I Who Have Never Known Men

I don’t even know how to describe this book. It’s a beautiful, tragic, and heartbreaking dystopia. In spite of its length, it definitely leaves a long lasting impression. Just don’t expect any answers going into it. (5/5)

Jaqueline Harpman tells a haunting and thought-provoking story about isolation, freedom and what it truly means to be human. A truly unforgettable read thath I would recommend to everyone!

"I who have never known men" is a haunting, thought-provoking novel that leaves you feeling both confused and devastated. It makes you question life, humanity, and existence itself. I think the beauty of this book is that it is so dystopian and out of this worl in a way, yet so familiar and haunting. The kind of book that lingers in your mind long after you have finished it. I still have no idea what happened, which makes me feel uneasy, yet not knowing what was going on or what actually happened and why leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Amazing.

Imagine being trapped in a cage deep underground with thirty-nine other women. You have no idea how you got there, no concept of time, and only blurry memories of a life before. That is the premise of this book. The guards provide them with food, clothes, and basic necessities, but strict obedience is mandatory to avoid being whipped. None of them know why they are trapped or where they are. Our narrator is the youngest of the group. She describes their bleak daily routine, noting that she can't even reminisce like the older women because she has never experienced real life.  While the premise is incredibly haunting and mysterious, the execution is frustratingly open-ended. If you need a story with a clear resolution, walk away now. I kept waiting for a massive twist or a big reveal, and the author constantly teased that answers were coming. But don't hold your breath. Every time things seemed to get interesting, the characters just stumbled upon the same old things they had been seeing for two decades. The ending left both me and the narrator trapped in a pile of unresolved questions and a cloud of disappointment. It is depressing in a very specific way, capturing that painful feeling of chasing answers that will never be found. Honestly, if there was a deeper philosophical meaning behind this book, it completely flew over my head.