I’ve been expanding my exploration of Japanese literature and recently discovered Sayaka Murata. I was in a local bookstore browsing the Murakami shelf when my eyes happened upon Murata’s book stacked nearby. I think of it as serendipity. Her short story collection, Life Ceremony, has been a fun and whimsical read.
Of course, I knew nothing about Murata when I picked the paperback off the shelf. But after reading the blurb on the back, I felt I needed to see what her stories had to offer. I was not disappointed.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m a fan of magic realism and speculative fiction. I like stories that take me away to places I’ve never been, help me to see things in a different light, and open my mind to new ways of thinking. Murata’s short stories deliver on all these points.
Whimsical seems to be the best word to describe them. How else can I describe a story about two young schoolgirls who keep a businessman as a pet? Or a window curtain that falls in love with a teenage boy? Or a society that promotes promiscuity after participating in a cannibalistic funeral ceremony?
What impresses me about Murata’s storytelling is how she can take subjects like the ones mentioned above and make them believable, real, matter-of-fact. At the same time, she also takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary.
The two stories I enjoyed the most were the last two in the collection. “Eating the City” is about a young woman who begins to forage for fresh vegetables in the city. She spent a lot of time at her grandparent’s cabin in the mountains and, while there, learned about foraging off the land.
I can relate to this one because I spent a lot of time on my uncle’s dairy farm in rural Wisconsin while I was growing up. Most of the food we ate came from the farm – milk from the cows, meat from pigs, eggs from hens, and fresh vegetables from the huge garden (fed with compost from the kitchen scraps). When I would return home to South Florida, the food just didn’t taste the same.
The final story, “Hatchling”, was my favorite. A young woman dons different personas as she grows up, basing her personality on how others perceive her to be. With each group of friends she joins, she takes on a new personality, changes her way of speaking, her manner of dress. While it seems extreme on the surface, it’s not far from reality. I mean, isn’t that what we all do to some extent? Do we ever really show our true selves, our real personalities? Or are we forever putting on masks to fit the situation? The story had me lost in introspection for hours after I put the book down.
I’m looking forward to reading more of Murata’s work. She has a unique voice and style that I truly enjoy. I’m glad this was the last book I read in 2023. It was a good way to end the year.
RB