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

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

⭐ 4/5 ⭐

A thought-provoking sci-fi novel. A human envy arrives on a world where cold is prevailing and the sentient inhabitants spend most of their lives between sexes. It explores prejudice, societal differences and what it means to belong.

- The book starts slow and it took a while for me to get into it. However, after some background and once the plot has time to develop I couldn't stop listening. It was a lot more emotional than I thought it would be.

- Considering this was originally published in 1969, it was wonderfully forward thinking. As a genderfluid person, I love how the native inhabitants remained androgynous most of the time and the mechanisms for Chemour, the process during which an individual gains a sex for a time. I would love to explore this theme more.

- The society and world is complex and well thought out. Primarily there are two countries in the story and each has a different societal system and acceptable norms. I also enjoyed the traditional stories and the way the cold and snow were conveyed 

For the sci-fi reader who likes to think on their books. I look forward to reading more of the Hainish cycle.