A review by savvylit
Life Ceremony: Stories by Sayaka Murata

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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