I Who Have Never Known Men by Jaqueline Harpman is a dystopian novel about a group of 40 women trapped in a bunker, unaware of how they got there, and their eventual escape. The narrator is the youngest of the 40, the only one of the group who was placed in the bunker as a child. Although the story takes place nearly two decades after they became trapped, the novel is written through the perspective of the narrator as an older woman recounting her life story. The women are trapped in this bunker, with only each other for company. Captives for reasons unknown, the novel follows their story, as the narrator describes their escape and exploration of the mysterious world above them that may not be what they expected.
The novel is an exploration of humanity and what actually defines being human when you are removed from society. The narrator is the only character who does not remember or know life prior to being imprisoned, so the exploration of humanity is told through a character who has never actually lived life outside of her cage. This brings a nuanced and fresh perspective on life as the narrator has nothing to relate to or call back on. The novel explores heavy themes of community, solitude, and what it means to be human when you lose everything that you know
The book is written very slowly as the narrator gradually unfolds her life throughout her writings. She narrates her experiences trapped within the bunker, watched by guards outside of the cage, but unable to speak to anyone other than the other women. You read as she explores her adolescence and adulthood experiences in a way that completely differs from the accounts of the older women trapped, who do have their memories of life before the cage. The title I Who Have Never Known Men refers to the fact that the narrator has never known any man throughout her life. She grew up in the bunker in complete isolation from an entire world and the experiences that come with it. The novel explores themes of womanhood through the eyes of a woman who has never left a cage.
I Who Have Never Known Men is a translated novel, originally written in French, and it does read like a translated novel. That is, the prose may seem stilted or monotonous after a while. Even though it does not detract from the overall experience, it is something to note, especially if slower writing is something that bothers you. However, it is a very successful dystopian novel that leaves you with questions quicker than you can find answers. I highly recommend this novel for someone who wants to explore more translated literature and more contemporary dystopian novels. The book itself is fairly short, just under 200 pages, and while the ambiguous storytelling may seem difficult to follow, the novel itself is worth reading.
