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VANISHING WORLD is exactly what I wanted from a new Sayaka Murata novel. Weird, wild, unknowable, and gets under your skin. I put it down a few days ago and I'm still thinking about it, especially the bonkers ending. (If you've read it, can we please discuss??)

Set "in a version of Japan where sex between married couples has vanished and all children are born by artificial insemination," Murata expertly tackles the huge subjects of family, sex, self-love, obsessive celebrity love, and motherhood. And she does this all in a 200 page book which I read in two sittings over one Sunday.

In this parallel universe, husbands and wives marry each other for "family" only, meaning, they are just good friends who live together, pay bills together, and raise children together. However, they have no sexual relationship and if they did, it would be looked at as disgusting. It is clear that this metaphor about nuclear families versus romantic and physical love is something Murata grapples with, and seems to fit neatly into how Asian cultures have viewed sex and personal lives in the past decade. The book is outlandish, experimental, and filled with explorations on big topics. If you've read her other work, this is another must-read from her.

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This book just wasn't for me! It wasn't bad, and I think it's trying to say something interesting about family structures and how they change/develop over time, but it wasn't my thing. It will be a hit for people who are more into the vibe!

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Murata does not write for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Set in a futuristic world where artificial insemination is the norm and the concept of sex as love is being eradicated, our protagonist Amane is one of the last known people to be conceived of through physical procreation. Throughout the novel, Amane battles between the instincts she was instilled with as a child and the expectations of the new world as it advances in scientifically and societally. This novel had me debating the morality of the modern family structure and whether a different world is inherently "wrong" - and what that even means. This novel was a mind bender like so much of Murata's work, with moments of tenderness, laughter, and deep unsettlement that I would not recommend to all.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I could not stomach this story. Murata loves to write strange stories, and I have enjoyed her other books, but I just couldn't force myself through this one. The premise is very interesting, and I'm sure others would enjoy it. But the strange sexual scenes were too much for me.

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I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I thought the concept of this story was really unique. and I enjoyed it. On the other hand, there is a lot of dialogue and it felt a pretty repetitive over the course of the book.

read this if you enjoy: Dystopian/Utopian, human reproduction, sexuality, deadpan tone, weird, reflective,

Many thanks to Netgalley & Grove Atlantic | Grove Press for sharing a digital copy, as always, opinions are my own.

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This was one of the strangest books I’ve ever read but in that very particular way only Sayaka Murata can pull off. Disturbing, thought-provoking, weirdly tender, and utterly unique.

Set in a world where the very concept of family and intimacy has been reimagined — marriage reduced to a practical partnership, siblings expected to share financial burdens, sex slipping into taboo — Vanishing World pushes the boundaries of what we think of as “normal.” Birth rates plummet, love becomes clinical, and the creation of life is left to artificial means. It’s a society at once utopian and deeply unsettling.

Murata explores themes of parasocial relationships, societal conditioning, and the quiet horror of human disconnection with her trademark matter-of-fact prose. It’s a book that asks, what actually defines family? Why do we cling so fiercely to traditions that, from the outside, might seem arbitrary?

I was fascinated and unnerved in equal measure. Some parts (especially involving children) were genuinely disturbing and pulled me out of the story a bit, which kept this from being a full five-star read. But I loved how Murata weaves the absurd with the painfully human — making you question everything you take for granted.

Short, sharp, and absolutely bizarre. I’m still turning it over in my head. Fans of Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings will likely find this a perfect addition to Murata’s deeply unsettling little universe.

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The story of a world where marriage is supposed to be sexless and copulation is looked upon as incest, where the world is moving on from sex, where having a lover outside of your marriage is the norm, and watching as Experiment City, a place true to its name, is gradually filled with test subjects and children born there are children of the community, who call said test subjects ‘Mother’ irrespective of what gender they are, and where science and technology have progressed to the point where men can now give birth too.

Vanishing World is, like Sayaka Murata’s other books, a commentary on what society is and what is normal at any given point in time. She does not hold back when she’s making a point, because our reaction to what she’s about to say is kind of the whole point.

