Beyond the Words

Between the Lines of "Satsujin Shussan"

Murata Sayaka's "Satsujin shussan" is a thought-provoking collection of short stories set in a dystopian Japan. It delves into the lives of individuals grappling with a disturbing societal system that links procreation to murder. Through their experiences, the stories raise profound questions about morality, freedom, and the essence of humanity.

Published at 22 lug 2024

Between the Lines of "Satsujin Shussan"

The last book I read is a collection of short stories by Murata Sayaka. I have to admit that I was disappointed by the book as a whole. The idea behind the first story is quite intriguing (1 life in exchange for 10), but it’s developed in a trivial way and with a banal style. The story is somewhat saved by the choice to gradually reveal information. This shuffling of the cards helps maintain a minimum of curiosity. But nothing more.

Similarly, the ideas of the other three stories are interesting but poorly developed:

  • Threesomes as the only way to conceive of romantic relationships
  • Procreation as a disgusting act in a couple’s relationship
  • The inner urge to die without any real reason

In short, not a book I would recommend.

Below are the sentences that struck me (one), the book details, and a summary of the various stories.

Quotes

I feel both the world of before and the world of now are distant from me. The world changes shade little by little, within a boundless time, and, as much as the past is at odds with the present, everything remains connected like millions of shades in the same color palette. That’s why the “normality” of today’s world is nothing but the mirage of a moment.

Book Details

  • Title: Satsujin shussan
  • Author: Murata Sayaka
  • Year of publication in Japan: 2016
  • Italian Publisher: Edizioni E/O
  • Genre: Dystopian, psychological thriller
  • Setting: Japan, in an unspecified future
  • Main Theme: Ethical and social implications of a dystopian system in which procreation is linked to murder.

Stories

  1. Satsujin shussan: A woman faces the moral and personal dilemma linked to her sister, a “gestating woman” who has the right to kill after giving birth to ten children.
  2. Triad: A story of love and jealousy among teenagers, against the backdrop of a society that accepts polyamorous relationships of three.
  3. A Clean Marriage: A married couple without sex tries to have a child through “clean breeding,” a medical procedure that raises ethical and moral questions.
  4. Last Moments of Life: A woman prepares for her voluntary death in a society where technology has defeated natural death.

Narrative Style

The stories are written in the first person, with a direct and dry style. Murata Sayaka addresses uncomfortable and disturbing themes with a lucid and detached approach, leaving the reader free to draw their own conclusions.

Key Themes

  • Procreation and Murder: The link between these two extreme acts is the crux of the narrative, and the author explores the ethical and social implications of this dystopian system.
  • Relationships and Love: The collection challenges traditional models of family and love, presenting polyamorous relationships and sexless marriages.
  • Identity and Gender: The author explores female identity in an oppressive social context, where women are often seen as tools for procreation.
  • Death and Suicide: The last story addresses the theme of voluntary death in a society where natural death has been defeated.
  • Social Critique: The entire collection offers a pungent critique of modern society, highlighting its contradictions, paradoxes, and dystopian drifts.

Notes

The collection includes a glossary explaining some Japanese terms present in the text.

Summary of the Stories

Satsujin shussan

The story takes place in a dystopian Japan where society has established the “System of Births and Murders.” This system allows those who give birth to ten children to kill one person of their choice. The protagonist, Ikuko, works in a company where a former colleague, Mizuho, has decided to become a “gestating woman,” embarking on the path to be able to kill someone.

Ikuko reflects on the evolution of the concept of murder, once considered a heinous crime, and now an incentive for procreation in a world where the birth rate is dangerously low.

Meanwhile, Ikuko hosts her little cousin Misaki for the summer, a very intelligent and curious child who dreams of becoming a researcher and contributing to the progress of humanity. Misaki is fascinated by the system of gestating women and sees murder as a necessary sacrifice for the common good.

Ikuko has a secret: her sister Tamaki became a gestating woman twenty years ago. Ikuko remembers the difficult moments of Tamaki’s adolescence, marked by strong homicidal impulses that the girl appeased by injuring herself or killing small animals.

The narrative then shifts to Ikuko’s relationship with her new colleague, Sakiko, who turns out to be a member of a secret association that opposes the System of Births and Murders. Sakiko discovers Ikuko’s secret and tries to involve her in her cause, but Ikuko refuses, convinced that the world has irrevocably changed and that there is no turning back.

Meanwhile, Mizuho becomes pregnant, and Chika-chan, a young colleague of Ikuko’s, is killed by a gestating woman. Ikuko and Misaki attend the funeral, where they meet Sakiko, who shows all her contempt for the ceremony and the system that made it possible.

Tamaki gives birth to her tenth child and chooses Sakiko as her victim, who is killed by Ikuko and Tamaki together. During the murder, Ikuko discovers that Sakiko was pregnant and, overwhelmed by guilt, decides to become a gestating woman herself to compensate for the life she has just taken.

Triad

The story “Triad” explores the dynamics of a polyamorous relationship between three teenagers: Mayumi, Makoto, and Keita. In this dystopian Japan, “troppies,” relationships of three, are common among young people, contrasting with the traditional view of couple relationships held by adults.

The story focuses on the relationship between the three teenagers, highlighting their love and deep connection. It describes their encounters in love hotels, where they practice a unique form of intimacy that revolves around the concept of “maus,” a term that means both “mouth” and “little mouse.”

The story also explores the tensions between the protagonist Mayumi and her mother, who strongly disapproves of her daughter’s relationship. After a furious argument, Mayumi runs away and seeks comfort from Keita and Makoto, finding in their intimacy a kind of purification.

The story concludes with a reflection on the different forms of love and relationships, challenging the traditional and conservative view of adults and embracing the freedom and authenticity of young people’s choices.

A Clean Marriage

The story “A Clean Marriage” explores the concept of marriage in a future where sex and procreation have become increasingly disjointed. The protagonist, Mizuki, is married to Nobuhiro, a man with whom she shares an ideal of a “clean marriage,” devoid of sexual involvement and based on peaceful coexistence and hygiene.

The couple decides to go to a clinic specializing in “Clean Breeding” to have a child. This medical procedure allows procreation without the sexual act, which both find repugnant.

However, the clinic turns out to be expensive, and the couple decides to explore other options, such as artificial insemination. Meanwhile, Mizuki discovers that Nobuhiro has a lover and that their relationship is far from “clean,” as it involves sexual practices that Mizuki finds disturbing.

Despite this, Mizuki and Nobuhiro decide to try Clean Breeding at the clinic, which turns out to be an aseptic and impersonal experience. After the procedure, Mizuki discovers that Nobuhiro is experiencing disgust and nausea, feelings that she herself had repressed.

The story concludes with uncertainty about the couple’s future and raises questions about the nature of marriage, procreation, and love in a world where technology and medicine have profoundly altered human relationships.

Last Moments of Life

The story “Last Moments of Life” is set in a future where death from natural or accidental causes has been defeated by medicine. People can choose to die when they feel the time is right, following the instructions of manuals that suggest the best ways to do so.

The protagonist, a 36-year-old woman, feels that her time has come. After taking care of the paperwork and renouncing rebirth, she goes to a mountain location, often chosen by those who want to die. There, following the instructions of a book, she digs a hole, ingests a lethal drug, and covers herself with earth, leaving a small tube to breathe until the last moment.

As she approaches death, she reflects on how death was once a natural event, while now it has become a choice that requires planning and worry about thejudgment of others. The story concludes with her death, which occurred naturally and with dignity, as she wished.