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A review by lizetteratura
Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Vanishing World is frightening, thought-provoking, and weird unlike anything I've ever read recently. It's an unsettling and controversial story that brutally exposes social standards around reproduction, love, parasocial relationships, sex, parenting, and family structures. Sayaka Murata, recognised for defying norms in her work and writing weird fiction, transports us to a future where sex has been eliminated and conception is possible only by artificial insemination. In this environment, the protagonist, Amane, fights with her own emotions and desires while attempting to fit into a society that rejects traditional notions of family and romantic love.
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 introduces us to a world in which pregnancy and sex are seen in very different ways. We watch Amane's battle with fitting in, which she eventually decides not to do but keeps hidden and feels ashamed of. Part 2 delves more into marriage and relationships in this culture, as well as Amane's continued struggle to blend in. Part 3 takes a dark turn into a dystopian, cult-like environment as Amane gives in, pursuing perfection in a new society but still questioning whether this life is for her. By the conclusion, everything comes together in an unnerving, distressing way, and things get really odd.
I thought the first half of the story to be very intriguing because it focusses on Amane's adolescence. Through her eyes, we see the steady shift of society, from one in which people have romantic sentiments for fictitious characters (sometimes actual people) and aspire to marriage and children to one in which these impulses are becoming increasingly rare. As time passes, people become increasingly at ease with a life free of emotional entanglements, moving away from fundamental desires. The ending was definitely shocking and I'm still trying to figure out was it done like that deliberately for shock value to illustrate how Amane's fight against her instincts was always futile? The importance of water is my favourite part of the story.
Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 introduces us to a world in which pregnancy and sex are seen in very different ways. We watch Amane's battle with fitting in, which she eventually decides not to do but keeps hidden and feels ashamed of. Part 2 delves more into marriage and relationships in this culture, as well as Amane's continued struggle to blend in. Part 3 takes a dark turn into a dystopian, cult-like environment as Amane gives in, pursuing perfection in a new society but still questioning whether this life is for her. By the conclusion, everything comes together in an unnerving, distressing way, and things get really odd.
I thought the first half of the story to be very intriguing because it focusses on Amane's adolescence. Through her eyes, we see the steady shift of society, from one in which people have romantic sentiments for fictitious characters (sometimes actual people) and aspire to marriage and children to one in which these impulses are becoming increasingly rare. As time passes, people become increasingly at ease with a life free of emotional entanglements, moving away from fundamental desires. The ending was definitely shocking and I'm still trying to figure out was it done like that deliberately for shock value to illustrate how Amane's fight against her instincts was always futile? The importance of water is my favourite part of the story.
Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC