Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

24 reviews

miriamana's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Death

Minor: Sexual content, Sexism, and Torture

swampmonster's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A story very focused on political intrigue, the concept of home and humanity, and, most of all, nationalism and it's impacts. Not my favorite on a personal level, but well-done.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

readerette's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

5.0

I'm glad I read the afterword in this book, as it called to my attention the benefit of some of the things I disliked, such as the main human character using "he" as a neutral pronoun and seemingly finding every opportunity to disrespect "feminine" characteristics in a gender-neutral world. Turns out that Le Guin later regretted using "he" as gender-neutral, and that on inspection, the main character is not as progressive as he likes to think he is, with his gender bias proving that out.

What I enjoyed regardless was the poetic definition of this new world so different from ours and so much the same. I also liked the relationship between Genly and Therem, which was appropriately complex and believable. Some parts were too slow or detailed for my taste so I did some skimming, but it was still wonderful world-building and sociological exploration.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Sexism, and Violence

valereads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Left Hand of Darkness was a beautifully written character-driven novel filled with amazing prose and a fantastically realised world more reminiscent of a high quality fantasy novel that your typical sci-fi.

I loved the world this story was set it, it was original and felt truly real. I especially loved some of the short stories in between the main story chapters which told some stories from the world in which it was set and gave the whole thing more depth.

I shall definitely be rereading this book soon and I highly recommend it even (especially?) if science fiction isn’t typically your genre.

Content warnings: exorsexism, sexism, anti-intersex slur, abuse (specifically abuse of prisoners), incest

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Incest and Transphobia

Minor: Infertility