Hmmmm... what the heck did I just read?!
Life Ceremony is a collection of short stories which range from fairly weird to extremely bizarre!
Tw - this does contain stories about cannibalism.
Personally I love weird and wacky stories!

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"Life Ceremony" by Sayaka Murata is a collection of short fiction that defies conventions and takes readers on a surreal and thought-provoking journey. Murata's stories delve into the strange and the bizarre, challenging societal norms and exploring the human psyche in ways that are both unsettling and captivating. From unconventional relationships and body horror to feminist revenge tales and the exploration of identity, these stories push the boundaries of contemporary fiction. Murata's unique narrative style and ability to tackle taboo subjects make "Life Ceremony" a compelling and unforgettable read that will leave readers pondering the intricacies of human existence and society's expectations.

If you want a blend of Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings then this is the book for you. Some stories are social commentary on the way we live our lives, and others are that plus gross gory thought experiments about the potential futures.

I was so excited to receive this ARC as I read Convenience Store Woman at the start of the year and absolutely loved it. I was apprehensive as I am not often the biggest fan of short story collections but this was so different from anything else I have read and so utterly and wonderfully bizarre. Have recommended this to so many people!

Life Ceremony is the first collection of short stories by Sayaka Murata to be translated into English.

Having read both Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings by this author I knew I was in for a bit of a wild ride. Previous reviews I spotted for the book have once again described her writing as “not for everyone” and I would repeat that. The stories in this collection are a bit “off the wall”, and I don’t think I have ever whispered “WTF” to myself as much as I did while reading this collection.

In the title story Life Ceremony we are introduced to a future society where upon death the deceased is not buried or cremated, but eaten at a lavish ceremony which ends with people choosing a partner to try and procreate with. In another story A First Rate Material an engaged couple fight over the fact that they cannot agree about whether to use furniture and clothes made from human remains – which is known to be the height of fashion. The would-be brides friends often remark about how strange it is that her boyfriend refuses to buy here jewelry set in human bone.

We also have stories about wild foraging, loving bedroom soft furnishings and purposely marrying someone who you have no emotional connection with, just to have an easy life. And more!

What reality these stories are set in is never very clear. In Life Ceremony the protagonist talks about how when she was a child she joked about eating someone and everyone was shocked and thought she had something wrong with her, yet in “today’s society” if you DON’T eat people (as she refuses to) there is something wrong, but there is little to no reference to anything from “now”.

So, yes, this is probably the weirdest collection of short stories I have ever read. At times it was difficult to read it while eating – see cannibalism – but I found almost every story fascinating. A brilliant collection.

*My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review. Apologies that it took me far too long to get to it.

I have enjoyed Sayaka Murata in the past and needed to read these short stories. They did not disappoint. Full of the quirky worlds that seem so real and push you to consider many different aspects of how humans engage with the people around them.

Thank you NetGalley and Granta Books for the eArc.

Modern Japan’s most punk and exciting author returns, this time with a short story collection titled Life Ceremony.

“In these twelve stories, Murata mixes an unusual cocktail of humor and horror to portray both the loners and outcasts as well as turning the norms and traditions of society on their head to better question them.

Whether the stories take place in modern-day Japan, the future, or an alternate reality is left to the reader’s interpretation, as the characters often seem strange in their normality in a frighteningly abnormal world.

In “A First-Rate Material,” Nana and Naoki are happily engaged, but Naoki can’t stand the conventional use of deceased people’s bodies for clothing, accessories, and furniture, and a disagreement around this threatens to derail their perfect wedding day.

“Lovers on the Breeze” is told from the perspective of a curtain in a child’s bedroom that jealously watches the young girl Naoko as she has her first kiss with a boy from her class and does its best to stop her.

“Eating the City” explores the strange norms around food and foraging, while “Hatchling” closes the collection with an extraordinary depiction of the fractured personality of someone who tries too hard to fit in.” – Grove Atlantic

A collection of short stories that I have enjoyed while being completely baffled about the culture.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for my honest review

Let me preface this by saying that I love weird books and short stories, so this was always going to be right up my street. This was gross but in a good way, and I really enjoyed how Murata challenged societal norms throughout each story. It's hard for me to select a favourite story as each one had something so wonderfully bizarre for me to enjoy.
I can appreciate why some might not enjoy Murata's writing style and the content of her stories, but I really enjoyed Life Ceremony. Excited to read more from her now!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Sayaka Murata does it again with her shocking but very gripping book, a collection of Horror stories.

Murata takes all the taboo topics in our society and world and flips them that they are normal in their retrospective stories. In one, when people die, their bodies are used as furniture and more. Another, people get eaten when they die.

The stories are very off-putting but there is really something magnificent how Murata can take these uncomfortable topics and make it something you can't help but keep read and wonder what if life was different and this was the norm?

If you liked Earthlings, you'd enjoy this one but it's is very different to the authors Convenience Store Woman so be prepared!

Definitely a lot more out there than Convenience Store Woman but another excellent book from Murata.

After the absolute chaos that was Earthlings, I knew i had to request this.
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Granta for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review:
Plot- The book is a collection of short stories, each one more wild than the previous and i absolutely loved every second of this. Most of the stories follow strange feelings of females or ideals pushed upon them as a society and it's really interesting to see these taken to the extreme in such a futuristic forward and honest way, which is probably why i enjoy the craziness of these. Definitely kept guessing during some of the stories.

