Sayaka Murata's book CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN is one of my favorite books--so much so that my students joke about how much I mention it. Murata's LIFE CEREMONY is every bit as brilliant and mesmerizing! Her first story "A First-Rate Material,” is phenomenal. I would buy the book just for that short story alone--but there are so many more here that are just as spectacular. I can't wait to see how my creative students react to these short stories. I've already started telling friends they need to pre-order this book STAT.

[3 Stars]

Some of these really worked for me (A First-Rate Material, A Magnificent Spread, Two's Family, + Life Ceremony), but the rest were sorta just duds. Outside of those listed above, I found most of these interesting but not particularly memorable. I still really enjoy Murata's writing though and want to see what else she puts out in the future

Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata. Thanks to Net Galley @netgalley and Grove Atlantic @groveatlantic for giving me a digital ARC of this short story collection.
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Sayaka Murata's writing, as always, is truly something else. If you know you know. Readers who are already fans of Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings won't need me to tell them that the stories in this new short story collection from Murata are deeply weird, often a bit uncanny or otherworldly, and centre around societal norms and pressures - as well as voluntary (or involuntary) non-conformity with those norms. Murata explores what it means to be a sack of flesh living in a society and all the expectations and deviations that come along with that. These stories are occasionally dryly funny, sometimes gruesome, always subversive. I can't wait for more.
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#lifeceremony #sayakamurata #shortstory #shortstories #recommendedread #reading2022 #readinggoals #shortfiction #netgalley #groveatlantic

A collection of weird and quirky short stories. The ones about eating human flesh and using body parts as decor were very uncomfortable to read.

A delightful trip through all the weird, uncanny worlds of Sayaka Murata. I've been meaning to check out more from this author ever since Convenience Store Woman, and it did not disappoint. My only issue is that the dialogue seemed a bit too contrived and unnatrual sometimes – not stylistically, because I had no problems with the translation, but instead it had more to do with what was being said. It felt a bit too much like "telling without showing". On the other hand, such weird conversations make sense considering the contents of the stories. All in all, a very successful collection.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Life Ceremony is my first Sayaka Murata novel and probably won't be my last. I have been eyeing off her work for a while and I am glad I chose Life Ceremony as my first exposure to her.

Life Ceremony is a collection of short stories all associated with how people conform to society. This book is a reminder of how we are shaped by what is acceptable in society and why that can be damaging to our own mental health and well being.
Each short story has a different take on challenging what is 'accepted'. I really enjoyed thinking about each concept Murata explored, whether it be cannibalism and comparing that to eating another animal or how we adapt to the people we associate with and how that end's in feeling lost in who you are.
Each story had something different to contribute and were relatively fast paced and fun. The beauty of short stories are, if you're not interested in one, you'll usually be onto the next one in less than 50 pages but I was lucky enough to avoid this with Life Ceremony.

4.5/5 ⭐️

"Morals don't exist. They were just fake sensibilities that came from a world that was constantly transforming"

Man, Sayaka Murata is a weirdo of the highest caliber and I love it.

I truly enjoyed Convenience Store Woman and have read it repeatedly so I was excited about this story collection. I was not disappointed about this strange world. Strange foods, 75 year old virgins, unusual 'pets'....the list goes on.

Reader should not go into this expecting to anything other than a few chuckles and some deep thinking. It's light but also you'll find yourself thinking about one of the stories a few weeks later. They stick with you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity.

Murata’s writing and approach to the world really shines in short story format! I loved how the themes of isolation from society and otherness ran through the whole collection, even as each story came at these ideas from different perspectives.
This would be an amazing pick for book clubs or buddy reads, so much potential for discussion.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Unfortunately, I really did not find this collection of short stories to be my cup of tea at all. The sensation of trying to get through this book was not unlike that of swimming through molasses. I felt like the story care much more about trying to shock and gross out the reader than attempting to tell an actual story. If you want to read something by Sayaka Murata, I think you’re better off checking out Convenience Store Woman.

as a huge fan of both 'convenience store woman' and 'earthlings,' I was really excited to have been given an ARC of murata's newest book thanks to netgalley and grove atlantic!

