A review by robinainthood
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Given the title and premise, I expected some kind of feminist metaphor in the dystopian oppression of The Women. Imagine my pleasant surprise to find this was not so much about men (vs. women) and moreso about mankind, and what it means to be human. The contradictory, stubborn, ironic nature of it. The frustrating hyperawareness of time (and therefore one's own impending, inevitable end), the struggle in finding meaning in the journey, the reckless longing for the destination. The comforts and sorrows, the beauties and horrors, the mysteries and intuitions that define what it means to be alive. 

The yearning for answers that will never be found, to questions that are all the wrong ones to begin with, much like Harpman leaves the reader.