We're no stranger to books going viral, but in the case of I Who Have Never Known Men, it's not so straightforward. First published in French back in 1995, it's taken three decades for the book to catch on — but now that it has, the response is immense. A quick scroll on TikTok shows the dystopian fiction has Gen Z firmly in its grips, with many heralding the work as a kind of Handmaid's Tale for the younger generation. So, why now? Below, everything you need to know about the book of the moment, including exactly what has the internet so hooked.
@jadeaangelina My new favourite book of all time! 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ pls read this book it is the greatest thing ever. #iwhohaveneverknownmen #booktok ♬ Her - The American Dawn
What is I Who Have Never Known Men about?
The premise of the novel is simple but unique. The official synopsis reads: "A young woman is kept in a cage underground with thirty-nine other females, guarded by armed men who never speak; her crimes unremembered... if indeed there were crimes.
The youngest of forty—a child with no name and no past—she survives for some purpose long forgotten in a world ravaged and wasted. In this reality where intimacy is forbidden—in the unrelenting sameness of the artificial days and nights—she knows nothing of books and time, of needs and feelings."
One day, an alarm sounds, and the guards flee; the female prisoners are subsequently able to escape. The synopsis continues: "A young woman who has never known men—a child who knows of no history before the bars and restraints—must now reinvent herself, piece by piece, in a place she has never been... and in the face of the most challenging and terrifying of unknowns: freedom."
Why is I Who Have Never Known Men popular now?
We've witnessed first hand the power of the internet to propel books to sell-out status though, admittedly, 'I Who Have Never Known Men' is a little different to the romantasy novels that usually take off on BookTok.
It's could have something to do with the state of the world, politically speaking. Under Donald Trump's presidency, women face an attack on their rights across a broad range of issues, from reproduction to gender equality. According to AP News, we saw a similar trend in Trump's first presidency, when dystopian classic 'A Handmaid's Tale' rose to the top of best-seller lists, as did George Orwell’s '1984' and Ray Bradbury’s 'Fahrenheit 451'.
@bewareofpity As evidenced by the last two days, what is self-evident to me and many other women is not the case for everyone. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman. #booktok#littok#literarytok#literaryfiction#iwhohaveneverknownmen#bookreview#bookrecommendations ♬ original sound - Malissa
Glowing reviews from readers on TikTok have also spread the word of the book like wildfire, "This book changed my life," one user said in a review, while another said "I think about 'I Who Have Never Known Men' every day."
In response to renewed interest in the book, this year will see it published in a giftable hard-cover version for the first time, prompted by readers purchasing several copies at a time to give their friends. Until then, 'I Who Have Never Known Men' is available to purchase online.
