A review by loxeletters
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
challenging
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
First: This reminded me, in many ways, of The Wall by Marlen Haushofer, even though the books are quite different. I kept thinking about the parallels and differences while reading, which was super interesting.
On to the actual book:
It's hard for me to articulate my feelings on it. I can appreciate its subtlety, some of the symbolism only becoming apparent to me upon reading the preface. I also enjoyed the writing style, which kept me reading for long stretches at a time. I enjoyed the concept, too, the setting and most of the execution, though I would have wished for some things to be fleshed out a bit more. Logically, it makes sense that the protagonist will brush over some years in her account, but as a reader, it left me lacking connection to most of the characters, and feeling removed from the story. Again, this can be intentional, seeing as there is a great distance to everything the MC reports, but I found that in this regard, it was not enriching to the book.
Finally, however, I really appreciated the way the book poses questions and refuses to answer them - a bold move, which left me feeling empty and perfectly conveyed the hopelessness the character was experiencing.
Overall, it's a strange little book that I enjoyed especially on the artistic and philosophical level (which I imagine this book set out to achieve), moreso than on the entertainment level.
On to the actual book:
It's hard for me to articulate my feelings on it. I can appreciate its subtlety, some of the symbolism only becoming apparent to me upon reading the preface. I also enjoyed the writing style, which kept me reading for long stretches at a time. I enjoyed the concept, too, the setting and most of the execution, though I would have wished for some things to be fleshed out a bit more. Logically, it makes sense that the protagonist will brush over some years in her account, but as a reader, it left me lacking connection to most of the characters, and feeling removed from the story. Again, this can be intentional, seeing as there is a great distance to everything the MC reports, but I found that in this regard, it was not enriching to the book.
Finally, however, I really appreciated the way the book poses questions and refuses to answer them - a bold move, which left me feeling empty and perfectly conveyed the hopelessness the character was experiencing.
Overall, it's a strange little book that I enjoyed especially on the artistic and philosophical level (which I imagine this book set out to achieve), moreso than on the entertainment level.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, and Confinement
Moderate: Cancer, Abandonment, and Suicide