Name: I Who Have Never Known Men
ISBN: 9781888363432

Jacqueline Harpman

A prize-winning, "womanist" novel--part thriller, part science-fiction fantasy--traces the emotional and sexual awakening of one woman, the youngest of a group imprisoned in a world of men who attempt to dehumanize them. IP.

A Novel

I Who Have Never Known Men

Moi qui n'ai pas connu les hommes

sina (she/her) 

If the only thing that differentiates us from animals is the fact that we hide to defecate, then being human rests on very little, I thought. 

Anastasia Illner

✧༺♥༻✧

Is there a satisfaction in the effort of remembering that provides its own nourishment, and is what one recollects less important than the act of remembering? 

Chenay Kamara

nhu ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹

I thought it was unfair, and then I understood that, alone and terrified, anger was my only weapon against the horror.

han ˚✧₊⁎❝᷀ົཽ

You’ve never seen a child, you don’t know what it means – their vulnerability, their trust, the love you feel for them, the anxiety, being ready to lay down your life to save them, and it’s unbearable to imagine a child’s pain.

Perhaps, somewhere, humanity is flourishing under the stars, unaware that a daughter of its blood is ending her days in silence. There is nothing we can do about it.

Sometimes, as I returned to the group around the fire, I’d feel a rush of emotion; I was moved by the flickering of the flames in the night, the silhouettes of the women resting, the interplay of words or Denise’s reedy voice carrying the laments of another era across the plain, and I understood what Anthea called beauty, which apparently had been so abundant in their world.”

We had survived the prison, the plain and the loss of all hope, but the women had discovered that survival is no more than putting off the moment of death. 

They’d been custodians of the absurd, carrying out orders whose purpose they were unaware of, themselves having to submit to incomprehensible rules, and perhaps they had no more idea of our identity than we did of theirs. 

It all seemed incredibly strange, sinister and moving. I felt the burden of the inexplicable, of my life, of that world to which I was the sole witness.

It is strange that I am dying from a diseased womb, I who have never had periods and who have never known men.

I was forced to acknowledge too late, much too late, that I too had loved, that I was capable of suffering and that I was human after all.

amari

Gemma

"In that case, what were men for?" I asked.

Iris van der zanden

I thought about it because I was in the habit of considering every angle of a question, and I'd never had any form of entertainment other than thinking.

I was forced to acknowledge too late, much too late, that I too had loved, that I was capable of suffering, and that I was human after all.

annaaa

And now, racked with sobs, I was forced to acknowledge too late, much too late, that I too had loved, that I was capable of suffering and that I was human after all.

omg this was so good. honestly my favourite book atm, i really enjoy a story with philosophical elements embedded into it. i feel like this book could truly be written at any time, the writing is sooo timeless it’s so impressive. i think that it offers a really interesting perspective and is so demonstrative of how male centred a society that doesn’t even include men can be. 

astrid reid

A haunting, heartbreaking post-apocalyptic tale of female friendship and intimacy. 'A small miracle' The New York Times 'For a very long time, the days went by, each just like the day before, then I began to think, and everything changed' Deep underground, thirty-nine 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 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. Soon she will show herself to be the key to the others' escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground. WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY SOPHIE MACKINTOSH, MAN BOOKER PRIZE-LONGLISTED AUTHOR OF THE WATER CURE

I who have never known men by Jaqueline Harpman contradicts my refusal to read books solely written for the embodiment of English language as a central concept. It is simply magnificent, and worthy of having every single letter of ink to be read. Rather than relying on complicated and impressive words, I admire Harpmans use of simple sentence structures mapping out the human thought process but from the perspective of one whom has never known our well known perception of this so called world, one who has never known relationships, love, emotions alongside man made structures, norms and values engraved in daily life. There are hundreds of quotes in this book which have touched me completely despite their being so simple. It is endlessly fascinating to be placed in the perceived reality of someone whom has never experienced what we consider so normal. This read has been endlessly interesting and I am grateful to have had the privilege to read this book and simply recognise the captivating brain behind it ! 

