A review by loki
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

The way this book explores gender means so much to me. While I knew the premise of the book, I didn't expect it to be quite as revolutionary as it is, especially given when it was written. The two perspectives of Gently Ai and Estraven work beautifully to illustrate both the strangeness of the androgyny of the inhabitants of Gethen, and the strangeness of our own gender norms. The dual perspective allows us to see how each system of gender is working, and how crucial those systems are in understanding each other. It is painful to watch the two main characters so deeply misunderstand each other to begin with, and then to find mutual understanding as the story goes on. I was surprised that the book managed to convince me not to hate Gently Ai, as I did after just the first chapter. In a wider context, this is the first of Le Guin's books that I have read so far that so beautifully marries social commentary and an incredible story.

As a final note that i will not specify as a positive or a negative, this is essentially omegaverse before omegaverse even existed. 
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