The Left Hand of Darkness in On Paths Unknown

Apr 21, 2013 Cecily rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-future-speculative-fict, sexuality-gender-lgbtqi, usa-and-canada

The meagre 2* is more a reflection of my enjoyment way back in 2013, rather than an objective measure of the book (it has won prestigious awards). It wasn't to my taste back then, exacerbated by mismatched expectations. I'd probably read it very differently now, hence hiding the rest of the review in a spoiler tag.

(view spoiler) The meagre 2* is more a reflection of my enjoyment way back in 2013, rather than an objective measure of the book (it has won prestigious awards). It wasn't to my taste back then, exacerbated by mismatched expectations. I'd probably read it very differently now, hence hiding the rest of the review in a spoiler tag.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Arun Divakar rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Ever since I started spending a reasonably large amount of time with books, I have been wary of cliches. In speech & in the written form, they are like predators waiting to ambush their prey and creep in when you least expect. However, I make an exception this time and invite a cliche to a fireside seat in this review for I intend to brand this book : A book unlike anything that you have ever read . It belongs to one of my favorite genres of literature wherein there is a fine intermeshing of sub Ever since I started spending a reasonably large amount of time with books, I have been wary of cliches. In speech & in the written form, they are like predators waiting to ambush their prey and creep in when you least expect. However, I make an exception this time and invite a cliche to a fireside seat in this review for I intend to brand this book : A book unlike anything that you have ever read . It belongs to one of my favorite genres of literature wherein there is a fine intermeshing of sub genres finally drawing up to a wonderful portrait.

At first look it is the tale of an alien race seeking to establish a truce or a working relationship with a world perennially hounded by winter. The world building is truely amazing for Le Guin in staccato usages of prose details a harsh,unrelenting climate that falls like a blanket over a world where in the inhabitants like so many other humans engage in rash power plays. One factor higlighted over and over about this book is the sexual ambivalence of the race of people in the host planet. Pages are spent explaining the nature of this mass of androgynous population and on theories expounding why such a sexual abundance could have stymied violence in mass proportions. Forty two years after this ingenious plot idea, it has lost some of its shine but still to me appeared a different voice than many I have read of. It is interesting to start looking at abundant sex which in its overall presence prevents sexual frustration and such a well sexually fed race loses its ability to mobilize which then prevents the need for an army and ergo no wars !

Religion as seen is predominantly derived from the eastern and Asian schools of thought is what I thought at first read. Delving a little more deeper the deity called Meshe has its followers tread through a path of celibacy and of abstainment away from what is a mortal evaluation of pleasure. This when looked at from a wholesome view speaks of many world religions for many a monk/abbot/sadhu chooses the path of self denial and walks on the road towards self realization.

The finest aspect of this tale is how a lot of facets merge together seamlessly. There is politics,geography,mythology,evolutionary theory and sociology all making their appearance among these 200 plus pages without any bumps or jerks anywhere. In simple english : This is a favorite !
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Feb 07, 2018 Nate D rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 60s-re-de-construction, read-in-2018, sci-fi

Re-reading in memorial and to join friends just embarking -- I wonder if everyone else will be surprised by how much of this is sociological/political as much or more than it is a study of gender and societal gender roles. As such, it continues to be quite fascinating in multiple directions. On the one side, I appreciate the subtlety of the (politically loaded) conversation, and on the other, the way that initially the protagonist resorts to gendered language at every turn, even applied to those ...more

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Jul 08, 2014 Nate D rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 60s-re-de-construction, sci-fi, ice-and-snow, read-in-2014, favorites

I've long been meaning to read this one as a key feminist work in new wave science fiction, but of course, like the best of the genre, it's developed far beyond allegory or polemic. The Left Hand of Darkness is philosophic, political, anthropological, a travelogue and adventure story across a (beautifully conceived and rendered) ice planet and alien civilization. That the world and culture are without gender essentially shapes not only its larger purpose, but equally the narrative and conceptual ...more

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