Reviews

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

ebodi8pg's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

n8bit's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

florinereads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.0

lukija's review against another edition

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3.0

Scifiklassikko, joka jätti minut hieman etäiseksi. Yhtenä keskeisenä teemana oli sukupuoli tai sukupuolettomuus (kirjailija käyttää Talvi-planeetan asukkaista termiä kaksineuvoinen, koska noin kerran kuussa he muuntuvat sukupuolettomista naisiksi ja miehiksi lisääntyäkseen), kulttuurien kohtaaminen ja kohtaamattomuus, valtapolitiikka ja henkinen läheisyys (ystävyys, rakkaus).

Ymmärrän, miksi kirja on klassikko, mutta jokin jäi vaivaamaan. Mietin johtuiko se kirjan sukupuolipuheesta. Pidin erittäin kiinnostava kirjan lähtökohtaa kuvata yhteiskuntaa, jonka jäsenet ovat sukupuolettomia (kunnes tulee aika lisääntyä), mutta sukupuolettomuutta lähestyttiin aina välillä naiseuden ja mieheyden näkökulmista ja etenkin naisiin liittyvät kohdat olivat paikoin hieman kiusallisilta (naisiin liitettiin tunteet, juoruilu, "naismainen käytös" jne.). En tiedä. Lisäksi ei sitoutunut kirjan kahden keskeisen henkilöhahmon keskusteluihin ja henkiseen läheisyyteen.

Lopputulema kirjasta oli, että en saanut siitä oikein otetta. En tiennyt mihin minun olisi kannattanut keskittyä.

wjtparky96's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

rory11's review against another edition

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4.0

So, my problem with this book is mostly a me problem. As in I was reading this book while babysitting. Thus, my attention was extremely divided between the book and what the kids were doing. And I may have missed out on most of the plot of the book. So I can't actually speak to the plot in general because I mostly didn't absorb that information.

What I can speak to is the world-building. I absolutely loved this planet, where every inhabitant is androgynous and thus all gender stereotypes and such don't really exist in the same way. It's a great commentary on many of the gender issues that were happening in 1969, when the book was written, but it can also be applied to the current situation today. So, while I can't recommend the book for its plot (sorry), I wholeheartedly love the world in which the novel is set.

clhughes95's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

hgoodenn's review against another edition

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4.0

objectively great. deserves its status in the scifi hall of fame. unfortunately I only personally enjoyed about 1/3 of it, the rest was very boring in the way that many classic novels tend to be

sillypunk's review against another edition

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4.0

Weird but worth reading: http://blogendorff.ghost.io/book-review-the-left-hand-of-darkness/