I Who Have Never Known Men – what a book! Published originally in French in 1995, this version is translated by Ros Schwartz and is honestly such a stunning read. It has been haunting me since I read it.
Opening sentence: Since I barely venture outside these days, I spend a lot of time in one of the armchairs, rereading the books.
What happened?
This is the first question that will pop into your head when reading I Who Have Never Known Men. When we meet our unnamed narrator, she’s reading a book and reflecting on her life.
Set in a dystopian world, the book plunges you straight into its terrifying world and, as the story progresses, doesn’t go the way you might expect. It’s what it doesn’t reveal as much as what it does that makes it so powerful.
It turns out our narrator’s life is nothing like you would imagine. When I say this is dystopian – she spend her childhood locked in an underground cage with 39 other women.
She differs from the other 39 women as she was the only one who was a child when imprisoned. So, she has no recollection of life before, unlike them. She has literally never known men or any people other than the guards and women in the cage. The fact the other women had a life before means something did happen, but what? Why are they guarded 24 hours a day?
There are so many questions as you’re going along, which is what makes I Who Have Never Known Men such a enticing read.
In their previous lives, the women had worked, borne children and made love. All I knew was that these things were greatly valued. What use were we here?
Having no memories or history to draw from gives our narrator a very unique coming of age story. She has, but doesn’t understand, natural sexual urges, becoming fascinated with younger guard. She grows and tries to piece together human experience from, essentially, the perspective of an outsider.
An unexpected event
One day, there are sirens that cause the guards to suddenly evacuate. This happens just at the point the guards open the cage doors and, unexpectedly, the women are free.
The book then follows the women as they adjust to life outside the cage, search for answers and explore their new surroundings.
This section in the story is so hopeful, yet so raw and dark too. It walks such a fine line between emotions, making this such an evocative read.
For a book that’s essentially vague in so many ways, you are effortlessly hooked into I Who Have Never Known Men. The lyrical tone and innocent appeal of the narrator are huge draws and, despite some of the sections being quite harrowing, it has an ethereal quality. The blend is hard to describe, it’s so unique. And honestly, that ending! I wasn’t expecting it and was thinking about it for weeks after. You will be too.
- Get your copy of I Who Have Never Known Men here;
- Published by Vintage 1995;
- 188 pages;
- My rating:
Books on the 7:47 