Comments (54)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 54 items
Mar 15, 2024
Recommended in "The Sentence" by Louise Erdrich
Dec 26, 2023
from list in novel "The Sentence" and yes I read it before - many years ago
Oct 16, 2023Lester_Dronick rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I tried, but couldn’t get into it very far. Other people seem to really like it, so give it a try if you want.
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 18, 2023
Books of Earthside? The Essential Ursula K. Le Guin Chattopadhyay, Shreya .  New York Times (Online), New York: New York Times Company. Aug 17, 2023.
Aug 10, 2023rebconk rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I first read this book decades ago in my 20s. It's one of a handful of books that have profoundly shaped my life. I still reread it from time to time.
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…
Jun 11, 2023Cljackson99 rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
DNF boring 5/23
May 13, 2023
i think this book description is wrong
Apr 18, 2023sewingroomnerd rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
I am not a sci-fi fan and I couldn’t understand the story, never mind the Gethenian Calendar and Clock.
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…
Jan 25, 2023
The September 2023 Pub-Lit book.
Jan 22, 2023
For those who liked this book, i recommend Mij’s testament: ogidni by gail o. Dellslee.
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…
Jun 05, 2022lesmar95 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Favorite book of all time! Still enjoy the ambiguity of gender/sex as a device in a monumental adventure.
Mar 05, 2022gfsantiago89 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A classic for a reason. Ursula K. Leguin does not disappoint.
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…