I wasn't really sure what to expect before reading this and I loved how each story just got stranger and stranger as you kept reading. murata has a certain way of writing about topics that aren't conventional and very outside the box in comparison to a lot of other authors I've books by, specifically short story collections. each story has some form of critique at what's considered "normal" or "abnormal" and they give off very similar vibes to both 'convenience store woman' and 'earthlings' ('life ceremony' is what you would get if you were to combine both of murata's previous books in a lot of ways)

I loved the idea behind this small collection of stories that only left you shocked and maybe even a little uncomfortable once you've finished reading each story. there's stories about people who use human teeth and bones for furniture or clothes, two elderly women who made a pact to live with each other if they never got married and a society that goes through a strange process to honor those who have passed on. but despite being such a huge fan of murata's writing and previous books, I wasn't really clicking with one. it may be to my own fault considering I read this in one sitting, compared to her previous books which I took a few days to read and sit with. this is definitely a book you'd want to read a story or two a day, think about it for a bit and then continue reading. murata's writing isn't for the faint hearted at times and will definitely leave you feeling a bit icky afterwards but in the best way possible

Sayaka Murata is out with her first short story collection after her short and reflective Convenience Store Woman and the weird and wonderful Earthlings. This collection of twelve stories highlights the human body in weird, grotesque, and funny ways. In multiple stories, new societal norms around the human body are contrasted with some lingering hesitation on adapting. One can view this as a potential future or fantastical society. Pieces of furniture and fashion made from human hair and bone are en vogue. In another, we learn about a society where when one dies, they have a life ceremony where their body is prepared and eaten by love ones, and ceremony attendees are encouraged to procreate, highlighting the circle of life. Bodies are broken down to their useful parts. Personalities are fractured in order to best fit in. The writing is evocative and intriguing, highlighting themes of friendship, love, life, and death. While some the stories may not be to everyone's taste, her writing is never boring, and I will continue to read whatever I can get my hands on from her.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

In her new book, Life Ceremony, Murata continues the tradition of writing about the strangest and most interesting members of society. A woman who only eats weeds, an office worker who thinks she's a building, a girl with 6 different personas, and many others.

One of my favourite stories was Two's Family about two elderly ladies who had agreed to live together if they don't get married by the time they're 30. They went through with it and had 3 children through IVF, and they've been "together" for 40 years. Another story I loved was Puff, told from the perspective of a curtain in a young girl's room which develops feelings for the girl's boyfriend.

Some of the stories explore what the world would be like if we had the tradition of making dead people into furniture, jewellery and other useful or beautiful things; or what it would be like if we ate our loved ones who'd passed as a way to celebrate their life.

In Life Ceremony, Murata remains true to her eccentricity, and while I do believe a longer format suits her style better, this collection of stories features some wonderfully bizarre ideas that aren't to be missed.

Life Ceremony comes out on July 5. Huge thank you to NetGalley, Sayaka Murata and Grove Atlantic for the advanced reader copy.

ife Ceremony consists of twelve short stories and let me tell you, they are harsh, unsettling, disturbing, and sometimes they are humorous too. Murata is an author who definitely has a very particular way to look at things and while her tone is like her other books, in Life Ceremony she presents a bold and aggressive writing style: attacking traditions, systems, and hierarchies.

Her characters are far from being considered conventional, as they defy societal norms, they do not fit in the mold established by contemporary society and tend to embrace freedom and leave social constructs behind.

Murata explores the concepts of normal and abnormal to show us the contrast between what we expect and what could happen in a constantly changing world. I found Life Ceremony to be particularly intriguing in its concept. As always, Murata makes a sharp analysis of social rules, of the situation of contemporary people and of women's identity. While I think this collection of short stories might not be for everyone, I recommend it to those who appreciate Murata's. This book will be published on July 5th.

Life Ceremony is a collection of twelve short stories by Sayaka Murata, an author who writes with sniper’s precision in a smart and straight way. Within a few phrases, settings are outlined and issues are raised, leaving readers draw their own (often uncomfortable) conclusions.

Each short story explores what is celebrated and what is suppressed by society (i.e. we celebrate life, honour the dead, and the human body is sacred, thus should not be harmed). These logic, reasoning, and values are applied closely in Life Ceremony, but ultimately lead to a total different set of practises. And these practises were at least uncomfortable, and horrifying at times, yet still very pausible within the given framework.

Sayaka Murata effectively demonstrates how odd, random, and rigid societal norms and standards can be. She exposes the arbitrariness of social construct and challenges to re-think what is considered normal and what’s not. I get that this book isn’t for everyone, and I wouldn’t recommend to read these twelve stories in one sit (I mean, you can, but you’d better not) but if you could get pass the unease and horror, you’d probably enjoy Life Ceremony wholeheartedly.

