Slim and formidable ... The miracle of this novel is the intellect and spirit of Shaka ... Has been translated with all due edge and verve by Polly Barton. It’s unforgettable.
Short but mighty ... At barely 100 pages, Hunchback is a swift read. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in sheer power. In just a few short scenes or disarmingly frank interior monologues, Ichikawa delivers a scathing takedown of ableism in modern society and upends the rules about who is allowed the right to desire and to be desired.
Destabilises the notions of what a disabled body can and cannot do, both socially and for herself ... These moments are so delicately balanced between pleasure and lust that they effortlessly merge with the rest of the novella to create a richer story with darkly comic and compelling characters.
Deft translation ... Ichikawa uses the vantage point of her disability for a particular insight into human nature, but we mustn’t condescend to call this novella autobiographical. Its structure – beginning and ending with a story, the latter possibly written by the narrator, possibly not – would tease us if we do.
