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A Clean Marriage
‘Frequency of sex since marriage: zero.’ Sayaka Murata on a sexless marriage and the ‘Clean Breeder’ technique for pleasureless reproduction.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2014
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About the author
Sayaka Murata
40 books8,931 followersSayaka Murata (in Japanese, 村田 沙耶香) is one of the most exciting up-and-coming writers in Japan today.
She herself still works part time in a convenience store, which gave her the inspiration to write Convenience Store Woman (Konbini Ningen). She debuted in 2003 with Junyu (Breastfeeding), which won the Gunzo Prize for new writers. In 2009 she won the Noma Prize for New Writers with Gin iro no uta (Silver Song), and in 2013 the Mishima Yukio Prize for Shiro-oro no machi no, sono hone no taion no (Of Bones, of Body Heat, of Whitening City). Convenience Store Woman won the 2016 Akutagawa Award. Murata has two short stories published in English (both translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori): "Lover on the Breeze" (Ruptured Fiction(s) of the Earthquake, Waseda Bungaku, 2011) and "A Clean Marriage" (Granta 127: Japan, 2014).
She herself still works part time in a convenience store, which gave her the inspiration to write Convenience Store Woman (Konbini Ningen). She debuted in 2003 with Junyu (Breastfeeding), which won the Gunzo Prize for new writers. In 2009 she won the Noma Prize for New Writers with Gin iro no uta (Silver Song), and in 2013 the Mishima Yukio Prize for Shiro-oro no machi no, sono hone no taion no (Of Bones, of Body Heat, of Whitening City). Convenience Store Woman won the 2016 Akutagawa Award. Murata has two short stories published in English (both translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori): "Lover on the Breeze" (Ruptured Fiction(s) of the Earthquake, Waseda Bungaku, 2011) and "A Clean Marriage" (Granta 127: Japan, 2014).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
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November 19, 2022
The world becomes a nightmare of manners through the eyes of Japanese novelist Sayaka Murata. She dives into a social norm and explodes it to analyze how it’s gears adjust the clockwork of society. Through a slight twist of the themes into a something taboo, she reflects it back at us like a portrait of absurdity. A Clean Marriage, a short story by Murata, looks at sex in marriage from the point of view of a couple that views a good partnership as something that would prefer to not have sexual cravings of the other. The friction starts, however, because they want to have a baby. Through Murata’s destabilizing vision, we get a humorous and unsettling look at fertility clinics that uses the absurdity to unpack the social norms around sexual relationships.
Published in Granta in 2015 in translation from Ginny Tapley Takemori (you can read it here), this is a stand-alone story that was not included in Murata’s recently translated collection of stories, Life Ceremony. Readers of Earthlings will find the set-up familiar, as the explanation of how the narrator met her husband through a dating service when he asked for a partner in a sexless marriage seems to be a draft of a very similar scene in that novel (though in the novel the aspect of needing a partner to avoid the social stigma against unmarried adults is far more emphasized). This story is quick and Murata’s style of unsettling humor is on full display. I did quite enjoy the positive discussions on asexuality and her attempts to break down ideas of marriage to examine the social functions of them in a way that separates them from sexual attractions and impulses. It all leads to a rather double entendre climax in a comically yet threateningly bizzare scene in the experimental fertility clinic that specializes in “clean sex” for conception.
The translator includes a brief yet helpful introduction about the use of the word ‘clean’ in the title. She explains ‘the Japanese word seiketsu can refer both to something that isn’t dirty, and to a person’s character as straightforward, without deceit,’ and many of the English terms were problematic because most of the ‘options seemed to be making a judgement that wasn’t there in Japanese, and clean appealed as being simple and provocative.’
This is a fun little story for those who have enjoyed Murata’s work and would also work well as an introduction to her exciting and bizarre visions.
