Japanese Literature discussion

Our poll top novel (and it was really close) for the June 2025 group read is Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa. The English translation version is by Polly Barton.
It was the Akutagawa Prize 芥川龍之介賞 (2023), and an International Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2025).

I noticed that several of my library accounts have this in hardback, ebook and audiobook! So if you plan to borrow the book you should get your book requests in as soon as possible.

I’m #5 in my library’s hold queue on 2 copies! It seems to be a popular one. 😉

My audiobook hold just came up. I will still read the HB version since I will have it by the time of our group read.

Just a question but will Lonely Castle in the Mirror be the group book of July given it was the close runner up to Hunchback?

Henk wrote: "Just a question but will Lonely Castle in the Mirror be the group book of July given it was the close runner up to Hunchback?"

Yes, Lonely Castle will be the July 2025 group read. It was a close second. We can do buddy reads if members would like to read any of the other books from the June/July nominations. They can also be nominated for August/Sept if desired.

I found Hunchback an interesting read, especially since narratives from the perspective of people who have physical disabilities are hard to find. The conclusion of the novella is still something I think about (and get questions about from people as well even!), it is impressive how in a short amount of space the author both conjures a world and plays games with what is real and what is imagined. My review can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hi everyone!
I finished Hunchback. I found it interesting and entertaining, but I’m confused by the ending.
I do appreciate how it focuses on the real life issue of how people with disabilities are treated in Japan and how difficult even the simplest of actions can be when you are suffering from a severe disability. Moreover, it helps me to appreciate my health and body so much more.
I am interested in everyone’s thoughts on the ending!
Overall, I gave it 3 stars.

Also, I apologize if there were certain rules for the discussion that I may have missed, this is my first time participating.

I'm looking forward to reading this one, but it might be hard to get it in libraries in Spain. I had read about the author and the novel; cannot wait to get my copy!

Ichikawa’s Hunchback is a rather simple title for a jaw dropping 90-page rollercoaster manifesto of sorts. I should note that once the library queue announced Hunchback was up for my taking at the local pickup locker, I took a brief pause from the middle of reading Alice Wong’s Year of the Tiger, so I thought I’d be a little bit prepared for this book, but I really wasn’t.

Truly, though, at the end of the 90 pages, I was reminded of another famous novel by Victor Hugo called The Hunchback of Notre Dame, though it’s been several years since I last read this novel. Though separated by generations, some common themes resonated with me: the precarious balance between interdependency and autonomy, what it means to be seen or vilified, and the value of dignity and personhood.

I gave the book 4 stars, mostly because the whiplash-y ending left me more confused than satisfied (beginning with the crisis of descent into madness perhaps at around page 80?).

I wasn't a fan of this novel tbh. I liked the fact that I was reading something from a perspective that is largely ignored. But apart from that I found it a poor read. Narratively it didn't do anything for me, the story ended before it even got going, the style of writing didn't strike me as particularly interesting or special.

As a manifesto or article it is a useful and interesting read. As a novel though it falls seriously short.

Oh and I forgot to mention, I gave it 2,5*.

Loved this one !

I just finished this mere minutes ago.

What a powerful novella! It’s been called a scathing takedown of the ableism in Japanese society and the lack of options provided for the disabled in that country. I was shocked several times during the novel at the lack of mobility options or even audiobook options for the narrator. I hadn’t realized that audiobooks are so rare in Japanese.

The ending, which is deliberately obscure and could be either a real story or one written by the narrator, is a gut punch. You’re left with unanswerable questions and this sense of loss. I can see why this won so many awards.

I actually read this already for the Goodreads Challenge! Unfortunately, it's not a book I have much to say about. And I actually forget what the ending even is...
I hope others enjoy it more than me!

I just finished Hunchback!

I thought it was a promising novella and quite funny at times (in regards to her fantasies and her job as an erotic freelance writer) - and although I did find the ending memorable, it also felt incredibly rushed and lazy.

it felt like what could have been the middle of the novel chopped off and half hazardously sewn to the ending. the ending itself wasn’t surprising- more like a revelation to what direction the author wanted to go… kind of magical realism-esque with the many coincidences piling up on another. overall, I enjoyed it but it’s full potential wasn’t utilized, imo.

I was impressed by how many themes Ichikawa managed to acknowledge in such a short novella. The intersection of class and her experience of disability is something that isn't something I've seen acknowledged overly often.

I really enjoyed her self-deprecating humour and her provocations, but I think the novel might have been more fully impactful had that anger carried right to the end, which felt too obscure.

I finished the book last night, but I feel like I didn't get it. Is saka really dead?
S the prostitute is she really Tanak's sister??
I read it as an E-Book, and English is not my mother tongue language, so maybe it's the reason ??

Lynda wrote: "I finished the book last night, but I feel like I didn't get it. Is saka really dead?
S the prostitute is she really Tanak's sister??
I read it as an E-Book, and English is not my mother tongue lan..."

Yes, It’s to opened ended for me. I prefer a definite ending not one that has different interpretations.

This is my review of the novel:

Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa is a deliberately chaotic novel that follows a protagonist with severe scoliosis and a deeply fragmented inner world. The writing style mirrors the character’s instability, creating a disorienting reading experience. While the book may aim to evoke empathy and challenge conventional narratives around disability, its execution feels uneven. The protagonist’s thoughts often come across as erratic rather than insightful, and several scenes, particularly the sexual ones, feel out of place. One striking takeaway was the severity scoliosis can reach. Ultimately, the novel’s intent is intriguing, but its delivery may alienate more than it enlightens.

Hmmmm…

This is the first time in a while y’all have picked a book i haven’t read yet *and* i can read along in the right month.

Ishikawa’s desire to destabilize the way her readers think about disabled folks was achieved, for sure. Oof.

That was a quick, short read. My hold at the library finally came in last night, and I finished the book this morning. I'm glad I didn't pay a new hardcover price for a book this short, which is no reflection on the contents.

Amongst the details of her handicap and the severe impacts it has on her life, we do get a brief plot in her interactions with Tanaka. He despises her for being born rich, and perhaps himself for his job as a carer (though that's not stated explicitly). It surprised me that he didn't follow through with their agreement; perhaps he was worried about criminal liability. But we're never told.

I don't share other people's confused reactions to the ending. I see the novel as framed by two pieces of the fiction Shaka is writing. In the beginning she's a handicapped woman writing porn at home, and in the end she's back where she started.

The only part that left me scratching my head was the long quote from the Bible. I don't see how it relates.