Book Review - I Who Have Never Known Men

Title: I Who Have Never Known Men
Author: Jacqueline Harpman
Genre: Fiction/ Dystopian
Published: 1995
 
Description: Deep underground, forty women live imprisoned in a cage. Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only a vague recollection of their lives before.
 
As the burn of electric light merges day into night and numberless years pass, a young girl – the fortieth prisoner – sits alone and outcast in the corner. Soo she will show herself to be the key to the others’ escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground.
 
Review: In “I Who Have Never Known Men” we follow a group of forty women who are all locked up in a cage, underground. The fortieth woman has just entered the cage and we follow the story from her perspective. None of the women have any recollection of how they got their and don’t remember a lot of their lives before. Why they are there? No one knows.
 
The story is very unique. It’s an impressive, philosophical and dystopian story. The story provides only few answers and requires lots of imagination, the journey through mystery and philosophical depth is a very special and impactful reading experience.  
 
The setting and the unexplained circumstances create a deep mystery that draws into the hope of the main character. We never learn her name, her backstory, who she was before this. But we see her growth, feel every one of her emotions and really go through it with her. And the beautiful writing by Jacqueline Harpman helps us immerse ourselves in the inner world of the main character.
 
Despite its feminist undertones, there is an emphasis on misogynism with the emphasis on the necessity of men for a meaningful life. I don’t believe that’s what Harpman believes, but these women, who only have each other, believe this to be the truth.
 
When going into this book, just be aware that you will be left with more questions at the end. You will not get a satisfying, spectacular, big conclusion. It’s not fast paced or action packed. “I Who Have Never Known Men” is a character driven book, told from the perspective of a young woman who never experienced life as it is. She only knows  the life she is living  now. If you enjoy philosophical, mysterious stories, that make you think, and you’re not afraid of a book that doesn’t provide you with clear answers, then this one is for you. It’s a unique reading experience and this book will definitely stay with me for a very long time.
 
Rating: 5/ 5