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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
While The Left Hand of Darkness is obviously a classic and masterfully written, it just didn't hit me as hard as I was expecting it to. It has without a doubt been the victim of high expectations as this is clearly a fascinating book that I enjoyed reading. I was just hoping for something more.
The introduction written by the author herself was great, and as she herself wishes she had gone a bit further with some of these ideas I won't feel too horrid about not finding a new favourite here.
The introduction written by the author herself was great, and as she herself wishes she had gone a bit further with some of these ideas I won't feel too horrid about not finding a new favourite here.
The Left Hand of Darkness is undoubtedly a thought-provoking and well-crafted novel, but it didn’t fully resonate with me. While I appreciated the intricate world-building and the exploration of themes like gender, politics, and identity, I found the pacing uneven and the narrative occasionally difficult to follow, especially in the early chapters.
While I admired the dynamic between Genly Ai and Estraven, I struggled to connect with the characters on a deeper level.
I was bothered by the use of male pronouns (he/him) for the androgynous gethenians. Although it may have been a deliberate choice at the time, I felt it reinforced traditional gender assumptions in a story that was meant to challenge them. I appreciate Ursula's later reflections on this matter and agree that a more neutral approach might have better supported the book’s themes.
While I admired the dynamic between Genly Ai and Estraven, I struggled to connect with the characters on a deeper level.
I was bothered by the use of male pronouns (he/him) for the androgynous gethenians. Although it may have been a deliberate choice at the time, I felt it reinforced traditional gender assumptions in a story that was meant to challenge them. I appreciate Ursula's later reflections on this matter and agree that a more neutral approach might have better supported the book’s themes.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
No
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:
Yes
i’m having a hard time trying to say something about this one. because what should i even say?
do we talk about the exploration of a world without war discovering nationalism? or the influence of gender, specifically femininity, in a world that values wholeness of the self? or maybe the role of intimacy and how incredibly vital it is throughout history, folklore and modern politics? or how both POV worldviews accent and influence each other in every single one of these examples? how we are so united in concepts like grief and isolation even though we are two opposite beings? how the world is full of so many huge concepts, and at the end of the day, it is a more joyful existence not killing yourself searching for answers but allowing yourself to understand that nothing is certain?????
i liked this a lot lol
do we talk about the exploration of a world without war discovering nationalism? or the influence of gender, specifically femininity, in a world that values wholeness of the self? or maybe the role of intimacy and how incredibly vital it is throughout history, folklore and modern politics? or how both POV worldviews accent and influence each other in every single one of these examples? how we are so united in concepts like grief and isolation even though we are two opposite beings? how the world is full of so many huge concepts, and at the end of the day, it is a more joyful existence not killing yourself searching for answers but allowing yourself to understand that nothing is certain?????
i liked this a lot lol
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pretty good. A little dry for my tastes, reminded me of Lord of the Rings. Some good characters.