3.5/5
Published in Granta in 2015 in translation from Ginny Tapley Takemori (you can read it here), this is a stand-alone story that was not included in Murata’s recently translated collection of stories, Life Ceremony. Readers of Earthlings will find the set-up familiar, as the explanation of how the narrator met her husband through a dating service when he asked for a partner in a sexless marriage seems to be a draft of a very similar scene in that novel (though in the novel the aspect of needing a partner to avoid the social stigma against unmarried adults is far more emphasized). This story is quick and Murata’s style of unsettling humor is on full display. I did quite enjoy the positive discussions on asexuality and her attempts to break down ideas of marriage to examine the social functions of them in a way that separates them from sexual attractions and impulses. It all leads to a rather double entendre climax in a comically yet threateningly bizzare scene in the experimental fertility clinic that specializes in “clean sex” for conception.
The translator includes a brief yet helpful introduction about the use of the word ‘clean’ in the title. She explains ‘the Japanese word seiketsu can refer both to something that isn’t dirty, and to a person’s character as straightforward, without deceit,’ and many of the English terms were problematic because most of the ‘options seemed to be making a judgement that wasn’t there in Japanese, and clean appealed as being simple and provocative.’
This is a fun little story for those who have enjoyed Murata’s work and would also work well as an introduction to her exciting and bizarre visions.
3.5/5
January 6, 2022
May I laugh?
Sayaka Murata writes abnormalities in such a simple way that I become aware of how much I've been judging myself over nothing.
In this tale of sex-less (clean) marriage, we dig into the sexual minority. A husband and wife living like roommates or brother-sister decide it is time for them to conceive a child. How they try to do that without changing the clean state of their marriage is the challenge.
This book is just as awkward to read as any other of Sayaka Murata. Some would even find the scenes to be yucky. To my surprise, I found myself giggling at some of them. The sincerity of their awkward situation was entertaining to me.
As for the confusing ending, I did think of various reasons that could have brought disgust to the husband but the base of them all was that he felt disgusted by the thought of having tainted their clean marriage.
A bit more clarity would have been great. Overall, Sayaka Murata's works are an acquired taste.
Sayaka Murata writes abnormalities in such a simple way that I become aware of how much I've been judging myself over nothing.
In this tale of sex-less (clean) marriage, we dig into the sexual minority. A husband and wife living like roommates or brother-sister decide it is time for them to conceive a child. How they try to do that without changing the clean state of their marriage is the challenge.
This book is just as awkward to read as any other of Sayaka Murata. Some would even find the scenes to be yucky. To my surprise, I found myself giggling at some of them. The sincerity of their awkward situation was entertaining to me.
As for the confusing ending, I did think of various reasons that could have brought disgust to the husband but the base of them all was that he felt disgusted by the thought of having tainted their clean marriage.
A bit more clarity would have been great. Overall, Sayaka Murata's works are an acquired taste.
April 30, 2020
Sayaka Murata always finds a way to write about people who don't conform to social norms. Here, we have a couple who rather live as a brother and sister, while keeping the sexual desire out of their marriage. However, things get complicated when they decide that they want a baby. That last part was a bit confusing, but, overall, it wasn't a bad read.
December 18, 2023
‘I agree,’ I said. ‘I’ve lived with several men, but there’s always a point where it falls apart. We’re supposed to be family, but they expect me to be both a woman and an understanding friend, which is a contradiction, isn’t it? I’m supposed to be wife, friend and mother . . . I would much rather live as brother and sister.’
If you like wonderfully strange Sayaka Murata, you'll like this story too! You can read it for free here: https://granta.com/a-clean-marriage/
If you like wonderfully strange Sayaka Murata, you'll like this story too! You can read it for free here: https://granta.com/a-clean-marriage/
November 19, 2022
This woman is absolutely insane.
January 9, 2022
symbolic, awkward, weird. i fully support the author’s decision to dedicate her whole career writing about asexual characters.
August 7, 2021
If you are interested you can read this short story here (do skip the translator's note and read it afterward instead).
This was going to be my tie-breaker on whether I will read more Murata or not since I liked Convenience Store Woman and disliked Earthlings. For now, I will read her next book.
As with all her stories, she doesn't shy away from unusual relationships and family structures, characters who rebel against the system and who maybe act in ways we might not immediately understand. This is the kind of weird and slightly off vibes I like.
