Reviews with content warning for Gore - Life Ceremony

Buckle up, because Murata is going to take you for a ride in this collection of short stories. They’re just as provocative as her previous works in the way they openly challenge societal norms. I can definitely see how Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings came to be from some of these stories (especially Earthlings).

Like many short story collections, I found some more engaging than others. I also thought the longer stories were far more interesting, but that’s likely because Murata had more space to develop her ideas—

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kavarnistka's review

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reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

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leonineliterature's review against another edition

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inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

Amazing short story collection! I absolutely loved every wild ride - and each of the stories really was a wild ride.

I'll certainly return to this book and reread my favourites again! I especially enjoyed "A Magnificent Spread", "Two's a Family", "Life Ceremony", "Body Magic", "Eating the City", and "Hatchling". Impressive to find so many favorites in a collection of short stories!

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katielou22's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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jackjadeson's review against another edition

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dark funny fast-paced

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

3.75

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icarusandthesun's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

i mean, normal is a type of madness, isn't it?

this book explores possibilites, ideas, wild concepts and social constructs. it's a mess—sometimes sickening with themes like cannibalism and incest—but soooo interesting in terms of social commentary and sheer creativity.
weirdly reassuring and comforting if you've ever felt like you didn't belong.
also, murata's writing is fantastically addictive.

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