A review by sharene91
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

emotional hopeful informative reflective tense slow-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? Yes

4.75

Wow. I really loved this book. I had it in my collection for a while and just couldn’t get started. I’m really glad I pushed through. 

So why not a perfect score? It started a bit slow and I didn’t know what to expect, but it was engaging enough to keep me reading. Around the halfway mark, though, I couldn’t put it down! 

I learned a lot and this one really made me think about the meaning of community/cooperation, coexistence, love, friendship, ignorance, openness, fear, loss and death.  Also, super interesting thoughts on androgyny, sexuality, desire, and gender. I know it sounds like a lot but it’s all superbly folded into the journey. 

 Ok this book made me feel like a normal human being and also made me reflect on how I view the intentions of others, how I judge them, and how I should seek to understand. Not in a new agey way, but just through the power of the themes. 

 I really saw myself in Ai, and I really admired Estraven though I don’t fully understand why he did what he did at the end. I’m really excited to read more of this series and explore the author. I highly recommend. 


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