A 30-year-old award-winning novel has become the latest object of fascination among Gen-Z on social media, as bookworms hail the ‘bleak’ fictional tale ‘life-changing.’
In TikTok’s powerful literature-loving community of #BookTok, a new novel has emerged as a must-read, with thousands of young fans warning their followers to brace for an emotional ‘challenge’ as they pour through its pages.
I Who Have Never Known Men is a 1995 science fiction novel written by Belgian author, Jacqueline Harpman, and is the first of her works to be translated into English.
The synopsis follows a group of thirty-nine women and a young girl held prisoner in an underground cage, overseen by a group of all-male guards.
Among the prisoners, the girl is the only individual with no memory of the outside world; yet none of the women are aware of why they are being held captive or why a child is among them.
One day, the guards flee after an alarm sounds, and the prison is left open, allowing the women to escape – but they soon find themselves on barren land, with no sign of human life, as they’re left to work out what happened to the world.
Celebrated for tackling themes of loneliness, survival and sensory deprivation, the book went on to win a range of literary prizes, including the Prix Médicis and the Prix Victor-Rossel.
I Who Have Never Known Men has been described as ‘bleak but fascinating’ by The New York Times, while Kirkus Reviews compared it to The Handmaid’s Tale.
I Who Have Never Known Men, is a 1995 science fiction novel written by Belgian author, Jacqueline Harpman, and went on to get republished in 2022 (pictured, the 2022 edition cover)
The novel was republished in 2022, and has since seen a surge in popularity – in part due to rave reviews on TikTok.
On the social app, dozens have uploaded videos singing the book’s praises, as many hailed it ‘mind-blowing’ and ‘eye-opening.’
In one clip, bookworm @bug1over gushed: ‘This book genuinely changed my life. I would pay 10,000 dollars if I could read it for the first time again.
‘I experienced every possible human emotion reading this. I scream cried when this book was done. I genuinely have no expectations for any other thing read because I know nothing will top this. Please read this book.’
In another video, @saggypufflesbook said: ‘Guys pls read I Who Have Never Known Men. Can’t stop crying.’
Another clip shows @elven_fairy reviewing: ‘Mind-blowing five star read. This might be the book the propelled me out of my 7 month long reading slump.’
Another fan, @emmdeecee, wrote in a video: ‘This book really challenged the way that I see myself because so much of that is based on my perceived perception of others.
‘A lot of our worth as woman depends upon those who are willing to give us validity. It’s a great book that redefines what good storytelling is.’
Thousands of young fans on TikTok warned their followers to brace for an emotional ‘challenge’ as they pour through the pages of I Who Have Never Known Men
Bookworms on social media have hailed the ‘bleak’ fictional tale ‘life-changing’
Dozens have uploaded videos singing the book’s praises, as many hailed it ‘mind-blowing’ and ‘eye-opening’
Elsewhere, others chimed in with positive reviews, as one person wrote: ‘Just finished last night. The last line, wow. The foreword was also so incredibly worded. Ugh forever thinking of this book.’
Another commented: ‘This book was f*****g phenomenal and opened my brain to new ways of thinking I didn’t previously know possible.’
A third wrote, ‘I read this earlier this year and thought it was phenomenal!! so so amazing!’ while a fourth exclaimed, ‘I’m having an existential crisis after reading this!!!!’
However, a number of readers felt the book failed to make an impact, as one person wrote: ‘This book just took me round and round. Like what’s the point?’
Agreeing, another said: ‘I loved it but hated it at the same time! The lack of closure drives me insane.’
Finally, a third wrote: ‘I am officially no longer blindly trusting tiktok book reviews – lesson learned. They must all be getting paid or something for these life changing reviews.’
The story tackles themes of loneliness, survival and sensory deprivation
Others chimed in with positive reviews on TikTok
It comes as 19th century Russian novelist, Dostoevsky, who’s 150-year old novels have been flying off the shelves thanks to social media traction, has have won over Gen Z.
And one novella, which was published in 1848, has surged in sales, thanks to TikTok singing its praises.
Dostoevsky’s White Nights, has reached stratospheric heights after reaching the book loving corners of TikTok and Instagram.
The Penguin Classics little black book edition of Dostoevsky’s White Nights was the fourth most sold book in translation in the UK in 2024.