Aug 23, 2023xiaojunbpl12 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
(Ai)I am a "pervert", an envoy from a more advanced world, who lived long space-traveling without experiencing much, a boy,
to request an alliance that took Estraven's whole life, strength, spirit
to build a bridge even when differences…
Aug 07, 2023jaymemac rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed the book. Sometimes sci-fi books reflect the thinking of the times, in this case the late 60's. I don't think that is the case here , you could read this book in another 50 years and think it was written recently. Its a book…
Jul 19, 2023abconline rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I googled "books with factions" and was recommended this. It's more alien anthropology and Robinson Crusoe. Interesting book, but a case of mismatched expectation.
Jun 21, 2023fka_aurora rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I thought I enjoyed The Word for World is Forest, also by Ursula K. Le Guin, but the feelings The Left Hand of Darkness has left me might never be forgotten. I wasn't expecting to finish this book and mourn. It's speculative fiction…
Apr 02, 2023tardisfrk rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of Le Guin definitive works. The main character dropped into a world they barely understand and forced to survive a harsh landscape. The story really shows that regardless of gender people are people and the beauty and terror of what…
Mar 02, 2023renzo rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I suspect picking up and starting to read this book is akin to dipping ones toes in frigid water before deciding to dive in or not.
I did not go in.
Or, as Miss Jean Brodie said, " For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of…
Jul 29, 2022mb552aolcom rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, although it was a little difficult in the beginning due to the created language and names. I found it helpful that at the end there is an addendum on time and the months and seasons that would have been helpful…
Jul 06, 2022STPL_Aaron rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This was my second summer sci-fi read and I loved it!
An envoy is sent to an isolated planet where there are no defined genders and no physiological differences that would lead to such definition. He is sent on a mission to convince the…
Jul 06, 2022omida rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Everyone should read Leguin, and if you read Leguin read Earthsea but also read this. This is excellent science fiction not because pew pew lasers. It's a story thick with real storytelling: trust, sacrifice, love, etc. The only attentive…
Aug 13, 2021avocadotree rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I liked it a lot. It had a LOTR vibe for me with made up words and long journeys and dwarf- like genderless humans. It was literary and satisfying, not a breeze. Someone who isn't a dedicated reader might struggle.
Jul 29, 2021ArthurPendragonn rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Disappointing for such a famous title. This avid reader of sci-fi thought this story was overly difficult and contrived. The short historical bits foreshadow the point of each chapter. It reads like a school assignment that required…
May 08, 2021FrankLT3 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book is NOT an easy read. The sheer multitude of made up words can be a challenge. But it is still a brilliant story, well written, and worth the time.
May 03, 2021mnack_0 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
It's hard to believe this book was written in 1969. (This was the 50th anniversary edition.) The gender issues she raised then seem very timely. It makes one wonder - does society ever actually progress forward? Perhaps - but at glacial…
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The Left Hand of Darkness