Life Ceremony

Murata, Sayaka. Life Ceremony. New York : Grove Press, 2022.

Sayaka Murata brings new meaning to flipping societal norms. After digesting “Convenience Store Woman,” I was ready to try something new and short stories are a great palate cleanser. Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata is a compilation of 12 short stories that really makes you wonder about our societal norms and mores.

These stories take place in Japan where there are clear gender roles and norms. Murata seeks to explore these in provocative and often disturbing ways. Right off the bat, we start with “A First Rate Material” where a soon-to-be bride is picking out only the finest items for her wedding registry but the most coveted and valuable items are made from human materials. The title story, “Life Ceremony” is a very different take on commemorating the dead. The final story, “Hatchling” is about a woman that takes fitting in with societal norms to an extreme. She becomes a completely different person in each social setting. As her wedding comes near, she has to find a way to reconcile these different personalities.

“Life Ceremony” is not an easy read. Some of the stories are deeply disturbing but they are also inventive and thought provoking. If you like stories that keep you thinking long after you are finished with them, this is just right.

Amy S. is a Library Assistant at Mebane Public Library.