Book Review: Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata
5/5 ⭐️
Normal is a type of madness, isn’t it? I think it’s just that the only madness society allows is called normal.
A collection of 12 short stories about how societies function in an alternate world, the future, or, it's up to your interpretation once you read it really. It's about how we co-exist, individualism, family, your personal pleasures and sex life.
Example, I would interpret her first story being set in an ultra modern world where we have come to an era of using human remains as part of our furniture, fashion and clothing. And that's just the gist of it. There's more that's somewhat similar but in a different concept, so I'll leave it to your imagination, or better yet, get a copy of the book yourself ☺︎
I personally enjoyed every bit of it. It's weird, unconventional, and for some reason, it makes sense. This may not be for the weak stomach though as there are some queasy stories in the book.
If I ever get a chance to meet Sayaka Murata, I would ask about her creative process. Her stories in this book are out of this world. It makes me wonder where and how she gets the inspiration to write about such uncanny tales. I have read many books but I don't think I've come across one that's as impeccable and as gripping as Sayaka's writing.
