Scan barcode
A review by luluwoohoo
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.5
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
☀️☀️☀️☀️🌥️
A haunting piece of dystopian speculative fiction that quietly burrows to the heart of humanity in less than 200 pages.
This book is, unsurprisingly, dark and mysterious and hopeless. But it is also reflective and inspiring and, weirdly, hopeful too. Our unnamed narrator views the beauty of the natural and man-made world through her unique lens, highlighting the parts of us that cannot be dimmed even through a lifetime of oppression and hardship. There is never any chance of the ending we crave, but still that seed of doubt lingers throughout the entire story, unable to be ignored, which is the essence of what this book represents.
The practical, sparse prose suits this simple and harrowing story. Nothing is glorified or magnified, mostly due to the matter-of-fact nature of our narrator, meaning that the emotional throughline wasn't obvious at the beginning. The first half was interesting but I can't say I was emotionally engaged until the final third, which snuck up on me and surprised me at the impact it suddenly had.
Harpman has crafted a remarkable world in such a short novel, one that is ruthlessly explored but no clearer by the end. This could disappoint, and it does, but it also paints a vivid picture of the human spirit and how it functions even without anyone else to engage with. It is a powerful story that shouldn't be ignored.
☀️☀️☀️☀️🌥️
A haunting piece of dystopian speculative fiction that quietly burrows to the heart of humanity in less than 200 pages.
This book is, unsurprisingly, dark and mysterious and hopeless. But it is also reflective and inspiring and, weirdly, hopeful too. Our unnamed narrator views the beauty of the natural and man-made world through her unique lens, highlighting the parts of us that cannot be dimmed even through a lifetime of oppression and hardship. There is never any chance of the ending we crave, but still that seed of doubt lingers throughout the entire story, unable to be ignored, which is the essence of what this book represents.
The practical, sparse prose suits this simple and harrowing story. Nothing is glorified or magnified, mostly due to the matter-of-fact nature of our narrator, meaning that the emotional throughline wasn't obvious at the beginning. The first half was interesting but I can't say I was emotionally engaged until the final third, which snuck up on me and surprised me at the impact it suddenly had.
Harpman has crafted a remarkable world in such a short novel, one that is ruthlessly explored but no clearer by the end. This could disappoint, and it does, but it also paints a vivid picture of the human spirit and how it functions even without anyone else to engage with. It is a powerful story that shouldn't be ignored.
"Perhaps you never have time when you are alone? You only acquire it by watching it go by in others."