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

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-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? Yes

4.5

Reading this book leaves you with more questions than you start with. Fortunately, you also leave with more insights and I think with every reread this story will reveal more depending on your frame of reference. 

I was reading On Women by Susan Sontag at the same time which gave me a very feminine frame to read this story through. It is rather glaring that the society the women create is still a cishet one that reflects the power dynamics present in one even without any men. I don't think this makes the story genderessentialist- it is the one thing the women can cling onto to connect them with their former life. The rituals of modesty, of community bring them comfort in a comfortless world. 

The interesting thing is how much of it reflects -or does not reflect- in the MC who has never known the world before the bunker. 

Either way, it gives a lot of food for thought.