Reviews with content warning for Cannibalism - Life Ceremony

Reviews tagging 'Cannibalism'

Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

160 reviews

weirdly_reading's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

anemosise's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

i loved so many of the concepts in these short stories, it's such a joy taking a (what mostly feels like a deeply personal) look into sayaka muratas head. my only complaint is that I wish some of the stories delved into their concepts a little bit more ferociously

Content Warnings

savvylit's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A

3.0

This collection was a mixed bag for me. The subject matter varied greatly. Not only that but many of the stories in Life Ceremony were too disturbing. I do appreciate the way that many of the disturbing qualities pushed me to reflect on cultural norms. That's one of the main reasons why I tend to love unsettling stories; heighten the creepiness and you can say so much about culture and routine. However - and perhaps I am too squeamish - some of the grotesque details in this collection were gross to the point of excess. I'm thinking particularly about the titular story Life Ceremony - I have never read so many cringe-worthy descriptions of coitus in my life.

As a whole, there were several stories in Life Ceremony that reminded me of Murata's novel, Convenience Store Woman. I truly loved her writing in both CSW and this collection - Murata has a distinctly keen insight into the oddities of daily life. Despite my ambivalence towards this collection overall, I still look forward to reading more of Murata's work in the future.

Content Warnings

pumpkinbread02's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.75

Content Warnings

theinkwyrm's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

aunticles's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

This author was recommended to me by a neurodivergent friend who related to her very strongly. Having read these stories, I can understand that. Being neurotypical, I felt it gave me an insight into that world. I thought the ideas were brilliant but I didn't really enjoy the execution or writing style. The tone throughout is naive, matter of fact, almost bland, and it contrasts starkly with the visceral body horror in some of the stories. I found that the discomfort outweighed the humour in the stories and Life Ceremony was almost too much for me. This collection is definitely worth reading but I can't say I enjoyed the experience.

Content Warnings

makoshark44's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

like any short stories collection this book has it’s good stories and not so good ones. i want to rate this higher just for life ceremony and the beginning stories in the book but there was a sense of lack that developed in the final few stories that shows it needed more work. this collection is thoughtful and very imaginative, not for those not looking for dark themes but really gave me a lot to learn about japanese class cultures and i would recommend the beginning and middle of the book to those who want imaginative short stories told exceedingly well.

Content Warnings