The Left Hand of Darkness

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Critics

• The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin

  It's hard to believe that The Left Hand of Darkness dates back to 1969: forty years on, it reads as well, or even better, then when it was originally written, and - deservedly - enjoys a classic status in the science-fiction canon, as well as being p ... (read full critics)

  thebookbag published on Tue, 28 Sep 2010

7 Reviews

• 

  After loving the Lathe of Heaven I was recommended to read this one by several people. I have to say it was a little disappointing. I really liked the idea of a planet where there were no gender issues, where people only became sexual beings for part of the time and could become male or female. But ... (continue)

  After loving the Lathe of Heaven I was recommended to read this one by several people. I have to say it was a little disappointing. I really liked the idea of a planet where there were no gender issues, where people only became sexual beings for part of the time and could become male or female. But the fact that the non-gendered people were constantly referred to as "he" really bothered me. Instead of reading a book with a neutral gender I felt I was reading yet another book with only male characters. (It was explained that he was meant to be gender neutral as it was when referring to God as "he" but that also bothers me). Apart from that I found the plot kinda slow and the setting a little dull. It felt more like fantasy than Sci-fi as even though they were on a different planet most of the books seemed to be low tech traveling. There were some nice moments, the main characters imprisonment in the work camp and the trip there were quite harrowing, the bond that formed while crossing the ice was interesting, but the actual trip of crossing the ice was kinda dull in a Tolkein way. The ending just felt a little hollow. It wasn't bad just not really my thing. But I was recommended another book by her and I think I will give that a go even though this one didn't do much for me.

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  Robot-mel said on Jul 24, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  Another masterpiece

  The left hand of darkness is a masterpiece, the merely science-fiction plot is subdued to a very articulated social investigation. Although the plot develops an amazing story of a journey (from the beginning to the end the mission of the Envoy is always a journey, mentally or physically speaking) th ... (continue)

  The left hand of darkness is a masterpiece, the merely science-fiction plot is subdued to a very articulated social investigation. Although the plot develops an amazing story of a journey (from the beginning to the end the mission of the Envoy is always a journey, mentally or physically speaking) the substrate of the novel shows a very profound social investigation and also a reference to a great theme which populated literature since romanticism. The black-white theme, the double, the female-male fight. In Winter, the planet where the whole plot spreads, there are no genres, no women, no males. Just androgyne persons, which on a monthly cycle become sexually active assuming a genre. That's the main point of the novel: the human being. It's often written that the left hand of darkness is a about femminism, I do not agree. The left hand of darkness shows both bad sides of genres (male = ambition, vengeance; females = insecurity, shifting from a decision to another in a small lack of time) and makes a statement about what an human being is.

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  Brown Jenkin said on Oct 28, 2010 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  Great book

  A triumph of sci-fi books. The main story gets a but boring sometimes but the way Le Guin writes about the relation between the two main characters is awesome.

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  Izanagi said on Nov 3, 2008 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  I read this because it had received such high praise, but I guess it just wasn't my cup of tea. Envoy from United Planets thing goes to "pre space flight" planet to make first contact, and they try to get them to join the "family". Strange planet, only habitable part is colder than Iceland. Peopl ... (continue)

  I read this because it had received such high praise, but I guess it just wasn't my cup of tea. Envoy from United Planets thing goes to "pre space flight" planet to make first contact, and they try to get them to join the "family". Strange planet, only habitable part is colder than Iceland. People are neither male, nor female - choose one or the other when mating. I was disappointed.

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  Bashful said on Sep 25, 2008 about the School & Library Binding edition | Add your feedback

• From Friends of HPL sale.

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  Dulcibelle said on May 11, 2007 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  LUC0027

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  wyvernfriend said on Feb 28, 2007 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

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Book Details

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• English Books
• Hardcover 256 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0575072199
• ISBN-13: 9780575072190
• Publisher: Orion Pub Co
• Pub date: Sep 30, 2001
• Also available as: Mass Market Paperback, Paperback, Audio Cassette, School & Library Binding and Others
• In other languages: other languages 繁體書, Livres Français, Libros en Español, llibres en català, Libri Italiani

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• Fantasy Recommendations (49)
• The Collective (146)
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• science fiction (468)
• England England (1200)

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