I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Jacqueline Harpman

TRANSLATOR: Ros Schwartz

GENRE: Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic.

PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 1995

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A brilliant post-apocalyptic fiction about a group of women in a deserted world. Innovative plotline, excellent character development, vivid imagery, thought-provoking writing. A fabulous combination of bleakness and hope. No closure. Much recommended, though not to all.

Plot Preview:

An unknown time. An unknown place. An underground bunker where forty women reside. They have no memories of how they got there, or of how long they have been there. Most have minimal memories of their lives before this endless, monotonous captivity. The only exception is a teenaged girl who has absolutely no recollection of ever being outside the bunker, and hence doesn’t even know what the others are missing. When an opportunity presents itself for a change, this young girl is the first one to grab it, acting as the beacon of hope for future survival. But what awaits this ragtag group who have nothing in common except their present situation?

The story comes to us in the first-person perspective of the nameless young girl, written in flashback from some future time.

This book was first published in French in 1995 under the title ‘Moi qui n'ai pas connu les hommes’. It was the first of Belgian author Jacqueline Harpman’s books to be translated to English. My gratitude to whoever selected this book to be translated. What a fabulous find!

For a long time, I had mulled over whether to read this or not. With the world as it is right now, the last thing I wanted was a disturbing dystopian or post-apocalyptic read to mess my head further. But sometimes, a book comes to you at just the right time.

I will keep my feedback points brief and slightly vague because this story is best explored blind.

Bookish Yays:

👏🏻 The situation. A strange mix of apocalyptic and surreal. Initially seems misogynistic, but further reveals dispel this notion.

👏🏻 The narrator. Excellent character with a unique combination of curiosity and courage. Love her growth over the narrative.

👏🏻 The fact that the narrator is unnamed throughout. Cleverly written without feeling gimmicky.

👏🏻 Because of the narrator’s hazy past, we get an almost dispassionate reporting of the worrisome situation. This creates a strange mix of distance yet concern. We feel sorry for her and yet struggle to connect with her seemingly unnatural concept of humanness.

👏🏻 The remaining members of the bunker. All women, but with memories of their past. We see only some of the characters in detail, so there’s no worry of character confusion. The contrast between their personalities and that of the narrator comes out well.

👏🏻 The two distinct parts of the story. Can’t tell you the two parts, but the tone and the atmosphere are so distinct in each! The dominant mood in both is bleak, but there are tiny moments of triumph.

👏🏻 The portrayal of female friendship under adverse circumstances. So true-to-life!

👏🏻 The world building. Vivid! It’s easy to visualise everything around them.

👏🏻 The writing in flashback from some future time, so we can guess certain things even though the narrator doesn't foreshadow much. The justification of the flashback is nicely done.

👏🏻 I always love books that make me wonder what I would do in that situation. There are so many hypothetical what-ifs in this story, that too without clarifications! It’s a stimulating (albeit depressing) read for the mind.

👏🏻 The translation. Impeccable! No jumpiness or awkwardness in phrasing.

👏🏻 The parting note by author Sophie Mackintosh. Adds a whole new depth to the story.

Bookish Okays:

👎🏻 No answers at all! So many points are raised but stay unaddressed. Some of the circumstances in the second part of the story feel a bit stretched, especially considering the length of time that this section lasts. All this adds to the unsettled feeling of the proceedings. However, those who want neat plotlines with proper closure won't be happy.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:

The audiobook, clocking at 6 hrs 10 min, is narrated by Nikki Massoud. She is quite good and conveys all emotions with the right attitude suiting our unnamed protagonist. The only thing is that she sounds older than a teen. This makes sense considering that the story is being written in flashback, but as the writing is in first person, it takes some time to reconcile that the voice you are hearing is for a teenaged character. Other than this, no issues. The storyline is chronological and with limited active characters. As such, the audio version is a great option even for audio newbies.

Overall, this is a brilliant and powerful read with a strong tone of melancholia and struggle. It won't work for any readers looking for a traditional narrative with a HEA. But to those who might enjoy a literary novel with an apocalyptic tone, this book will deliver.

Some of the content reminded me of another dystopian female story I had read last year: The Architect of Grayland by Evelyn Arvey. Those who want a happier version of this story would probably enjoy Arvey’s book better. I’d strongly advocate both novels.

Definitely recommended, though not to those who like all i's dotted and t’s crossed in their fictional picks. I would have liked to know a few things more. But this haunting story won't leave me easily.

4.25 stars. (This would have been higher had all the unclarified whats and whys and hows of certain developments been sorted out.)