This is a jarring book in many ways—it will rip apart your ideas of ‘acceptable’, it will make you uncomfortable, it will make you wonder, it will give you food for thought that will have you going, “that’s true tho!” It is stark and sometimes uses childlike language, perhaps to prove something that you’ll understand as you read the book.

But it isn’t without its problems. It can get repetitive, and even with using the language it does, it can get a bit much, it can make you gag and wrinkle your nose with distaste. You have to remember, though, that this is a social commentary of sorts, so it’s not an endorsement of what’s happening in the story. Just a what if.

What I reacted to pretty strongly though, is the end. It almost brought up my whole dinner and I’m shaken and yucked out to my max. Yikes. Big yikes.
To the point where I don’t know if I’ll be recommending this book, even though I see some of its points 🥴

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For a modern version of Brave New World, but in a world that’s nearer current reality, look no further. Or rather, do look further (always look further!), but this is one to add to your reading list. It’s compelling, unsettling and utterly fascinating.

Vanishing World was the perfect combination of speculative fiction and a glimpse into Japanese culture as it is now. Murata has simply exaggerated current and projected Japanese attitudes and societal trends. These include finding a partner using matchmaking parties, the ‘sexless marriage’, low birthrates, turning a blind eye to extramarital affairs, increasing numbers of young people who are asexual or men who are obsessed with teenage pop bands, and so on and so forth. In modern Japan, the world vanishing is the old idea of the nuclear family, which is already often a myth. In Vanishing World, Sayaka Murata imagines a post-WWII Japan where artificial insemination became the norm to ensure rapid repopulation, severing the natural link between sexual intercourse and reproduction. In this world, not so different from our own, teenagers are fitted with contraceptive devices to free them from the worry of pregnancy. But in the meantime, physical sex has come to be considered messy and disgusting, so pregnancy becomes something that only happens by design. This leaves our protagonist, Amane, with a feeling of split personality because her mother did conceive her by ‘copulation’ and teaches her about romantic love, concepts which fuel Amane’s fantasy and leave her seeking out likeminded partners, setting her outside the mainstream. It is also a point of conflict with her mother, who cannot accept the new societal norms.

I had somehow never read Surata Murata’s much hyped Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings, but had heard so much about them, I jumped at the chance to read Vanishing World as a digital ARC from NetGalley. This is my unbiased review. The book has since been published in English, though it was originally published in Japanese in 2015, before the other two. The translation by Ginny Tapley Takemori is flawless.

When children find out about sexual intercourse, their first reaction is often disgust, followed by declaring that their parents never did anything so revolting. That is essentially the stage reached by the Japanese society in this book. Add to that the oft-repeated sentiment that no children would be born if men had to give birth and you already have two of the elements of Murata’s story. She imagines an asexual, childlike society where sexual intercourse is considered a perversion, many people’s fantasy love lives are centred on characters from anime or literature and marriage is a mutually supportive contract to ensure a stable basis for raising a family. No sex please, we’re married! Extramarital affairs are entirely acceptable, but also usually completely sexless and platonic. Bored with your platonic friend? Break up and move on.

My favourite type of sci-fi, speculative fiction or dystopia is based in reality with a twist. It takes current trends, some of which may have disturbing undertones, and pushes it just that little bit further into the realms of the imaginable possible. In Vanishing World, Sayaka Murata takes the themes of love and families and pushes the boundaries of what is currently happening in Japan just that little bit beyond today’s norms and imagines a society that is recognisable but decidedly peculiar. Then, for a final twist of the screw, she ups the ante to imagine an ‘uncanny valley’ experimental society. In Chiba Experiment City, family bonds are completely shattered as a result of an ongoing societal and scientific experiment that is so radical that outsiders need special permission to cross the border and there is a constant barrage of propaganda sent into the outside world to justify their methods. It’s an experiment one could imagine being worked on at this very moment by a secretive group of unscrupulous scientists with dubious ethics. Or is it a utopian experiment akin to a kibbutz or a commune, with an extra futuristic scientific element? None of this is impossible. But Murata takes it further: they are developing an artificial external uterus so that men can carry a child. The only thing I missed here, both inside Chiba Experiment City and beyond, was the process of giving birth itself. Virtually all babies are created by artificial insemination (so clean!), but what about the messy process of giving birth?

