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

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

bleak bleak bleak…but i love it. examines death and dying, what it means to be human, complete isolation, and the passage of time. also who doesn’t love an all women and their relationships together kind of book! it should be noted that pretty much nothing really happens in the book. an excellent read and might be one of my favorites.

and i was initially disappointed that there’s no explanation for what happened. but, we’re on the same level of the characters and i find myself trying to make up an explanation the same way as they did. the writing is so detailed and immersive that the narrator’s journey is fascinating. the reflections on living on after death, time existing through other people, and how our experiences and relations shape our humanity were all though provoking. i absolutely loved the last few lines of the book, and the main character’s cause of death.