A review by laurareads87
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A classic, and one of few books I'll re-read. The Left Hand of Darkness is brilliant, and it brings me joy every time. What this book does so well, I think, is ask questions: what happens when something fundamental that we've mostly taken for granted our entire lives is all of a sudden exposed as being totally contingent, as something that could be otherwise? How can one reorient oneself? It is also, at its heart, a book about connection across difference, the erosion of preconceptions, learning to see the world differently and, in the process, emerging changed. As always, Le Guin's writing is beautiful, every line deliberate.
Le Guin, in her wonderful introduction, points out that the book is a thought experiment, not a blueprint; as such, it does not leave the reader with easy answers or a straightforward idea of how things should be. Rather, it is much more demanding than that.
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