Introduction
Published in 1995, this book did not gain traction until 2017, when the world needed more dystopian novels as a coping mechanism for the worsening state of the world. This book is a standalone, marking a unique genre of bleak dystopianism and philosophy. Authored by Jacequeline Harpman, this book has been translated into many languages and is still gaining popularity.
A Summary
In a cage underground, 39 women and a child survive without time, information on the outside world or freedom. As life progresses, the child struggles to fit in, as she knows nothing other than this life. She relies on what she is being told and harbours deep resentment to the women for not being told everything. And then, something happens. Whether it be by luck or a purposeful act of defiance, the group now have to survive in a world different for everyone.
Writing Style
The writing style is first person, but it is written as if someone is talking about the past. This allows for a deeper level of explanation into why the narrator acts how she does. There aren’t usual chapters in this novel, but there are separate parts of the novel. There is a page break in between these 3 distinct parts.
My Thoughts
It took me a fair amount of time to even begin writing this review, as every time I thought about what I wanted to say, it didn’t seem to encapsulate my feelings on this book.
Undoubtedly, this book is centered on what makes us human when everything that we know is taken from us.
There are a lot of themes I want to discuss that appear in this book, and the first is the connection between time and language. This connection in the book made me think in a way I hadn’t previously. On a re-read of this, I noticed this theme earlier in the novel than when it was stated. When the women were in the bunker, and had no access to any form of time, the use of language helped them orient themselves on a schedule. It was language that helped the narrator to count her heartbeats, and it was language that helped her communicate this faux time to others. This was my favourite part of the novel, and every time I think of this - I realise something new.
The next theme is the thirst for knowledge 一 the need to understand the world even when it makes no sense 一 and this can be seen throughout the novel. In fact, in my opinion, it is the hinge on which this book relies. Without the narrator being curious, and willing to push the boundaries set, there would be no story to write. It is something I relate to heavily and plays on my mind.
I also loved the fact that we weren’t given answers about the world around us, as it adds to the haunting narrative and hopelessness of the situation. I don’t have much personal speculation on what was going on, but I do find it heartbreaking that Jacequeline Harpman was a Jewish woman that experienced WW2 as a child and then went on to write a novel like this. I also think it’s important to remember that the reason we likely do not know what happened is because the narrator had no experience with the world. There was probably information that she couldn’t understand - like a map in the cabin.
Trigger Warnings
Please note this is a non-comprehensive list and there may be triggers in this book not explicitly stated here.
- Death
- Assisted Suicide/ Suicide
- Imprisonment
- Drugging (off-page)
- Violence
Recommendation
This book is one that is not to be read for fun. It is read to experience a way of life we are never going to get and to discover a new (albeit depressing) understanding of what makes us human.