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suzanneruth's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
e_reader77's review against another edition
4.0
My book club had a difficult time with this book, mostly I suspect , because it's not a very gripping read until about page 150. It's difficult to keep names straight and once you fall into a pattern of what to expect, the narrator shifts, making it disorienting.
What I very much enjoyed about this book is how LeGuin wove together narrative, myth, religious documents and historical documents- all types of ways civilizations give context to their existence. Since Genly Ai is a human, LeGuin structured much of the story around artifacts that relate most to our own culture.
Usually I dislike books with multiple narrators, but LeGuin's choice to have both Ai and Estraven narrate chapters helped anchor the story with a non-biased "view"- the narrative is about two very different people who must deal with their cultural differences (as individuals and products of their own cultures) in order to survive.
Since the narrative is about a different race, issues like patriotism and sexuality are in focus (again- concepts we understand and relate to). While I agree with some other reviewers about the dated material pertaining to women, the book is cutting edge when dealing with the fluidity of sexual orientation. Ai comments more than once about how disorienting it is to be surrounded by androgynous people who only become "men" or "women" when in kemmer. He also comments on how that androgynous state changes communication, which could open up a discussion in a book club about how gender or sexual orientation dictates how we communicate.
One of my favorite quotes comes near the end when Ai contemplates what patriotism means: "And I wondered, not for the first time, what patriotism is, what love of one's country truly consists of, how that yearning loyalty that had shaken my friend's voice arises, and how so real a love can become, too often, so foolish and a vile bigotry" (279).
Even though it took me quite some time to fall into the story, I enjoyed the book because of that hardship, not in spite of it. Too often sic-fi books are too transparent. This book requires that readers stay engaged, which mimics Ai's own realization and journey to understand this culture.
What I very much enjoyed about this book is how LeGuin wove together narrative, myth, religious documents and historical documents- all types of ways civilizations give context to their existence. Since Genly Ai is a human, LeGuin structured much of the story around artifacts that relate most to our own culture.
Usually I dislike books with multiple narrators, but LeGuin's choice to have both Ai and Estraven narrate chapters helped anchor the story with a non-biased "view"- the narrative is about two very different people who must deal with their cultural differences (as individuals and products of their own cultures) in order to survive.
Since the narrative is about a different race, issues like patriotism and sexuality are in focus (again- concepts we understand and relate to). While I agree with some other reviewers about the dated material pertaining to women, the book is cutting edge when dealing with the fluidity of sexual orientation. Ai comments more than once about how disorienting it is to be surrounded by androgynous people who only become "men" or "women" when in kemmer. He also comments on how that androgynous state changes communication, which could open up a discussion in a book club about how gender or sexual orientation dictates how we communicate.
One of my favorite quotes comes near the end when Ai contemplates what patriotism means: "And I wondered, not for the first time, what patriotism is, what love of one's country truly consists of, how that yearning loyalty that had shaken my friend's voice arises, and how so real a love can become, too often, so foolish and a vile bigotry" (279).
Even though it took me quite some time to fall into the story, I enjoyed the book because of that hardship, not in spite of it. Too often sic-fi books are too transparent. This book requires that readers stay engaged, which mimics Ai's own realization and journey to understand this culture.
emath98's review against another edition
challenging
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? No
4.0
Started out really slow, almost DNFed but multiple friends told me to persevere. It got a lot more engaging once they went onto the ice. I kept forgetting the main character is an Earth man, because the narration from his perspective feels so detached and unemotional. Funnily enough I only started to feel connected to his emotional experience once Estraven started narrating about him. Can’t tell Le Guin did that intentionally or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Torture
mollymontague's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
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
4.75
teddymasters0's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was not expecting to love this book so much. I thought it would be an interesting evaluation of gender, one in an unusual science fiction setting. It certainly was that. From the beginning I was on board with the premise of the book and wanted Ai to succeed in his mission. It was the ladder half of the book that really spoke to me. From the moment when Ai is taken to the farm everything changes. The politic of the world comes into clearer focus. Then comes Estevan to rescue him. I hadn’t thought much of the character, that he was doing what he could to help. In the trek across the baron ice I came to love him. I truly believed that he would get a happy ending. I reveled in imagining him seeing the ship. Perhaps in developing his relationship with Ai further. His death was so heartbreaking, but also beautiful. It was sudden and his absence from the world was felt throughout the rest of the book. This story is a triumph that will remain with me for a long time.
ktopreads's review against another edition
i have been a little lost for a while. i think its a good book, but i should have read the physical copy. maybe i will tackle it again sometime in the future. i didn't want to push myself to finish a book that i had enjoyed but wasn't fully committed to anymore.
nthurman_dude's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0