This is a book I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in speculative fiction or in modern Japan. Despite the emphasis on sexual politics, it isn’t sexually explicit, except for one scene where Amane and a teenage boyfriend attempt sexual intercourse following the diagrams in a biology textbook, which is funny rather than sexy. Masturbation is mentioned rather than described, except as an odd sensation which Amane experts while looking at her favourite heartthrob anime character.

Content warning: self harm, attempted suicide, miscarriage

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This book took a little bit to get into it. The book is based around very strange concepts and ideals completely different to what we are used to. Quite often the book left me feeling unsettled and uncomfortable - but not in a bad way.

I think I'd recommend this book if you're looking for something different to read but for me this one didn't hit the mark to be rated any higher. I will say it left an unsettling mark on me once I had finished it though.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Murata is an autobuy/auto-read author for me, and I have enjoyed all of her writing thus far. That being said, this is definitely my least favorite.

Vanishing World sets us in a not-so-far-off dystopian universe where physical romance, even physical intercourse to create human life, is looked down upon and even considered taboo, antiquated, and frankly nasty. This world has opted for parasocial relationships with fictional characters, communal raising of children, and artificial wombs.

As someone who is child-free, this narrative intrigued me in theory; however, the delivery on this one, unfortunately was just too dissociative i felt, albeit purposeful, i suspect. It just fell flat and was too sterile to connect with the story.

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Sayaka Murata is clearly a super talented and interesting writer with so many unique ideas and I love her for that. This book, however, maybe was the nail in the coffin for me that maybe her books are generally not for me. The premise was interesting but perhaps it is something in the translation that gets lost in her books for me. I did not think this was a bad book at all but I just don’t know if I am the target audience.

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This was weird and wonderful (wonderfully weird?) as is usual with this author. It is a lesson in non-conformity, in thinking with our own heads, in researching and making informed choices.

It is easy to change the ways of the world, and accept as the norm something that is really not natural, and we, as a species, have done it time and again.

I really enjoyed it and recommend it to all those that love to think, to imagine different worlds, and to resist the norm.

It will also appear on my blog, on the 2nd of July. You can see it here

https://peixinhodepratablog.wordpress.com/

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Vanishing World offers a compelling blend of sharp social commentary and intimate storytelling. The novel explores themes of modern alienation and the search for belonging, all wrapped in Murata’s signature succinct and evocative prose. While some readers might find the pacing a bit slow at times, the depth of her characterizations and unflinching observations make it a rewarding read. It’s not her most accessible work, but for those interested in thought provoking narratives and nuanced humor, this book is a solid choice. Overall, thought provoking and beautifully written, even if it demands some patience.

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Vanishing World was my first read by Murata and I know it won’t be my last…. But I also know it won’t be my favorite. This book didn’t quite hit the mark for me - I found the pacing to be a bit odd and the writing was a bit too choppy for my liking… which is a shame because I love a good, weird book.
The best way to describe this is as the least sexual book I’ve ever read that is exclusively about sex.
This book made me feel awkward and uncomfortable, and for that, I’ll give it three stars because it genuinely takes a lot to catch me off guard and I guess you could say this one did.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review…. I’m sad that it wasn’t the book for me but I’m looking forward to giving her another try soon ;)

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I was really intrigued by the premise of Vanishing World and had high hopes going in. The concept had so much potential, and I can see how it might resonate with the right reader. Unfortunately, the style and pacing didn’t quite click for me, and I found it difficult to stay engaged. While I ended up setting it aside before finishing, I recognize that every book has its audience—and this one simply wasn’t for me. I appreciate the author’s ambition and the themes explored, even if the execution didn’t fully land in my experience.

