Reviews with content warning for Vomit - Life Ceremony

A real mix of stories, all weird, all confrontational, all wonderful. If you are uncomfortable with ideas that are a bit gross it could be a challenge to read. I really enjoy ‘weird’ books, and I was hooked on these stories. My favourites were Life Ceremony and Eating The City.

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weirdly_reading's review against another edition

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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

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anemosise's review against another edition

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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

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savvylit's review against another edition

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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.

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pumpkinbread02's review against another edition

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3.75

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aunticles's review against another edition

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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.

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arieslofi's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-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? Yes

4.5

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