The long-awaited first short story-collection by the author of the cult sensation Convenience Store Woman, tales of weird love, heartfelt friendships, and the unsettling nature of human existence
With Life Ceremony, the incomparable Sayaka Murata is back with her first collection of short stories ever to be translated into English. In Japan, Murata is particularly admired for her short stories, which are sometimes sweet, sometimes shocking, and always imbued with an otherworldly imagination and uncanniness.
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.
In these strange and wonderful stories of family and friendship, sex and intimacy, belonging and individuality, Murata asks above all what it means to be a human in our world and offers answers that surprise and linger.
© 2022 Blackstone Publishing (Lydbok): 9798212188326
Oversetter: Ginny Tapley Takemori
Utgivelsesdato
Lydbok: 25. oktober 2022
The long-awaited first short story-collection by the author of the cult sensation Convenience Store Woman, tales of weird love, heartfelt friendships, and the unsettling nature of human existence
With Life Ceremony, the incomparable Sayaka Murata is back with her first collection of short stories ever to be translated into English. In Japan, Murata is particularly admired for her short stories, which are sometimes sweet, sometimes shocking, and always imbued with an otherworldly imagination and uncanniness.
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.
In these strange and wonderful stories of family and friendship, sex and intimacy, belonging and individuality, Murata asks above all what it means to be a human in our world and offers answers that surprise and linger.
© 2022 Blackstone Publishing (Lydbok): 9798212188326
Oversetter: Ginny Tapley Takemori
Utgivelsesdato
Lydbok: 25. oktober 2022
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Hedvig
3. des. 2023
Denne boka minner meg om sitatet: «art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable». Herlig, rar, og pirrer i vår menneskelige identitet og skjøre moral. Noen høydepunkter er et brudeslør av menneskehud, en jente som har en forretningsmann som kjæledyr, en kvinne som tror andre mennesker er organene hennes, og en besjelet, og sjalu, soveromsgardin. Likevel er ikke dette en skummel eller ubehagelig bok - faktisk føltes det utrolig befriende å se tabuene lagt fram så åpent. Dessuten er det ikke alt som er like kontroversielt. Flere av historiene handler også om frigjøring, om nytelse, og om å finne seg selv - helt uten beskrivelser av kannibalisme :) når det er sagt, er også de «ekle» historiene helt utmerket skrevet og vil få deg til å føle at noe kravler under huden din. Gjentatte ganger vil du tenke «æsj, hva faen?!», men på beste mulige måte. Denne er kanskje ikke noe for alle, men den traff helt blink for meg 🥰
Marie
12. jan. 2024
4,75 🌟 I loved Murata's novel 'Earthlings'. I still remember this book precisely because it made such a profound impression on me - an absurd yet unforgettable novel - one that also required some digestion before I could review it. That's the thing with Murata's texts; give them time, as there is much between the lines. In ‘Life Ceremony’, the characters share a common thread in their struggles with societal expectations, gender roles, and the quest for self-identity. They often reflects the challenges and complexities faced by women in navigating traditional norms and societal pressures. Sayaka Murata has quickly become one of my favorite authors, as I've developed a deep connection with her texts. Murata's ability to portray characters who exist outside of social norms and defy societal expectations provides a unique perspective that truly resonates with me.
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