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Murata's Vanishing World will leave you questioning what we humans deem 'normal'. Wondering how far can humans stray from what we deem socially acceptable today. This book explores themes of intimacy, family and social normality. Once I started reading this, I couldn't stop talking about it. The ending of the story at first left me unsettled. After pondering on how the final part ties in to the rest of the novel, I'm somewhat content. Murata is not here to make us comfortable, she is here to raise questions, and have her audience sit in the uncomfortable chaos.
Thank you Grove Atlantic for the ARC!

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"Is there any such thing as a brain that hasn't been brainwashed? If anything, it's easier to go insane in the way best suited for your world."

3.5*

In typical Murata fashion, Vanishing World is a book that puts societal norms under a microscope. Murata wonders what our motivations are for doing the things that we do- is it really our nature as humans, or is it just what we've been conditioned to do over time? Humans are always going to be able to adapt to whatever the new social norms become, and eventually the old things we used to think were normal will become weird and outdated. To the point where those things are so foreign to us, it's comical that we used to think they were normal.

Vanishing world is an exaggerated exploration of that, but it's pretty interesting to think about it as a sociological experiment/phenomenon. I love how Murata's characters (in Convenience Store Woman, Earthlings, and Vanishing World) loudly and often violently question the world around them. They're little freak weirdos for sure, but I love the way they try to stay true to who they are and fight against what people say they're "supposed" to want. That said, I feel that this novel is the weakest (or at least my least favorite) of the three. The world building is confusing, and the characters seem to contradict themselves often. I like the overarching themes but I had a hard time grasping onto details and character motivations.

Murata's musings on family vs love in the first two sections of the book are really interesting, but I thought there lacked some nuance in these discussions because they felt so compartmentalized. Like they absolutely could not ever coexist together- all of the decisions you make, or the reason you decide to marry, is in pursuit of love or family. These characters seem to have opinions on which is better or more valuable than the other. I think these critiques are valid and interesting and have merit, but I didn't love the black and white thinking surrounding them.

What really struck me in this book was the idea of fictional characters being so important to people, to go so far as to say they shape who you are and who you become in life. The love you have for them molds you and they live on inside of you, even after your time with them is through. The story takes it to another level of idolization for sure but there are so many parallels that could be made here with fictional characters and even the idea of celebrity in our society today. Loved this so much but I struggle to see how exactly it fits in with the other themes of family/love. I think the connective tissue here is the idea of loneliness. But it didn't always feel like there were strong segues into discussing these ideas versus the others.

Love a book that makes me think! It's lit fic summer baby! This wasn't my favorite Murata but I really like all of her weird little books and I think I'll keep reading them as long as they keep getting translated for silly little English speakers like myself.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Vanishing World is out now.

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*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

This would've been a 3 star review had the ending been better. The ending made me sick to my stomach and I pondered giving the book only 1 star because of it. I'm disgusted.

In "Vanishing World" the author imagines a Japan where bodily love & sex have been made redundant. Children are conceived via IVF by partners who are not in any way intimate with each other, kissing your husband, for example, is considered incest. Sex has become an embarrassing thing of the past. Our protagonist is obsessed with it even though she never has any good sex at all. She also seems to be obsessed with having a child herself but lacks any other motivation apart from doing what society expects of her. While I found the book's novum and world building fascinating, I disliked the protagonist more and more and I loathed the ending of the book. This would've been a strong book without this pedophilia vibe even though it reminded me of Brave New World in parts.

2 stars

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set in the near-future Japan, Vanishing World paints an image of a society where natural sex and biological parenthood are taboo. In this world, children are created via artificial insemination and communal child-rearing is the norm.
The protagonist, Amane, has a shock when she discovers she was conceived naturally. Because of that she is considered an oddity and struggles with forbidden desires in a world that deems intimacy as "unclean".
Murata uses her trademark deadpan, darkly comedic voice to bring this sterilized way of living to life, and it is both disturbing and hilarious.
I really enjoyed this book, it was my first ever Sayaka Murata novel, but I will definitely check out her other books!

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This book was so strange, so eerie, but so good?! It offers the reader so much to think about regarding sex, gender, and societal norms. I really enjoyed this one!

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