Reviews - The Left Hand of Darkness

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11k reviews for:

The Left Hand of Darkness

Ursula K. Le Guin

4.07 AVERAGE

lost_library's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

Still such an incredibly thought-provoking story over 50 years after it was published.

"How does one hate a country, or love one?... I know towns, farms, hills and rivers and rocks, I know how the sun at sunset in autumn falls on the side of a certain plowland in the hills; but what is the sense of giving a boundary to all that, of giving it a name and ceasing to love where the name ceases to apply?" (pg 212) feels as topical now as if it was written yesterday.

Content Warnings

morgasm's review against another edition

3.75

Genuinely enjoyed the political intrigue, world building, anthropological themes, and overall story, but bruh. The journey through the snow was………. Long and not my favorite.

Ursula’s intro was PHENOMENAL tho

starcrossedstacks's review against another edition

3.0

I honestly think this book came to me at a bad time, and I plan on rereading it in the future.

This Sci-Fi book by one of my favorite Sci-Fi authors, Ursula K. Le Guin, is of course a masterclass in the genre. It heavily covers the topics of androgyny, sexuality, nationalism, propaganda, oppression, and hunger for power.

The story follows Genly, who at his core is an extremely flawed narrator who has obvious wrestles with sexism, among other issues. This I think is what made getting through this book hard for me at the moment, though was done artfully. As a traveler from another planet, even surrounded by completely androgynous individuals he struggles to not always see the "woman" in those around him, and often is put off when he does. The commentary here was well done, and in certain instances, it is heartbreaking to watch him hurt those around him because of these biases.

While this is a large theme, the political themes here hit home as well. From hatred taking over radio stations to blatant lies that can easily destroy the honor-bound people of this planet, you see the ugly of power-hungry nationalists and those around them.

As with any of Le Guin's writings, I highly recommend reading this. For me, I think The Dispossessed hit me harder in many ways, and would recommend that above this novel unless these themes are super interesting to you!

For me, this book goes back on the shelf until I am ready to wrestle with it and the themes in it a bit deeper and more intimately.

Quotes:

“It is a terrible thing, this kindess that human beings do not lose. Terrible, because when we are finally naked in the dark and cold, it is all we have. We who are so rich, so full of strength, we end up with that small change. We have nothing else to give. ”

“No, I don't mean love, when I say patriotism. I mean fear. The fear of the other. And its expressions are political, not poetical: hate, rivalry, aggression.”

“But it doesn't take a thousand men to open a door, my lord."
"It might to keep it open.”

⭐⭐⭐.5 /5