I Who Have Never Known Men

“As good as everyone says it is.”

“This is an instance of a book blowing up on social media that (imo) actually deserves the hype. Very few good things happen in this book and it should be absolutely miserable, but to me it read as a testament to the human will to survive and make meaning”

“Short and engrossing literary fiction. Fun to discuss with people who have or haven’t read it!”

“Haunting, thought-provoking read - one of my favorites this year”

“I Who Have Never Known Men is a unique story about a young woman who has been trapped in a cage with other (older) women for as long as she can remember. Will we ever find out why?”

“A beautiful philosophical read about a woman, a strange planet, and the duality of people. Thirty-nine women and a girl are being held prisoner in a cage underground. The guards are all male, and never speak to them. The girl is the only one of the prisoners who has no memory of the outside world; none of them know why they are being held prisoner, or why there is one child among thirty-nine adults. One day, an alarm sounds, and the guards flee; the prisoners are subsequently able to escape. They find themselves on an immense barren plain, with no other people anywhere, and no clue as to what has happened to the world. Jacqueline Harpman was a Jewish woman who fled Belgium and went to Casablanca during the Nazi occupation and visuals and trauma of her experience is littered through the book with the descriptions of the guards that watch the women and the trauma that follows their escape. This book brings incredible visuals and gives away none of its secrets. It is a story that will stick in your mind, and much like the main character, will make you desperate for answers that will never come.”

“After a mere 208 pages, this book left me w. Psychic trauma (complimentary). 4.8/5”

“had me in its GRIP”

“Dystopian. Feminist. Brutal. Victorious. This book has stood the test of time for a reason. Please read it and come back to discuss.”

“Intriguing, haunting journey. Sticks with you.”

“Can’t stop thinking about this incredibly dark but eerily captivating rediscovered novel. Best to go in knowing nothing.”

“Rereading this; if you enjoy dark sci-fi & crying, this one is for you”

“could not put it down”

“I’m not sure how to explain this one, yet I’m excited to discuss it.”

“What. a. book. Enthralling start to finish. Filled with imagery that’s going to stick with me for years. I didn’t expect this to hit the way it did.”

“A meditation on not getting answers”

“February read”

“Great post-apocalyptic novella! So many loose strands to obsess over.”

“Post-apocalyptic, dystopian, meandering, thought-provoking, beautiful book that had me thinking about it well after it was over.”

“Another dystopian feminist tale of isolation (my summer theme!), a young woman moves through a world free of the yoke of cultural expectations of femininity yet alone in her quest to understand herself. Am I selling it yet? It’s nothing like Handmaids but if you like Handmaids, you’ll probably dig this!”

“Weirdly peaceful - a story your mind can come back to. In a world with a lot of noise and stuff, I found this book to be disconcerting, but also meditative. Does this say more about me or the book? Regardless, this is a good story.”

“The afterword mentions a feeling of implacable calmness while reading, and for me, that is a perfect description of this dystopian novel. It’s weird, and thought-provoking. But my favorite part is that this book showed up unannounced - a surprise send from my best friend who read it, loved it, thought of me, and sent a copy. ♥️”

“brutally beautiful. so rich while also quite spare. forces you to read it in a different way than you set out doing. I’ll be thinking about it forever”

“this story revolves a girl who grows up with only women and in seclusion. this read gave me insight on what loneliness would be like for a woman who didn’t grow up being able to relate to others, around the intimacy and/or interaction of men, and our modern and common societal routines. it helped me understand what it truly would be like to be left alone with what is left behind.”

“yes it’s worth the hype. read it”

“Dystopian fiction that is our warning.”

“One of the better books I’ve read this year. Couldn’t put it down.”