She offers some very interesting commentary on the concept of family and what it means to be a family. It's also worth noting that it explores asexuality.
It certainly makes you view in-vivo fertilization in a different light.
This was going to be my tie-breaker on whether I will read more Murata or not since I liked Convenience Store Woman and disliked Earthlings. For now, I will read her next book.
As with all her stories, she doesn't shy away from unusual relationships and family structures, characters who rebel against the system and who maybe act in ways we might not immediately understand. This is the kind of weird and slightly off vibes I like.
She offers some very interesting commentary on the concept of family and what it means to be a family. It's also worth noting that it explores asexuality.
It certainly makes you view in-vivo fertilization in a different light.
Read
January 7, 2020Доступне онлайн оповідання Саяки Мурати, однієї з найтитулованіших японських письменниць молодшого покоління, авторки дуже нашумілого минулоріч в англомовному просторі роману "Convenience Store Woman" (між іншим, раджу). Вона в принципі зазвичай досліджує інтерфейс між емоційними зв'язками (чи, навпаки, алієнацією) і сексом, тріщинки у старих патріархальних структурах (як має виглядати нуклеарна родина, чи має вона бути основною суспільства і тд), оце от усе, і це оповідання - гарний дистилят її тем, аби визначитися, чи це те, що ви хочете читати. Про подружжя, яке бере шлюб без цих от ваших проблемних romantic attachments, і все в їхньому асексуальному союзі добре, доки вони не вирішують завести дітей. Химерне поєднання соціальних студій і еротики з дивними кінками)))
April 13, 2021
After being disappointed by Convenience Store Woman, I wanted to give Murata another shot. But while I was deciding whether or not to read her other novel, Earthlings, I stumbled on her short story 'A Clean Marriage’ on the GRANTA (website).
It started off like a story I thought I’d like, but it ended rather disappointingly (to me personally). I like how it deals with sexual/relationship dynamic(s) with relevance to modern-day issues. Even though I found it difficult to appreciate the story as it is – I do like how it feels to me like Murata is trying to challenge the readers to think about the importance (or unimportance) of sex in a marriage/ a partnership.
I want to love Murata’s work so badly, but unfortunately – I don’t think it’s for me. It’s a 2.5-star rating from me, but I can’t bring myself to round it up to a 3. I can appreciate how clever her writing is, but I still think that the context of her stories is very mundane and deprived of any kind of reader-satisfaction. If anything – her work makes me feel like I am actually someone who values ‘sex’ in a relationship/partnership a lot more than I’d thought?
“Living with my husband is like living with an exceedingly clean, smart owl. It’s good to have a tidy animal around the house. We’ve been married three years and that hasn’t changed. A friend who married for love around the same time tells me she’s developed a visceral aversion to her husband, but that’s not at all the case with me.”
It started off like a story I thought I’d like, but it ended rather disappointingly (to me personally). I like how it deals with sexual/relationship dynamic(s) with relevance to modern-day issues. Even though I found it difficult to appreciate the story as it is – I do like how it feels to me like Murata is trying to challenge the readers to think about the importance (or unimportance) of sex in a marriage/ a partnership.
I want to love Murata’s work so badly, but unfortunately – I don’t think it’s for me. It’s a 2.5-star rating from me, but I can’t bring myself to round it up to a 3. I can appreciate how clever her writing is, but I still think that the context of her stories is very mundane and deprived of any kind of reader-satisfaction. If anything – her work makes me feel like I am actually someone who values ‘sex’ in a relationship/partnership a lot more than I’d thought?
October 31, 2021
"I’m seeking an amicable daily routine with someone I get along well with, like brother and sister, without being a slave to sex."
Cặp vợ chồng nhà Takahashi bên nhau được ba năm và họ muốn xây dựng một gia đình. Nhưng "gia đình" mà họ muốn xây dựng lại khác biệt với những người khác, họ thống nhất "một cuộc hôn nhân trong sạch" và nói không với tình dục.