World building-each indvidual short story is well built and written, with all being extremely fast paced.

Characters- each stories character(s) were really well thought out and written, with great development and just so well done.

Final Thoughts,
Absolutely chaotic short stories i absolutely loved and would definitely recommend if you want something different, with punchy short stories you can dip in and out of.

I'm not always a fan of short stories but with Sayaka Murata being an all time favourite author I knew that I had to give this a go, and wow did this blow my exceptions away. Seven pages in and I felt a strong feeling of disgust and yet was compelled onto the next story. This book explores morality and what the behaviours that society finds acceptable or palatable and just how easily these thing ca change. With a strong focus on death and how we treat the dead and how this reflects how we treat and view the living and the value of life this book of sort stories will have you contemplating you own morality and whether it's a good thing to just accept what society tells us or risk looking like an outcast. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed Tender is the flesh and want's something with a similar theme.

Sayaka Murata never misses with her horrifying, unhinged reads. I've enjoyed her transition from Convenience Store Women to darker, more disgusting topics! I would buy this for all the lovers of horror in my life.

Life Ceremony by Japanese writer Sayaka Murata is a unique and thought-provoking novel that explores the concept of ritual and ceremony in contemporary Japanese society. The story follows the protagonist, an office worker named Yoriko, as she becomes increasingly disillusioned with her mundane existence and seeks meaning and connection through various rituals and ceremonies.

One of the novel's strengths is Murata's vivid and immersive writing, which brings Yoriko's world to life in rich detail. From the elaborate tea ceremonies to the simple acts of gardening and cooking, the book is filled with descriptions of rituals and ceremonies that are both fascinating and meaningful.

The novel also raises important questions about the role of tradition and ritual in our lives, and the ways in which we can use these practices to connect with others and find meaning in our existence. Yoriko's journey is both poignant and relatable, and readers may find themselves reflecting on their own relationship with ritual and ceremony as they read.

While the novel's themes are universal, some readers may find it difficult to relate to the specifically Japanese cultural context in which the story is set. I am fascinated by this topic and have worked in Japan on two occasions, so I loved this experience.

Life Ceremony is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that will appeal to readers who are interested in exploring the intersection of tradition, ritual, and modern life.

This short story collection won’t surprise you too much if you’ve read Murata’s novel Earthlings, but be ready for a little gore and creepiness.
Several short stories make up Life Ceremony, including the self-titled one.
Its not clear whether the stories all take place in the same alternate reality but many could be called speculative fiction.
The author clearly questions society and our arbitrary rules and customs. In the book new traditions are presented and they might have you wondering, why we do the things we do anyway, and why wouldn’t we take it a step further?
If you have a leather sofa, and a woolly jumper, why not a teeth chandelier, or a human hair sweater?
In the stories we get glimpses into the human condition, existential questioning, and glances at human relationships.
These stories feel like a contemporary kind of satire, or something speculative.
There is a disquiet to them.

Having read Earthlings towards the end of last year, I was keen to read this but I preferred Earthlings. It’s along the same vein of weirdness but being a standalone novel, more time is given to develop the world and the characters.
Life Ceremony gives us instead many vignettes of alternate visions of social customs, without much room for plot or character development. I feel like many of the short stories could be the basis for longer works though, and some of them seemed to recall Earthlings.
One point of advice for the squeamish or just in general: Avoid snacking while reading! .

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

I was anxious to read this collection because I had previously read Sayaka Murata's Convenience Store Woman and had enjoyed it immensely.
This short story collection is almost beyond words in terms of how different it is from 'usual' shorts collections. The stories' tones and settings differ; they range from dystopian to boldly feminist to darkly humorous and futuristic. Murata pushes us to extreme limits in this collection of stories, which is challenging and entertaining.

I read 'Convenience Store Woman' a couple of years ago, so when another book by Sayaka Murata popped up on Netgalley I couldn't wait to read it. 'Life Ceremony' is a little different though, as it's a collection of short stories with what appears to be the theme of taboos and norms running through them all.

As I find with many short story collections these were a little hit-and-miss. Some of them I absolutely adored and others I didn't quite get. These stories are also a little more out there than 'Convenience Store Woman', challenging us at every turn as to why we think in a certain way, why we think some things are normal, and presenting alternatives that are entirely possible.

Reading this one on the train wasn't always the best experience as I was paranoid people were going to read it over my shoulder, and I couldn't keep my emotions off my face! That being said I didn't get bored at any point. Highlights for me included: A First-Rate Material, A Summer Night's Kiss/Two's Family, Life Ceremony, Body Magic, and A Clean Marriage.

Verdict: The perfect collection for anyone into the weird, and wonderful and looking for a quick fix to get you out of a reading slump.

Honestly, I don't even know where to start with this!

The writing was engaging and intriguing, and kept me reading until the end, even though I generally had no idea what was going on or why! The whole thing felt like it was trying to hard to be clever and obscure, with too many hidden meanings.

I've studied literature at degree level and am well used to finding meanings within a text, but this felt like the whole purpose of the book was to have to work to understand it. At another time I may well have enjoyed it, but at this point in my life I want to enjoy what I'm reading without having to work too hard at it!