Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

81 reviews

ericadawson's review against another edition

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

arcturus_b's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Confinement, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, War, Grief, Police brutality, and Misogyny

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

alsira98's review against another edition

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

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

amaya_jam's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

i see the intrinsic value of this book and it brings forward a lot of interesting concepts but i found the story ultimately unsatisfying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Trafficking, Vomit, and Slavery

Minor: Child death and Pregnancy

pearrots's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gore, and Drug abuse

Minor: Incest, Suicide, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, War, and Sexism

scifi_rat's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Plot: 4.75★
Prose: 4.7★
Pace: 4.5★
Concept/Execution: 5★/5★
Characters: 5★
Worldbuilding: 5★
Ending: 4.5★

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Torture, Xenophobia, and Sexism

Minor: Violence, War, Blood, Miscarriage, and Suicide

ka_cam's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

While I liked this less than others by Le Guin, it was still a thought provoking read with themes on intercultural communication, time, friendship and relationships, gender and sexuality, faith, patriotism, and politics set on a distant in time and space, very cold, planet populated by humans who have different sexual organs and cycles than on Earth/terra. The gender analysis is a bit sideways to the modern reader due to the narrator, Genly Ai, using exclusively he/him pronouns for folks and  being pretty openly misogynist.  Still lots to chew on, I read this in a book group and I think having people to discuss with added a lot to the reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Misogyny

Moderate: Pregnancy