Mối quan hệ, hôn nhân như thế này đã được Sayaka Murata nêu lên từ Convenience Store Woman và Earthlings , nhưng A Clean Marriage lại khác và đi sâu hơn. Rằng cuộc sống của vợ chồng Takahashi kì lạ, nhưng họ thấy hạnh phúc, thoải mái với điều đó,kể cả việc đối phương có have sex bên ngoài.
Sayaka Murata nêu ra một khía cạnh trong cuộc sống hôn nhân hiện đại, nó kì lạ và thú vị, mình đã rùng mình ở vài đoạn.
Tiếc là nó ngắn, mình mong nó sẽ dài hơn, rất muốn biết thêm về cuộc hôn nhân này.
‘It’s because you can’t give him the type of sex he wants. He can’t get it up with you!’
‘That’s right. That’s why we’re family.’
Cặp vợ chồng nhà Takahashi bên nhau được ba năm và họ muốn xây dựng một gia đình. Nhưng "gia đình" mà họ muốn xây dựng lại khác biệt với những người khác, họ thống nhất "một cuộc hôn nhân trong sạch" và nói không với tình dục.
Mối quan hệ, hôn nhân như thế này đã được Sayaka Murata nêu lên từ Convenience Store Woman và Earthlings , nhưng A Clean Marriage lại khác và đi sâu hơn. Rằng cuộc sống của vợ chồng Takahashi kì lạ, nhưng họ thấy hạnh phúc, thoải mái với điều đó,
Sayaka Murata nêu ra một khía cạnh trong cuộc sống hôn nhân hiện đại, nó kì lạ và thú vị, mình đã rùng mình ở vài đoạn.
Tiếc là nó ngắn, mình mong nó sẽ dài hơn, rất muốn biết thêm về cuộc hôn nhân này.
‘It’s because you can’t give him the type of sex he wants. He can’t get it up with you!’
‘That’s right. That’s why we’re family.’
April 17, 2025
you have probably never read anything like this! Sayaka Murata’s mind is a wild ride every time! reread this short story before diving into Vanishing World.
July 21, 2023
‘For starters, the traditional way of thinking that a couple would have sex to conceive a child is outdated. It is not at all in tune with the times. Sex for pleasure and sex for pregnancy are two completely different concerns, and it’s absurd to lump them together. It’s out of sync with how people live their lives these days.’
After finishing a whole short-story collection by Murata (Life Ceremony) this one clearly isn't her strongest short-story, but neither is it weak. It seems to belong together with Summer Night's Kiss & Two's Family two other short-stories that explore... asexual/aromantic marriages or just unusual family arrangements. This one goes a bit more graphic than those two though...
I liked the way Murata deconstructs what normal means, so of course, I liked this one, but it isn't my favourite...
You can read this for free here: https://granta.com/a-clean-marriage/
Leave the translator's not for the end, it spoils the ending...
Read
December 18, 2022The couple believes family (husband-wife included) shouldn't have sex with each other.
If you think about it. You wouldn't have sex with your parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, or children. So why would you fuck your wife?
Lolololololol
If you think about it. You wouldn't have sex with your parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, or children. So why would you fuck your wife?
Lolololololol
October 18, 2022
Murata, you are one weird woman. But your weird writing is coveted
May 20, 2025
There are a lot of traces of Earthlings in this, and in general this is the quintessential Sayaka Murata study of sex, relationships, and societal roles.
September 4, 2023
I am obsessed with Suyaka Murata.
January 13, 2025
Sayaka Murata's latest offering is yet another testament to her mastery of crafting characters who view the world through an absurdist lens. Reading her works feels like a literary grenade waiting to explode with discussion topics, theories, and unanswered questions. It's the kind of book that begs for a book club, though finding equally weird friends willing to dive into the depths of Murata's universe can be a challenge (seriously, where are my fellow oddballs at?).
This particular gem, like all of Murata's works, was expertly translated by Jenny Tapley Takemori. Reading a translated work always makes me wonder about the nuances lost in translation, but Takemori's translator note provided valuable insight into the artistry of interpretation. It's evident that she meticulously preserved Murata's vision, leaving me both in awe and eager to dissect every ironic twist and turn of the plot. Got thoughts on the ending? Slide into my DMs, because this book demands discussion.
