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teabrewer's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Grief, Slavery, Sexism, Misogyny, and Classism
Moderate: Xenophobia, Suicide, and Gun violence
Minor: War, Incest, Homophobia, Miscarriage, and Transphobia
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
That being said, I found this to be extremely dry and boring during time where it should have felt tense. The pacing was slow, and that’s not something i usually enjoy in a book. I could not connect with the characters or enjoy their faults.
I also really did not like that it specifically envisioned a world where everyone is ambisexual AND then instead of being progressive about it, they also state that sibling incest is common and not forbidden. It had other potential issues that could have been called out with the Kenner system, but it was odd and felt … gross for no reason.
Graphic: Death, Confinement, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Suicide and Incest
Minor: Sexism and Pregnancy
swrrlgrrl's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Xenophobia and Sexism
yuripiano's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Should I sit with my thoughts before writing a review?
Probably.
Will I?
...
So anyway, I just finished reading this - there's so much here, where to even begin...
Genly Ai. Sometimes, I wish to beat you with a stick.
Estraven, my sweet Gethenian, I wish to give you the stick to beat Genly Ai.
This is a gross over-exaggeration but MMMNGH Genly I swear some of the choices you made are questionable at best and misogynistic at worst and AAAAGH you're truly one of the protagonists of all time.
Is protagonist even the word I want? I mean I suppose so, but... it doesn't really feel like a story with a protagonist or even a pair of protagonists, so much as a story that happens, and there happens to be two main characters living that story, and through them, things happen, if that makes sense? It's strange and compelling, and for some reason I'm having a hard time describing it, and consequently my feelings about it.
It was good, though.
I want to make that clear - there often are books where I read them and think "wow, that was a lot, I probably need to reread it to really get it," but I know I never will as a function of lack of time/will.
This is one I could easily see myself actually rereading.
Because, I mean, there's just so much - the interludes breaking up Estraven and Genly's stories serve as such wonderful world building, but I don't think I would truly be able to get every last ounce of meaning from them without multiple rereads and analyses, and I think that's really cool!
But, at the same time, I feel like I'm maybe slightly biased by having just finished it and also knowing it's a pretty revered book in its own right.
To that end, I'm not sure if this is another reason why I need to reread this, but, I wasn't... satisfied with the exploration of gender in it.
Like, I enjoyed what was there!
But coming through the voice of a flawed and misogynistic main character in Genly Ai, I feel like I was left... wanting for more. A big part of that comes in Le Guin's usage of he/him pronouns for the Gethenians as a whole - she has expressed her feelings over her pronoun usage in essay, but I really just want to reiterate what she's already noted elsewhere that I really don't feel like I got a sense of the "duality" of most Gethenians, least of all Estraven.
Heck, any time showing this came up, it was always at the anger or disappointment of Genly, which, I know, kind of was the point, but it still annoyed me.
... I guess, this was supposed to make me feel uncomfortable, and while that's fine, I still wanted "more" overall - show me this side possibly from Estraven's perspective more, and this would have been nice, and additionally, if we're going with the usage of he/him pronouns being a function of Genly's internalized misogyny/sexism/conformity to expected gender roles, would it have hurt for sections from Estraven's perspective to use they/them, it/its, or some other form of neopronoun instead?
(According to the author at the time, yes, but she would later go on to say that she was okay with they/them pronoun usage... and stars, I really wish she had put them in here)
This is turning out so long I'm so sorry sljkdfjklsd I just, have so many feelings, and I really did enjoy this a lot, and there's so much to talk about, and while the story did make me think about gender and the role it plays in society, I find myself wanting for more from an already progressive book for its time.
Solid read, definitely would recommend to anyone, but Genly, I hope you stub your toe or step on an Ekumenical Lego.
Pros:
- The world building is top notch, Karhide and Orgoreyn feel real and distinct
- The writing itself is beautiful
- Estraven is a darling
Cons:
- He/Him pronoun usage is jarring and exclusionary given the gender construct the book seeks to dismantle
- The emphasis on duality seems to leave out any sort of gender expression outside it, which leaves me feeling like nonbinary voices are "unheard" in a way
- I am eternally upset that
Minor: Sexism and Misogyny
amorphousbl0b'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
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Incest and Suicide
Minor: Sexism
sunn_bleach'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
4.25
Graphic: Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, and Death
Moderate: Incest, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Child death, War, Pregnancy, and Sexism
_david_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The book successfully presents multiple perspectives, with the main character questioning his own ideas and cultural norms after engaging with Winter's people. What stands out is how Winter and its countries aren't portrayed as utopias nor lesser places than earth. They're not good or bad, just different, with their own moral grey areas. Even the two countries that are shown in the book have big cultural differences. Eventhough gender is a significant theme and the first thing you'll likely learn when looking up the book, the core focus revolves around learning to respect and collaborate with another culture. The way gender is represented in the book is in a world that shows the what-if scenario of a society where gender (or sexuality) has no impact on people's role in it.
The only aspect I wish were different is that 'neutral' pronouns and other terms are male to the reader. Perhaps it highlights the flaws of the main character and his default way of thinking. But I still found it odd.
Graphic: Deportation, Police brutality, Confinement, Grief, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Incest, Suicide, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Cursing, Incest, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexism
renicula's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death and Xenophobia
Moderate: Transphobia, Sexism, and Violence
ford_defect'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? It's complicated
4.75
There were a couple things that rubbed me the wrong way, though. CW: incest, sexism, misogyny, transphobia
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
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Incest, Sexual content, Sexism, Misogyny, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Transphobia and Pregnancy
leilah_m's review against another edition
Moderate: Incest and Sexism
Minor: Xenophobia