Such a stirring story. I spent most of the read reimagining the scenes because I cannot identify the feelings I had as I went through the book, but I can feel them. I don't know what I'm saying anymore. It's almost like I felt nothing and everything at the same time. It took quite a while for me to reach the end

Yulez

4.5 ⭐️ When I read the last line, I found myself left with many unanswered questions and no closure. However, after reading the afterword, I gained a new understanding of the novel’s purpose: to challenge readers to question humanity at its core, encourage deep introspection, and consider how humanity might behave if stripped of preconceived notions of civility. The novel’s main argument centers on examining the nature of humanity in extreme isolation. Continuing this sense of uncertainty, the novel reads like a journal or diary, retelling events from the lives of both our protagonist and the narrator, known to us only as “the girl.” The writing itself has a sort of clinical but introspective approach, stating all observations and thoughts to the reader. Being told in this manner adds an eerie feeling to the vastness and solitude of the existence that our protagonist ultimately finds herself in. This sense of reflection deepens with the afterword, which was really the glue that brought this whole story together for me. I appreciated the background history of our author, which added a whole dimension to my interpretation of the writing and the feelings and thoughts I assumed the author was working through. In the end, I did enjoy the story overall, and it’s definitely one of those novels you’ll think about, dissect, and turn over when you recall its pages.

wish, much like the child, that i knew why and how they were there

Nat Wong

i really really enjoyed this book. so much thought and tears throughout reading. highly recommend 

Sophia Rico

A story about existing while under conditions with very little in common with the real world and not even knowing what we're missing. What, when, where, who, everything is a question and every answer is a delusion in this book. She has also never know men, however much it matters in the middle of all this, one can ponder. A life worth living? A risk worth taking? A death worth surviving? An ending worth striving for? Duty, desire, fear, community and selfhood, this is a short novel packed with meaning, even if reading is more inspiration and perspective than decisions and conclusions.

"If someone spoke to me, there would be time, the beginning and end of what they said to me, the moment when I answered, their response. The briefest conversation creates time. Perhaps I have tried to create time through writing these pages. I begin, I fill them with words, I pile them up, and I still don’t exist because nobody is reading them."

André Nóbrega

A story about existing while under conditions with very little in common with the real world and not even knowing what we're missing. What, when, where, who, everything is a question and every answer is a delusion in this book. She has also never know men, however much it matters in the middle of all this, one can ponder. A life worth living? A risk worth taking? A death worth surviving? An ending worth striving for? Duty, desire, fear, community and selfhood, this is a short novel packed with meaning, even if reading is more inspiration and perspective than decisions and conclusions.

"If someone spoke to me, there would be time, the beginning and end of what they said to me, the moment when I answered, their response. The briefest conversation creates time. Perhaps I have tried to create time through writing these pages. I begin, I fill them with words, I pile them up, and I still don’t exist because nobody is reading them."

Really strange. Eerily apt that this book has been brought to the attention of Vintage Classics through someone finding it in a bargain bin (this is explained in the back of the book) when you think about the main character’s final decision to write a book that someone may or may not find. And the fact that the author died before it gained any traction. Spooky.

 The book itself is deep in the themes it explores towards the end. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever read. Very depressing but in ways that I feel are needed.

I liked the unanswered questions. Would love to really discuss this with someone at length. Great one for a book club. 

Amy Gleave

Really strange. Eerily apt that this book has been brought to the attention of Vintage Classics through someone finding it in a bargain bin (this is explained in the back of the book) when you think about the main character’s final decision to write a book that someone may or may not find. And the fact that the author died before it gained any traction. Spooky.

 The book itself is deep in the themes it explores towards the end. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever read. Very depressing but in ways that I feel are needed.

I liked the unanswered questions. Would love to really discuss this with someone at length. Great one for a book club. 

˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

i’ve had this on my list for so long and i’m glad i finally read it. such a unique story, made me think about how what’s “normal” is taken for granted. i always wanted to know what happened next, even though it was usually nothing

julia

What an interesting, memorable, odd book. A sci-fi that  made me think twice about everything we consider “normal” in human society. Couldn’t put it down, never read anything like it. 

Kaitlyn Wendler

Not at all what I was expecting to read. Not a whole lot going on in terms of story as it's sort of just a decimated apocalyptic place that you don't have much context on, but neither does the character. I enjoyed the concept and I found myself thinking what I would do in the same situation or even if I could put myself in the same shoes as the character since I didn't grow up in the same way, didn't have the same feelings, thoughts and lack of context. It was an interesting book if not a little bit underwhelming at some junctures.

BC Hark

beautiful book. so many unanswered questions, but i guess that’s the point. it took me a while to fully get invested in the story, and i will definitely need to reread it but i can see why i see recommendations for this book so often 

Esther Marie Mann 

Barely had a plot but enjoyed the writing!

Germaine Lee

Discover the haunting, heartbreaking post-apocalyptic tale of female friendship and intimacy set in a deserted world.

Deep underground, thirty-nine women are kept in isolation in a cage. Above ground, a world awaits. Has it been abandoned? Devastated by a virus?

Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only vague recollection of their lives before. But, 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.

Soon she will show herself to be the key to the others' escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground. The woman who will never know men.

