Reviews

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

lnmiller2's review

dark reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

wowee

srutsam's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

sam_reads1's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

kalldaff's review against another edition

5.0

God damn this is good. So good. I definitely didn't have a good idea of what it really was, but I wasn't disappointed in the least. The writing is quiet and honest. It's a poignant reflection on life, love, cruelty, and what it means to be alone. 

karis_dl's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a really fascinating book about a dystopic future(?)/past(?) or maybe a totally different world altogether. I understand that in many cases the lack of specificity around setting might be alarming but the unfolding of this narrative relies on this being unknown. I really don't know how to discuss this novel without revealing large plot points but what I can say is that this book kept me intrigued throughout. Important themes in this book are friendship, humanity, power, nostalgia, regret, community, preserving and forming culture, and legacy. Harpman really asks us to consider what it is that makes us human and what ties us to each other. This book is a feminist philosophical inquiry and while it may not provide any conclusive answers, I think what it does well is invoke a sense of curiosity, and questioning in the reader. If you like books like The Handmaid's Tale or the Parable of the Sower, you would probably enjoy this too.

erinmariebee's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

katieloves2reademmasbooks's review

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

geckotigerwolf's review

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

saeedtriestoread's review

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

hopeross_'s review

dark medium-paced

4.0