life, and they grant us their nostalgic comfort. 

structure-wise, the story life ceremony is splendid. its grotesque tenderness captivated me, so it’s safe to say that it became my favourite right away, followed by puzzle and eating the city.

“i mean, normal is a type of madness, isn’t it? i think it’s just that the only madness society allows is called normal.”




Sayaka Murata, my GOAT of capturing humans through their taboos, you've done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all. My favorite stories from this collection are "A First Rate Material," "Two's Family," "Life Ceremony," and "Hatchling." Note that while I love Murata, I don't recommend her writing—except for her novella Convenience Store Woman—if any hint of body horror is not your cup of tea! 

alice

Lis Amorelli

** spoiler alert **
           I liked parts of it, but other parts, like the gratuitous description of eating a dead man’s flesh as if it were a normal supper in the titular short story was really uncomfortable to the point where I couldn’t finish the story, and skipped ahead to the next. 

Questioning your culture norms, and how we perceive others was an interesting topic point that I appreciated. Sayaka is a great writer, and I can’t wait to read more from her.

𓆨

i've tried multiple times to put that book down but i just couldn't and it's been a while since i enjoyed a book that much i missed that feeling, murata's one of my top favorite authors and always will be she's f**king amaaazing

Reviewing this book poses challenges, as some stories warrant a 5-star rating, while others fall slightly short. After careful consideration, I settle on a 3.5-star rating for the overall collection.

While I praised the translation work in 'Earthlings,' it proved less satisfying in this compilation. The simplicity of the translation, while not poor, left me craving more depth, especially considering the mature themes explored in the stories. Despite its advantage of easy readability, there is a palpable sense that the narrative complexity could have gleaned greater depth and richness from a more nuanced translation.

Adoring short stories that are easy to read, compelling, and impossible to forget—just like this one. It’s crucial to note that this may not be suitable for readers with a squeamish disposition due to its exploration of various themes.

Reviewing this book poses challenges, as some stories warrant a 5-star rating, while others fall slightly short. After careful consideration, I settle on a 3.5-star rating for the overall collection.

While I praised the translation work in 'Earthlings,' it proved less satisfying in this compilation. The simplicity of the translation, while not poor, left me craving more depth, especially considering the mature themes explored in the stories. Despite its advantage of easy readability, there is a palpable sense that the narrative complexity could have gleaned greater depth and richness from a more nuanced translation.

Adoring short stories that are easy to read, compelling, and impossible to forget—just like this one. It’s crucial to note that this may not be suitable for readers with a squeamish disposition due to its exploration of various themes.

fatru tamzil

that was a lot to unpack. to be honest, i liked the first stories VERY MUCH because it's bizarre and unsettling. for the latter stories, however, i find it more anti-climactic. but, upon sitting about it for awhile, it made me think more. 

all i can say is i love narratives told by women, every shapes and forms (and weirdness). 4/5 🌟

Athiyya adristi

Bizzare was the word of when i read Earthlings… but this was weirder. 

I’d say if anyone wanna start reading Sayaka Murata maybe start with Convenience Store Woman (for if you don’t prefer a disturbing and unsettling genre).

valentine

i feel like everything i wanted to say has been written in a review but i cannot wait to read more of sayaka murata’s works in the future

Grace M

Strange, sweet and simple. I will never not love a Sayaka Murata book!

I really enjoyed this book. It’s so weird and disgusting but at the same time I love the way her writing does this. My favourite short story is probably “Two’s Family” but man they were all good. 

Jeremy Wang

oh sayaka, i can’t tell if you’re actually weird or if you just never grew past eight years old. i’m leaning toward the former because there are some actual philosophical gems in this collection, but honestly half the stories read as if elon musk siphoned off a few million and paid an edgy kid to turn their favorite daydream into literature. 

all of these stories discuss the theme of naturality. for example: is it natural to treat the human body as sacrosanct? when it dies, why not eat it or use it to make furniture or clothing? why shouldn’t our buildings and cities be treated with as much reverence? sayaka interrogates every aspect of human society under this unflinching lens of “naturality”. 

i really resonated with hatchling and its chaotic confusion about identity. eating the city was a wonderful adventure until it adopted some earthlings-esque cultish overtones. and of course the titular story was sayaka at her cannibal-loving best. what a curious person.

oh sayaka. only you can write so indulgently about cannibalism and get away with it. 

charisa

Anyaconda

Another fabulous and thoughtful reading experience by Sayaka Murata.
What a trip! As it goes with short story collections, some I enjoyed more than others. That's why this only gets 4 stars. 
I really enjoyed "First Rate Material", "A Magnificent Spread", "Life Ceremony" and "Hatchling".

The topics are highly interesting and makes you question our culture, ethics, behavior and moral choices and how they might change over time.

I'm eagerly awaiting the author's next novel.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Leisha Chadwick

i just love sayaka murata, absolute weirdo

Probably one of the weirdest books I've ever read. Would recommend.

this blew my mind and changed how i see world. fuck the societal norms i guess.

Beautiful writing. The author has an amazing imagination and was able to pull the reader into different worlds. I did find this book a bit strange and often lost my appetite lol

Life Ceremony Stories

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