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A review by shonarpakhi
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
- 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
perhaps it is because i chose to read the left hand of darkness at the wrong time, or perhaps because i did not do it the courtesy of reading with generous time -- i sped through this book in three sittings, over three days -- i did not find it as groundbreaking as i was led to expect. partly there is the fact that i am reviewing it in 2022, whereas it was published for the 70s when it would have been much more subversive. there's no denying the mastery of le guin's writing, which i respect immensely -- it's clean, smooth, perfectly balanced and perfectly judicious in its use of various literary modes and devices, its distinguishment of character voices, the hybridity of its form -- and yet i found myself a little impatient with the rhythm of its expression. something about it didn't resonate with how i like to be led through sentences and paragraphs when i read. it might be a function of the language of the time, a feature of le guin's own style, which despite its beauty and precision refuses to be pinned down and laid flat. larger than life, it demands attention and dedication. so again, it might be a flaw with how i went about reading in the first place.
i also had some trouble with understanding the novel's use of incest as a narrative device. it wasn't so much the content that troubled me as to its purpose. i've done a little extra skimming on the theme but it's yet to sate my curiosity. perhaps the reveal of sorve as estraven's child of the flesh is supposed to allude to their (estraven's) femininity, an aspect of estraven which genly has largely suppressed his awareness of in order to build the bridge of their friendship, and yet one which he must reconcile himself with in order to reckon with the gethenians in their full non-binary humanity. perhaps incest is an allegory for the political narrative of a contact and communion between two different worlds/cultures -- as the figure of genly comes to merge with and then rewrite that of arek, so a lasting bond of love can only be founded on true difference (cf. le guin's introduction), and not on sameness? or perhaps incest does not serve any symbolic purpose at all but, as le guin has noted in an interview, acts as a universal taboo, a suitable device to establish estraven's criminality -- a crime so generally stigmatised that readers (presumably?) are assumed to sympathise with estraven's punishment, and it is estraven's character that is complicated and elevated, some may say redeemed, by his loyalty to the gethenians as peoples despite living a life terminally in exile.
in any case i am sure i will benefit from rereading this when i am more at leisure. this is an excellent book to read as a writer, i.e. to read with special attention to literary craft, form and function, the polishing of narration. it's a book that i think would be better enjoyed in relaxation, non-linearity -- meandering, ambling back and forth -- and with the aid of a pencil.
i also had some trouble with understanding the novel's use of incest as a narrative device. it wasn't so much the content that troubled me as to its purpose. i've done a little extra skimming on the theme but it's yet to sate my curiosity. perhaps the reveal of sorve as estraven's child of the flesh is supposed to allude to their (estraven's) femininity, an aspect of estraven which genly has largely suppressed his awareness of in order to build the bridge of their friendship, and yet one which he must reconcile himself with in order to reckon with the gethenians in their full non-binary humanity. perhaps incest is an allegory for the political narrative of a contact and communion between two different worlds/cultures -- as the figure of genly comes to merge with and then rewrite that of arek, so a lasting bond of love can only be founded on true difference (cf. le guin's introduction), and not on sameness? or perhaps incest does not serve any symbolic purpose at all but, as le guin has noted in an interview, acts as a universal taboo, a suitable device to establish estraven's criminality -- a crime so generally stigmatised that readers (presumably?) are assumed to sympathise with estraven's punishment, and it is estraven's character that is complicated and elevated, some may say redeemed, by his loyalty to the gethenians as peoples despite living a life terminally in exile.
in any case i am sure i will benefit from rereading this when i am more at leisure. this is an excellent book to read as a writer, i.e. to read with special attention to literary craft, form and function, the polishing of narration. it's a book that i think would be better enjoyed in relaxation, non-linearity -- meandering, ambling back and forth -- and with the aid of a pencil.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Confinement, Death, and Incest