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic
for sharing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I do think the purpose was to entertain and shock, however much as I like strange fiction this felt like it was just for shock value and also all stories started to feel quite similar. I like what Sayaka Murata creates in her writing but I believe her other novels are where she shines. This collection was gross at times. Some stories were better than others , for example, I quite liked the closing story “Hatchling”. She is know to be a very off beat writer, its not for everyone but there will definitely be readers who love this collection for the boundaries it pushes. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the third book I read by Sayaka Murata and for my taste it was between Earthlings and Convenience store woman. I definitely enjoyed this book more than earthlings and a critique many people had for earthlings was that it was just doing too much at the same time in same story and not giving serious problems enough consideration. But writing her critique and parody on life aspects in short stories like in this book definitely worked out better in my opinion. I had a few problems with especially story 10 and 11 but this is expected since the characters in this book are meant to be weird. I really enjoyed the background we got on how irrational humans views often are. I must say though that with time and also having read her other books some themes get repetitive to me. We overall have 12 stories in this book, some I didn't like too much, some were okay and especially 'A First-Rate Material', 'Life Ceremony' and 'Hatchling' I really enjoyed. I would recommend this book to see if you want to keep on reading Sayaka Muratas books. I was able to make up my mind about my thoughts on the authors writing style. I don't think I would recommend this as the first book to read by her though, it hekped a lot understanding the stories, knowing the authors writing style already.
Overall I give this book a 3/5.

A mirror is supposed to tell the truth, to reflect back to its viewer an accurate representation of the self. A funhouse mirror elongates and shrinks that reflection, allowing the viewer to laugh at the distorted version of self it offers, funny only because it is a lie. With Life Ceremony (translated from the Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori), Sayaka Murata (Convenience Store Woman; Earthlings) has created a series of funhouse mirrors, each story in the collection pushing readers to reconsider what is true, distorting the image so completely as to open the viewer to new and unexpected perspectives.

The dozen stories are uniformly strange but delivered in a straightforward cadence that gives lie to the strangeness. They are also wildly readable, each story turning societal norms on their head and leaving readers wondering if maybe it would make sense to honor the passing of a loved one by preparing and sharing a meal from their remains (as is the case in the title story), or reflecting on the ways people will alter and adapt their personalities to fit different situations, as is so deftly explored in the closing story, "Hatchling." Each story displays a fine-boned architecture, a careful curation of details and paring away of the extraneous. The result is remarkable, the lean force of Murata's imagination rippling through each piece.

The opening story, "A First-Rate Material" demonstrates how Murata can unsettle what should feel indisputable. The story begins with a simple scene of several women enjoying afternoon tea, all delicate tarts and apricot jam and pink handkerchiefs, when Yumi turns to Nana and asks, "that sweater... is it human hair?" And when Yumi confirms it is, all the women delight in how luxurious it is and how expensive it must have been. Readers might agree with Nana's fiancé, Naoki, whose abhorrence of clothing and furnishings made from human materials is causing tension in their relationship. As the couple argues, however, Nana's attempts to make Naoki accept the norm may cause readers to wonder if she doesn't have a point, and by the end of the story, the whole idea, while still barbaric and absurd, feels somehow possible, perhaps even reasonable. This, then, is the magic Murata works in Life Ceremony, the impressive way she is able to destabilize a mirrored reflection of humanity, giving back a strange and wonderful truth.

*Thank you for the ARC!! All opinions are completely my own.**

3 stars. Grotesque, graphic, and strange.

BOOK BLURB (no spoilers): Sayaka Murata's bizarre worlds come alive in a strange blend of sci-fi and fiction short stories. Each story touches on different themes that are reprehensible and are truly not socially acceptable. The stories are gruesome, intimate, and straight up outlandish.

MY THOUGHTS (no spoilers): This was totally not my cup of tea. Although Sayaka Murata tackled quite bizarre and inappropriate themes, I didn't particularly feel that any of the stories had any emotional depth to them. The stories were very graphic and strange, but in a stomach-turning way. I would highly recommend any interested readers to take a look at the list of trigger warnings.

TLDR; Graphic, strange, and not my taste at all. I'd skip!

This would be my first book by Sayaka Murata, and I am excited to read her previous works! Life Ceremony includes 12 short stories, and the topics are mainly about life, such as death, love and diet. I finish this book in 2 days, and I really love some stories, the ones about death in particular. However, some stories are lack of strong characteristics, and I am slightly disappointed by that.

My personal favorite are "A First-Rate Material" and "Life Ceremony" - both stories are exploring the possibilities of human body after one's death. These two stories are very well-written and triggered my thoughts on death. People's perspective would constantly change, and what we think absurd now might become new normal in merely 30 years.

Other stories exploring a wider topics are also delightful, but it doesn't provoke that much thoughts afterwards. At the same time, a few stories are very short, and they're just not my cup of tea.

Overall, I would say it's a 3.5 to 4 rating of book: you'll find something you love, something you like, and something not too memorable. If you're a fan of short stories, this one definitely has some catch for you.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC, and I provided my honest review of this book.

A great selection of stories by an amazing author. I will read anything she writes. I loved her last 2 novels. Earthlings, being a favorite.