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nreyno's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicide, Cancer, and Confinement
cspa's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow, where to start? I Who Have Never Known Men, is such a consuming story for a tale that give no answers.
The story follows an unnamed narrator from her earliest memories to her final days. She entered the bunker at such a young age that she has no recollection of the world before it. The women captured with her also lack memories of their abduction, creating a stark contrast with the protagonist. She feels isolated and alienated due to her inability to comprehend their perspectives and her young age inhibiting her from seeing their situation as anything other than normal.
As she grew, she discovered that the bunker's strict rules molded her aversion to touch, emotions, and softness, all enforced by the silent, vigilant guards' cracking whips. Despite the women's desire to console her as a child, they were restricted from any physical contact, along side the complex realization that her presence evoked memories of their own separated children. She initially believed they were withholding knowledge from her, only to realize the limitations imposed by their confined environment.
It is only when a twist of fate grants them freedom that she comprehends the extent of her captivity, yet she maintains her spirit and curiosity. Her distinctiveness from the other women allows her to perceive beyond the expected and assumed societal norms of their past.
This apocalyptic/otherworldly setting that when breached seems no different from our own lacks the diversity of seasons and broad landscapes. Traversing through this gripping and heart-wrenching narrative is engrossing. The voice of "the child" resonates strongly, and Harpman's skill in maintaining suspense in a seemingly plotless narrative is captivating. The transition from a clinical writing style within the bunker to vivid descriptions outside, where she encounters new experiences, is particularly striking.
Reflecting on the story, a quote from the book in another review caught my attention. Initially overlooked, it was actually from the beginning pages, where she recounts her journey – a subtle yet remarkable revelation as I revisited these pages with newfound understanding.
I observed a few outdated beliefs held by some older women, highlighting the stark contrast with the budding philosophy of our young narrator. For instance, one captive's view was, “Men mean you are alive, child. What are we without a future, without children? The last link in a broken chain.” However, our main character's unique situation, devoid of interaction with men, challenged this notion. She found joy in simple pleasures, becoming a crucial link in others' salvation. Another belief centered around beauty solely for men, yet later in the story, women found beauty and love among themselves. Even early, on when exploring her own body she discovered an overwhelming sensation she described as an "explosion," which can only be accomplished through self-pleasure but has little understanding of it and the women won't provide an explanation. However, later on in the book when she does get a little clarification, it's told in a very clinical sense... a very heteronormative rational. Though, her indifference was understandable, considering her upbringing and discomfort with physical contact.
Amidst the multitude of thought-provoking questions and the remarkable achievements of these women, there lies a profound sense of sisterhood and love, even in the midst of trauma and grief. Hope and despair claim this book, and though, the story is incredibly sorrowful and disheartening, it also embodies resilience and determination.
Highly recommend.
The story follows an unnamed narrator from her earliest memories to her final days. She entered the bunker at such a young age that she has no recollection of the world before it. The women captured with her also lack memories of their abduction, creating a stark contrast with the protagonist. She feels isolated and alienated due to her inability to comprehend their perspectives and her young age inhibiting her from seeing their situation as anything other than normal.
As she grew, she discovered that the bunker's strict rules molded her aversion to touch, emotions, and softness, all enforced by the silent, vigilant guards' cracking whips. Despite the women's desire to console her as a child, they were restricted from any physical contact, along side the complex realization that her presence evoked memories of their own separated children. She initially believed they were withholding knowledge from her, only to realize the limitations imposed by their confined environment.
It is only when a twist of fate grants them freedom that she comprehends the extent of her captivity, yet she maintains her spirit and curiosity. Her distinctiveness from the other women allows her to perceive beyond the expected and assumed societal norms of their past.
This apocalyptic/otherworldly setting that when breached seems no different from our own lacks the diversity of seasons and broad landscapes. Traversing through this gripping and heart-wrenching narrative is engrossing. The voice of "the child" resonates strongly, and Harpman's skill in maintaining suspense in a seemingly plotless narrative is captivating. The transition from a clinical writing style within the bunker to vivid descriptions outside, where she encounters new experiences, is particularly striking.
