Hunchback
by Saou Ichikawa
Unsettling. Grotesque. Brilliant.
I read this in one sitting and when I finished I sat there asking myself what did I just read. I was disturbed, unsettled, curious, impressed. All of it at once. This is the kind of book you want to talk about immediately because it does not sit quietly in your head.
What It’s About
The main character, Shaka, carries the book. She is wealthy, disabled, twisted by illness, and sharp enough to cut with her words. She writes erotica she has never experienced, vents online where almost no one follows her, and pushes at the edges of what her body and the people around her will allow.
What Stuck With Me
The writing is sharp, unsentimental, sometimes grotesque, but never false. What shocked me most was not the strangeness but how real it felt. There are no soft edges, no attempt to make her a symbol or an inspiration. Shaka’s body, voice, and wants are presented as they are.
People call this book surreal. I am not sure I agree. It felt painfully real, with one sharp swerve near the end that breaks the frame and makes you rethink what you just read. It is the kind of shift that makes you want to start over and see what you missed.
I do not think I understood every layer. Maybe I was not meant to. What I know is that it got under my skin. It made me think about the body, about sexuality, about judgment and choice, about what it means to have a voice others would rather erase.
Would I Recommend It?
Yes. Hunchback is not an easy book, but it is unforgettable. If you want fiction that disturbs and pushes you to think harder about desire and power, it is worth your time.
If you enjoyed this book I would recommend the movie 37 seconds
Where to Find It
📘 Buy on Amazon
📘 Buy on Bookshop.org
First time on Bookshop.org? Click for discount code
Also available via WorldCat to check your local library
Reading in a World That Isn’t Always Kind
Hunchback isn’t a cozy curl-up read, but it’s perfect for a night when you want to sit with something unsettling and brilliant. Set the tone with a few things that feel just a little out of step with the everyday:
LED Bedside Lamp (So cool)
Sometimes the right atmosphere makes a book like this hit even harder.
