Nilesh Jasani's Reviews > Life Ceremony

Life Ceremony makes you wonder how our era might be seen by the descendants a few generations later.

A lot that was seen as absolute truth or the acceptable way to live in various societies until a few hundred years ago has been debunked summarily now. Equally, a lot deemed taboo or crime then is no longer such. We all know that this process is far from over. Yet, we rarely pause to think about what appears most acceptable or unacceptable in our times and whether they will also undergo similar revisions as heliocentrism, homosexuality, marriageable age, etc.

Ms. Murata has a delectably gross way of forcing us to do exactly this. The stories are written to shock. Depending on one's background, some of them may appear mild. Collectively, they pack a punch.

A great read - not for the stories as much as the thoughts they spark.