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cynicalraven's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Death and Incest
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Child death
shonarpakhi's review
- 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
i also had some trouble with understanding the novel's use of incest as a narrative device. it wasn't so much the content that troubled me as to its purpose. i've done a little extra skimming on the theme but it's yet to sate my curiosity. perhaps the reveal of sorve as estraven's child of the flesh is supposed to allude to their (estraven's) femininity, an aspect of estraven which genly has largely suppressed his awareness of in order to build the bridge of their friendship, and yet one which he must reconcile himself with in order to reckon with the gethenians in their full non-binary humanity. perhaps incest is an allegory for the political narrative of a contact and communion between two different worlds/cultures -- as the figure of genly comes to merge with and then rewrite that of arek, so a lasting bond of love can only be founded on true difference (cf. le guin's introduction), and not on sameness? or perhaps incest does not serve any symbolic purpose at all but, as le guin has noted in an interview, acts as a universal taboo, a suitable device to establish estraven's criminality -- a crime so generally stigmatised that readers (presumably?) are assumed to sympathise with estraven's punishment, and it is estraven's character that is complicated and elevated, some may say redeemed, by his loyalty to the gethenians as peoples despite living a life terminally in exile.
in any case i am sure i will benefit from rereading this when i am more at leisure. this is an excellent book to read as a writer, i.e. to read with special attention to literary craft, form and function, the polishing of narration. it's a book that i think would be better enjoyed in relaxation, non-linearity -- meandering, ambling back and forth -- and with the aid of a pencil.
Moderate: Misogyny, Confinement, Death, and Incest
morganlehay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Death, Incest, and Sexism
opossumble's review
- 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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Murder, and Incest
Minor: Pregnancy and Police brutality
gingersnap0211's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Moderate: Incest
Minor: Sexism
troisha's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Confinement and Death
Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Pregnancy, and Suicide
maria_s's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Death, Police brutality, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Grief and Incest
Minor: Addiction and Miscarriage
bonks's review
- 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
4.25
Minor: Incest
vjov's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Incest
dogfishpoem's review
- 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
Minor: Incest