Reviews tagging 'War'

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

5 reviews

rizzi_anna's review

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicide

Minor: Terminal illness and War

refrejarator's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I feel so hopeless after reading this. Madly depressing and terribly mysterious.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Excrement, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Self harm, War, Cancer, Grief, Police brutality, Suicide, Dementia, and Terminal illness

hanmccull's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Dystopian, bleak, haunting, thought-provoking: it’s not often you describe a book as life-changing. Straight into my list of all-time favourites (despite the epic book hangover). Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!

Personally I chose to skip the introduction before reading as it was giving too much away, and I’m very glad I did so.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Sexism, and War

caroisreading's review

dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I started this book without reading any spoilers, or even the introduction. I wouldn't even know this was science fiction -- it could be any time period, agnostic of technology other than electricity.

I read this in half a day. I give so much credit to the translator, though all the credit is due to Jacqueline Harpman for this beautiful, morose, bare, unique story. 

This is a story on an undefined war, humanity, and women surviving. It contemplates the meaning of life. It is plain in how it describes each step of survival, and we see through the eyes of a protagonist who is like a blank page - void of our version of the human experience. I rooted for her, and mourned for her. 

You'll love this if you like thought-provoking reads, darker stories about humanity, and the bond among women. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Infertility, Cancer, and Chronic illness

deetabz's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Excrement, Confinement, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Infertility, Body shaming, and Cancer

Minor: Sexual content, War, Alcohol, Kidnapping, and Drug abuse