Reviews

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

algaliarept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

letta's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

mvanhoeck's review against another edition

4.0

So good to read this book of fierce winter beauty during a cold January full of political anxiety.

The Left Hand of Darkness is always introduced by describing the genderless, ambisexual characters but other themes besides gender seemed so much more deeply explored and affecting to me: patriotism/nationalism vs humanity; loneliness and friendship among and between those who are alien to each other. In fact, the thought experiment around androgyny suffered from the dated use of the "generic he" pronoun. It read like a planet of men who occasionally became women for a few days at a time. So little time was spent describing pregnancy and child rearing.

But the landscape! The descriptions of the glacial environment were stunning and the epic prison rescue and escape across the ice were thrilling.

lividphoenix's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

5.0

jogojam's review against another edition

5.0

Stunning

nolbank07's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.25

burgundyjaguars's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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? Yes

5.0

barschuft's review against another edition

4.0

This book, as many have said, is an avatar for the science fiction genre. The book explores contemporary issues, assumptions, and biases around gender, sex, conflict and culture. Le Guin does this directly and admirably through an otherworldly and futuristic setting. I enjoyed the unreliable narrator she employs to explore Gethenian culture. Her switching between narrators later in the book also added to the theme of duality and it's relationship to wholeness, both in persons and in the universe.

rock_hyrax's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

janewensley's review against another edition

2.0

This was a real slog. I had an incredibly difficult time making my way through it. 

I have a lot of thoughts on the content of the story, but nothing that I want to muster the energy to write about. 

I think the story is a valuable exploration, but ultimately I don’t think I would recommend this book to anyone.