Life Ceremony: Stories Paperback – May 2, 2023

This book was cool the stories are very unique and extremely interesting

This collection of little gems is an easy read. The stories are beautifully translated and always thought-provoking, questioning assumptions and conventions.

The convenience store woman was better. I want to believe the next book she will write will be more appealing than this one.

deliverd as advertised

The short stories in this book range from surreal to speculative to whimsical to bizarre. Some are extreme and outlandish, while others are more subtle and quiet. All of them are reflective of human nature and societal norms, focusing on people who don’t quite fit into society’s boxes.This is where Murata shines, as her work often examines characters who are considered outliers or abnormal in some way. Each story focuses on a different aspect of societal norms, so there are a variety of themes covered throughout the pages of the book. Some are familiar topics, like gender norms, family roles, parenting, traditions, and careers. Others delve into more taboo subjects, like cannibalism, sexual awakenings, and the use of body parts after a person dies.Some of the stories were extremely relatable while others were a bit uncomfortable, and they were all fascinating. If you’re a fan of weird and bizarre, this is a book you’ll probably enjoy!

I couldn't stop reading very interesting.

Weird enough to be 'weird literature' without the supernatural; featuring bizarre people who seem almost real.

I really liked Convenience Woman and, to a lesser extent, Earthlings. I generally enjoy Murata's characters, who live outside the expectations or norms of society in some way, and her plainspoken, straightforward writing. Though the stories in this collection were mostly either underwhelming, tiresome in the way they felt redundant of themes already thoroughly explored in the two aforementioned novels without bringing something new and interesting to them, or so odd and disturbing that it was difficult for me to not be distracted during my reading experience or have to suspend disbelief to get through the stories. I was also a little bored because, most of the time, I was thinking about all of this instead of enjoying the stories.