Hunchback: A Novel

by Saou Ichikawa

While I am hardly one to argue with the Booker Prize judges, I’ll have to disagree this time. I mean, really — calm down. Hunchback is undeniably riveting in its unapologetic, disability-aware narrative and genre-defying originality, but the sheer bizarreness of its themes and the seemingly forced weirdness left me cold. Shaka, the protagonist, is provocative and fiercely autonomous, yet her desire to experience pregnancy solely for the sake of abortion, and her portrayal of her child as a disturbingly non-gendered concept, felt more like shock tactics than emotional truth. The novel is bold, yes, but boldness alone doesn’t guarantee resonance. I admired its defiance, but struggled to connect. At least it was a quick read.