Brynn Sklar

ridiculously bleak but with occasional moments of tenderness and hope… so many people said this was a ‘sci-fi feminist novel’ so I approached this with that in mind but the novel just descends into nihilism by the second half (not necessarily in a bad way)

Taira Robles

Tender yet cold. Bleak yet inspiring. A thought experiment that Harpman handles with elegance. She leaves you both profoundly desperate for more and yet settled fully in the understanding that you need nothing else. I am excitedly anticipating a time when I shall get to reread this.

Acadia

Left me with more questions than when I began. Slow burn, curious, thoughtful. Enjoyed her pov on life and the world. 

Amalie

A young woman is kept in a cage underground with thirty-nine other females, guarded by armed men who never speak; her crimes unremembered...if indeed there were crimes. The youngest of forty--a child with no name and no past--she survives for some purpose long forgotten in a world ravaged and wasted. In this reality where intimacy is forbidden--in the unrelenting sameness of the artificial days and nights--she knows nothing of books and time, of needs and feelings. Then everything changes...and nothing changes. A young woman who has never known men--a child who knows of no history before the bars and restraints--must now reinvent herself, piece by piece, in a place she has never been...and in the face of the most challenging and terrifying of unknowns: freedom. A young woman is kept in a cage underground with thirty-nine other females, guarded by armed men who never speak; her crimes unremembered...if indeed there were crimes.The youngest of forty--a child with no name and no past--she survives for some purpose long forgotten in a world ravaged and wasted. In this reality where intimacy is forbidden--in the unrelenting sameness of the artificial days and nights--she knows nothing of books and time, of needs and feelings.Then everything changes...and nothing changes.A young woman who has never known men--a child who knows of no history before the bars and restraints--must now reinvent herself, piece by piece, in a place she has never been...and in the face of the most challenging and terrifying of unknowns: freedom.

I Who Never Known Men

i loved it, couldn’t put it down after picking up 

Love the ambiguity and the questions you have after.

Raadeem Pierre

If you are looking for a book that gives you an answer, nope, this book gives you existential crisis instead.

I finished this book and actually? this book just left me staring at nothing, contemplating everything. 

Maybe because reading this book give you a first point of view of the narrator and her dialogue and thought was so internal and personal, I felt like I was so immersed that I also feel like becoming one. I kept wondering whether the child question, which is also my question, will eventually get an answer. 

This book is also especially depressing at certain point. I also believe this book brings some sense/degree of metaphor and philosophy about humanity.

In my opinion it might about like the endless pursuit of answer, reason, and knowledge because the world is too absurd or the lifetime isn't even enough. Like when the child, and me myself, thinking that she found a big finding about something that could answer all of this but it just end up leaving you with even bigger question.

I think this book more circling about question and meaning rather than a plot, it's thought-provoking at best.

The book wasn't so bad but I can see why it's not for everyone. One thing, when people said this is a feminist book, I think I'll dissent, sure it showed women in building a community but nevertheless I don't think I got any feminist sentiment from this book.

If you are looking for a book that gives you an answer, nope, this book gives you existential crisis instead.

I finished this book and actually? this book just left me staring at nothing, contemplating everything. 

Maybe because reading this book give you a first point of view of the narrator and her dialogue and thought was so internal and personal, I felt like I was so immersed that I also feel like becoming one. I kept wondering whether the child question, which is also my question, will eventually get an answer. 

This book is also especially depressing at certain point. I also believe this book brings some sense/degree of metaphor and philosophy about humanity.

In my opinion it might about like the endless pursuit of answer, reason, and knowledge because the world is too absurd or the lifetime isn't even enough. Like when the child, and me myself, thinking that she found a big finding about something that could answer all of this but it just end up leaving you with even bigger question.

I think this book more circling about question and meaning rather than a plot, it's thought-provoking at best.

The book wasn't so bad but I can see why it's not for everyone. One thing, when people said this is a feminist book, I think I'll dissent, sure it showed women in building a community but nevertheless I don't think I got any feminist sentiment from this book.

A perfectly unique and creative story. This book resonates with me. I like the way there is no resolution. It creates a simultaneous urgency and disinterest in all of the questions asked. What’s the point? What’s around the corner? Is it a coincidence or is it purpose? What if I went left instead of right? The curiosity of asking these questions, seeking an answer, and then never finding one is such a human experience to me. If our narrator never experienced love, what made her human? Curiosity, a pursuit for knowledge, and a respect for the dead and for beauty is my answer for now.

Liz Hunsaker

 a book that refuses to give away it’s secrets 

B.A. Bacigal

Unlike anything I've ever read, a true sci fi book made to make you question what it means to be human. An extremely well crafted novel!

I Who Have Never Known Men A Novel