This particular gem, like all of Murata's works, was expertly translated by Jenny Tapley Takemori. Reading a translated work always makes me wonder about the nuances lost in translation, but Takemori's translator note provided valuable insight into the artistry of interpretation. It's evident that she meticulously preserved Murata's vision, leaving me both in awe and eager to dissect every ironic twist and turn of the plot. Got thoughts on the ending? Slide into my DMs, because this book demands discussion.
March 25, 2021
The whole concept was technically genius and intriguing, but still not my cup of tea. Couldn’t see eye to eye to this marriage type. Creeps me. 2,5 stars.
February 15, 2023
i do love that she’s committed to the weirdness
March 21, 2021
Desde que leí La Dependienta, me gustó mucho la particular forma de presentar situaciones y personajes en un entorno cotidiano y aún así "hacerlo extraño".
Este cuentito ha sido una sorpresa, es sencillo y tiene un humor bastante sutil como si la narradora lo hiciera de manera involuntaria un poco como la Dependienta, de hecho.
Y así, corto como es, me ha dejado pensando y reflexionando. Plantea muchos cuestionamientos, respecto al sexo, la atracción, la vida en pareja, la familia, qué quiere uno vs que se espera de uno y si eso es compatible con lo que verdaderamente deseamos, etc. Aún lo sigo procesando. Su final "abrupto" sorprende un poco, porque la historia es bastante fluida y es extraño que pare en un momento de "plena acción" pero considero que fue una buena estrategia y una manera muy interesante de finalizar.
Sayaka es una gran escritora, con algo tan sencillo como la consigna que propone en su título: Un matrimonio LIMPIO... hace un juego maravilloso.
Este cuentito ha sido una sorpresa, es sencillo y tiene un humor bastante sutil como si la narradora lo hiciera de manera involuntaria un poco como la Dependienta, de hecho.
Y así, corto como es, me ha dejado pensando y reflexionando. Plantea muchos cuestionamientos, respecto al sexo, la atracción, la vida en pareja, la familia, qué quiere uno vs que se espera de uno y si eso es compatible con lo que verdaderamente deseamos, etc. Aún lo sigo procesando. Su final "abrupto" sorprende un poco, porque la historia es bastante fluida y es extraño que pare en un momento de "plena acción" pero considero que fue una buena estrategia y una manera muy interesante de finalizar.
Sayaka es una gran escritora, con algo tan sencillo como la consigna que propone en su título: Un matrimonio LIMPIO... hace un juego maravilloso.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2023
sayaka murata's matter of fact writing once again created an oddly compelling story. i liked this introduction into a viewpoint she or others may have on pregnancy and marriage, her unique takes always ensure for an intriguing read.
although for me, as i finished earthlings yesterday, there was a noticeable overlap in the marriage here and the marriage in earthlings and would like to see something bit differenct - though thats more to do with personal preference than her writing. despite this, i enjoyed aa deeper look into the types of marriages she creates!!
although for me, as i finished earthlings yesterday, there was a noticeable overlap in the marriage here and the marriage in earthlings and would like to see something bit differenct - though thats more to do with personal preference than her writing. despite this, i enjoyed aa deeper look into the types of marriages she creates!!
December 29, 2024
3.5 Stars rounded up.
Extremely weird, in typical Murata fashion, with very heavily autism-coded characters (imo).
Read this because seeing the announcement of the newest release of a translation of her work coming next year had me aching to read the last of her translated backlist I haven't read yet.
Extremely weird, in typical Murata fashion, with very heavily autism-coded characters (imo).
Read this because seeing the announcement of the newest release of a translation of her work coming next year had me aching to read the last of her translated backlist I haven't read yet.
Read
January 6, 2022aşko kuşko Zeynep’in önerisiyle okudum ✌️
August 21, 2022
es una pasada
April 25, 2023
well that was something
Read
July 3, 2023She's crazy 🤪
April 19, 2024
ngl dette var så funny…
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews