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mementomoriiv's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Cannibalism and Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit and Excrement
eohzy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Vomit and Excrement
Minor: Incest
Not for the squeamish!catandherbooks's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
If you're weird and queer and have great taste in books read this!
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Excrement, Vomit, and Blood
lucyduller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Stalking, Excrement, Incest, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Death, Sexual assault, and Excrement
grunbean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Grief, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Death of parent, Ableism, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Vomit, Sexual content, Mental illness, Medical content, and Body horror
lidia7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
i enjoyed these stories the most: Body Magic, Hatchling
Graphic: Gore, Cannibalism, Excrement, Vomit, and Body horror
Moderate: Stalking, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Animal death, Cancer, and Sexual content
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, and Incest
m4rtt4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Cannibalism, Death, Sexual content, Excrement, and Body horror
Moderate: Incest, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, and Vomit
cuteling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Life Ceremony is a collection of 13 stories, some shorter - some longer, varying in topics going from furniture out of human remains, cannibalism, keeping a grown man as a pet, inanimate objects having feelings for a human being, obsession with bodily fluids, and overall just crazy and bizarre stories about the society and expectations people have for each other and how brainwashed everyone is.
In most stories there's a weird theme that's considered normal and the standard in that particular chapter and it highlights how society looks down on people that don't fit in or obey and become a "beneficial" part of the society.
I like how the book portrays basically the same message in most of these, because despite being about almost identical issues Sayaka manages to shine light on them in so many different ways and angles that they all feel very distinct.
Overall I recommend this book just would suggest reading it first with the order being
Life Ceremony (it gives you the best idea of what kind of a writer Sayaka Murata is, in my opinion)
-> Convenience Store Woman (shorter, milder compared to the other two, cleanses your pallet)
-> Earthlings (the most disturbing and strange of the three, HUGE TW for: pedophilia, incest, cannibalism, rape, domestic abuse, murder).
There were some stories that i wasn't particularly fond of, either because i didn't like the topic or found it a bit boring. On the other hand there were stories i absolutely adored with my favorite two being Body Magic and Puzzle!
I give it 4.25/5 ★.
Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Incest, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Excrement, Cannibalism, Stalking, Vomit, and Medical trauma
annagerman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Murata creates such bizzare and grotesque scenes, but with such ease and clarity, it's dissorienting.
I love her unique views on the subjectivity of morality and normalcy, human interactions and the weight of societal expectations.
My favorite stories were First-rate material, Eating the city and Hatchling. There were a couple more that were interesting or though-provoking. But as is expected in a collection of short stories, a few others just fell flat.
Usually what bugs me about short stories is that there is no time to develop the characters and explore deeper ideas. But with Murata, the abstract concepts and questions play a bigger part than the actual characters. Her characters are so bizzare and intense, that their belief system basicly defines them. So it actually works fine even in short story format.
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, and Excrement
edgaranjapoe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Sexual content, and Gore
Moderate: Death, Incest, Alcohol, and Vomit
Minor: Cancer, Acephobia/Arophobia, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Excrement, Homophobia, Stalking, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Animal death, and Blood