Hunchback

A Novel

By: Saou Ichikawa, Polly Barton - translator

Narrated by: Yuriri Naka

FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE JOHN LEONARD PRIZE FOR BEST FIRST BOOK
FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES ART SEIDENBAUM AWARD FOR FIRST FICTION

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD, THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE, THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION, AND THE PRIX MÉDICIS ÉTRANGER

A bombshell bestseller in Japan, a defiant, darkly funny debut novel about a young woman in a care home seeking autonomy and the full possibilities of her life—“not only a major achievement in disability literature but great literature period” (Johanna Hedva)

“A literary phenomenon in Japan, Hunchback is an extraordinary and thrilling debut novel about sex, disability, and power.”—International Booker Prize Judges

“Unforgettable . . . a thriller of the body . . . [a] miracle.”—The New York Times Book Review

SHORTLISTED FOR THE GREAT BRITAIN SASAKAWA FOUNDATION TRANSLATION PRIZE • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, PEN America, WBUR, Kirkus Reviews

Born with a congenital muscle disorder, Shaka spends her days in her room in a care home outside Tokyo, relying on an electric wheelchair to get around and a ventilator to breathe. But if Shaka’s physical life is limited, her quick, mischievous mind has no boundaries: She takes e-learning courses on her iPad, publishes explicit fantasies on websites, and anonymously troll-tweets to see if anyone is paying attention (“In another life, I’d like to work as a high-class prostitute”). One day, she tweets into the void an offer of an enormous sum of money for a sperm donor. To Shaka’s surprise, her new nurse accepts the dare, unleashing a series of events that will forever change Shaka’s sense of herself as a woman in the world.

Hunchback has shaken Japanese literary culture with its skillful depiction of the physical body and its unrepentant humor. Winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, it’s a feminist story about the dignity of an individual who insists on her right to make choices for herself, no matter the consequences. Formally creative and refreshingly unsentimental, Hunchback depicts the joy, anger, and desires of a woman demanding autonomy in a world that doesn’t always grant it to people like her. Full of wit, bite, and heart, this unforgettable novel reminds us all of the full potential of our lives, regardless of the limitations we experience.

Wonderfully Provacative

I enjoyed this book for its wonderfully transgressive writing. She gave me a perspective I have never hear before—that of a disabled Japanese woman. She is at once funny and deeply profound. I’ve been telling all of my disabled friends about this book.

Blooming from the Mud

My cousin needed someone to suction him his whole life, I got a strong feel for the narrator..
it felt real and poetic..
I felt a hypnotic feeling, the white light, the lotus flower washes the filth away even in the mud..
I for one really hope there's a part 2

Raw and honest

It’s raw and honest. I really can’t describe it any other way. It left a big impression on me.

Not it

The book has some strong points about disability and how people get boxed in by everyone else’s expectations. Shaka is interesting and definitely memorable. But the graphic scenes were so constant they started pulling me out of the actual story, and the ending didn’t match the intensity of the first half. Good themes, uneven follow-through.

Vulgar and offensive

I wish Audible would include warnings for such vulgar content. A complete waste of time and money.