Reviews tagging 'Incest'

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

101 reviews

paloverdepages's review against another edition

challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

stuck between a 4.75 and 5 for this one- there were a few passages about gender that i resonated strongly with. i wish i understood more, hope that reading the rest of the series will give me some insight when i get around to rereading this one. maybe i'm too hesitant to give books 5 stars; i just saw no reason not to with this one. also now i get to talk about it with so many people! so excellent, absolutely merits a reread and maybe some hardcopy annotating.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Death, and Misogyny

Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Incest

ericadawson's review

challenging hopeful tense fast-paced

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

3.75

The verse was a bit difficult to parse at times, but annotation helped me get through. 

I enjoyed the worldbuilding surrounding the Gethenians' physiology, though I felt some of the analysis lacking and, to my consternation, at no-point during Genly Ai's three-year stay with the Gethenians did he realize that he should, perhaps, stop associating only the traits he hates with women. It was understandable in the beginning, but grating by the end, even when he was forced to confront the nature-vs-nature/biossentialism in the tent when Harth pegged him about it. 

I felt that the worldbuilding was the strongest aspect, and I wish more had been done with the commentary on nationalism and patriotism. I liked that this was a hidden first-contact story, and that both Gethenians and Terrans are human, just of a different variety.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I loved Estraven's dedication to Ai even when Ai was being an ass. Being willing to cross 800 miles with someone while knowing you could both very well die is true love, to me. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Incest

ford_defect's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.75

Le Guin’s writing is fantastic. I seek out sci-fi to get transported to other worlds, and man, can this woman worldbuild. I could easily picture Winter/Gethen despite it being so foreign. The effort put into the culture, politics, history, and characters is something one doesn't see often (and keeping a coherent storyline, too???). Even within the genre. It almost felt like reading an anthropology book about real people.

However, I was a little disappointed on how the relationship with the two main characters ended. I can only blame my friend who hyped this up as some kind of LGBT-adjacent romance, which it is and isn't simultaneously.

Still, this book has given me a lot to reflect on when it comes to our gendered, heteronormative society. It's something I'll certainly have to re-read in the future.

There were a couple things that rubbed me the wrong way, though. CW: incest, sexism, misogyny, transphobia

For one, incest is somewhat acceptable in Gethenian culture, which was certainly a choice. The main character also had inherently sexist views since he came from a gendered society and seemed to get uncomfortable when Gethenians displayed femininity. (Albeit, he does grow). Lastly, I found it a little problematic when they wrote about Gethenian procreation like they were animals mating instead of regular people having sex. It comes off as a little transphobic, but I do understand why it's there.

 

But overall, my discomfort didn't sour this book for me. The uncomfortable parts had their place in the story. It's still an amazing work that certainly deserves a spot in SF history.    
4.75/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Incest, Sexual content, Sexism, Misogyny, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Transphobia and Pregnancy

transfish's review

emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

i think once again that leguin is an expert storyteller. shes a master at capturing the perspectives of her characters. i agree that the book couldnt have ended any other way, as much as i hope for a different ending. a wonderful commentary on the arbitrariness of gender in our own society. i recommend those struggling to read this put it down & come back to it in a few years

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Content Warnings

Minor: Incest and Suicide

waxwwing's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

This book is so complicated, man. (Yes, I understand how ironic the use of the word 'man' is here). I'm very grumpy about

Estraven's death

but I think the ending of the novel is, ultimately, very fitting. This is the sort of novel that I believe I would enjoy much more if I was studying it - there's so many layers to this text and what is has to say about gender, and I'm particularly interested in the role

incest (god)

plays into the narrative. TLDR; Ursula Le Guin would be massively fascinated by modern ABO fanfic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Incest, and Violence

leilah_m's review

Was for school so I read what I needed

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest and Sexism

Minor: Xenophobia

alsira98's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gun violence

Moderate: Incest, Violence, and Xenophobia

arborapollonis's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Incest, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage

citrine's review

medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Deportation, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Racism and Incest

bookishperseus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

It did take a while for me to be able to start this book, and at times I found it incredibly slow, complex or tedious.

I did keep reading it because there was a small interest as to what would happen, even though this book is following what could be considered a 'usual every day life'.

Towards the end, I found the final 3 or 4 chapters actually quite interesting. Not something I'd read again, but glad I finished it!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Police brutality, Drug abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Violence

Minor: Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Violence, Body shaming, Incest, Pedophilia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Child death, War, Chronic illness, Deportation, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Rape, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Vomit, Xenophobia, and Confinement