I who have never known men: Book Review

   I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman is the type of book that will stick with me for the rest of my life. 

    This novel is from the perspective of an unnamed narrator. She is a young girl trapped in a cage with 39 other women, where she has been for as long as she can remember. It follows her journey growing up in this unusual environment surrounded by strangers who are just as in the dark as she is. 

    The second half of the story follows their lives post-escape from their cell. Instead of leaving and finding the answers they so desperately sought, they are ultimately left with more questions than before. Unanswered questions are a recurring and major theme in this read. If you are the type who doesn't deal well with obscurity and loose ends, I highly suggest avoiding this book. 

I Who Have Never Known Men

     Jacqueline Harpman originally wrote this story in French, and it was the first of her dozens of novels to be translated into English. It was published in 1995, originally titled Mistress of Silence. Both titles, I feel, suit this book appropriately. 

    A reviewer named Emily May on Goodreads said, "It sits outside of genre, outside of time, outside of reality as we know, introducing the reader to a world unfamiliar to both them and the unnamed protagonist. The result is a palpable feeling of winder and loneliness."

     I'm not sure I could have said it better myself. For me, this was a five out of five star read. The only reason I ever put it down was when life got in the way. 

  My usual reads before this one were easy-to-process fantasy. The type that literature-snobs might turn their nose up towards. I read as an escape from the chaos of life, so often times the goal is to let my brain turn to whimsical mush inside my head. 

    I think that's why I loved reading this so much. It was so staunchly different than what I'm used to and I enjoyed the change of pace.  

    "For a very long time, the days went by, each one just like the day before, then I began to think, and everything changed" (p 6).

    Harpman explores womanhood and community in a way that is both devastating and powerful. She examines it from a perspective that is unusual, yet relatable. The young girl watches as women make the most out of their unprecedented situation. 

I Who Have Never Known Men
Original French Cover

     We see a power structure amongst the group. There are women that appear to lead, and others who quarrel. Its a confined version of the reality we know. In a complex way, their reality, seeming extremely unrealistic to the reader, can actually be quite relatable if given enough thought. 

    The young girl reflects emotions that many young women experience, even if they're not trapped in a bunker. She feels rebellious, separating herself from the others. She watches them from afar. This is something I myself relate too, often watching the world from the outside when I was younger. 

    I was, and still am, the main 'thinker' of my family. I am the daughter/sister who strayed from the train of thought my family lives in. I see myself in the unknown narrator. I feel for her longing for knowledge. For her questioning of reality.

    This is why I loved reading this book. The author had the ability to connect me with a character for whom I don't even have a name. 

    I will hold this reading experience with me for years to come.