Reflecting on the story, a quote from the book in another review caught my attention. Initially overlooked, it was actually from the beginning pages, where she recounts her journey – a subtle yet remarkable revelation as I revisited these pages with newfound understanding.
I observed a few outdated beliefs held by some older women, highlighting the stark contrast with the budding philosophy of our young narrator. For instance, one captive's view was, “Men mean you are alive, child. What are we without a future, without children? The last link in a broken chain.” However, our main character's unique situation, devoid of interaction with men, challenged this notion. She found joy in simple pleasures, becoming a crucial link in others' salvation. Another belief centered around beauty solely for men, yet later in the story, women found beauty and love among themselves. Even early, on when exploring her own body she discovered an overwhelming sensation she described as an "explosion," which can only be accomplished through self-pleasure but has little understanding of it and the women won't provide an explanation. However, later on in the book when she does get a little clarification, it's told in a very clinical sense... a very heteronormative rational. Though, her indifference was understandable, considering her upbringing and discomfort with physical contact.
Amidst the multitude of thought-provoking questions and the remarkable achievements of these women, there lies a profound sense of sisterhood and love, even in the midst of trauma and grief. Hope and despair claim this book, and though, the story is incredibly sorrowful and disheartening, it also embodies resilience and determination.
Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Grief
Moderate: Suicide, Kidnapping, Death, Terminal illness, Misogyny, and Medical trauma
itsybitsygingie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was an incredibly difficult yet beautiful book to read. It brought forth some incredibly difficult feelings concerning being human and the role of womanhood within society. My one slight of the book was the sheer amount of anti-female sentiments from the main character. Her one consistent thought throughout the book was that she was better because she wasn’t constrained by the supposedly womanly traits of the other characters, and I didn’t see as much growth as I would liked concerning this position.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Pandemic/Epidemic, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Genocide, Violence, Murder, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
biobeetle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Chronic illness, Abandonment, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Suicide
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
michelleshinee's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Confinement, Suicide, Death, Medical trauma, and Forced institutionalization
andrewhatesham's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Confinement, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Excrement, and Grief
jkull_10's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, and Torture
inlaraland's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"I Who Have Never Known Men" is a grim dystopian novel. Written as a fictional memoir of sorts, the story follows our unnamed narrator who is trapped in a prison with thirty nine other women. They have no answers as to why they are caged or where they even are. When a chance opportunity of escape arises, the women all jump in to explore the strange world around them.
This dark story is a reflective exploration and thought provoking read that touches on the themes of memories, loneliness, survival, life, death and womanhood. I think what sets this dystopian novel apart from others that I have read is the lack of explanation given. In this novel, what your read is what you get and in many ways it makes the questions you have as a reader far more haunting.
Despite this being a short novel, I had to put this book down a few times because I found the heaviness of it all to be bit too overwhelming. The world is bleak, and it's depressing - something that I would warn readers to keep in mind before picking up the story.
However, it's so worth the pain of enduring in my opinion. This is a story that will stand the test of time, and I interpretated pockets of beauty and hope in the narrator's journey. This book has definitely left an imprint on me, and is one that I would highly recommend to others!
This dark story is a reflective exploration and thought provoking read that touches on the themes of memories, loneliness, survival, life, death and womanhood. I think what sets this dystopian novel apart from others that I have read is the lack of explanation given. In this novel, what your read is what you get and in many ways it makes the questions you have as a reader far more haunting.
Despite this being a short novel, I had to put this book down a few times because I found the heaviness of it all to be bit too overwhelming. The world is bleak, and it's depressing - something that I would warn readers to keep in mind before picking up the story.
However, it's so worth the pain of enduring in my opinion. This is a story that will stand the test of time, and I interpretated pockets of beauty and hope in the narrator's journey. This book has definitely left an imprint on me, and is one that I would highly recommend to others!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Medical trauma, Medical content, Suicide, and Death
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