The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin
Genre: Adult General Science Fiction
Ursula Le Guin is one of those names that are famous and familiar on the covers of novels and one of those “go-to” authors on library bookshelves when every title I otherwise want is lost or checked out and I don’t know what else to look for…. However, I’ve only read one other book by her (something related to Earthsea), and still I was uncertain about this one, The Left Hand of Darkness, as it was touted as more science fiction than fantasy fiction.
The thing with sci fi novels (and dystopian novels) is that they force the reader to rely on context to much greater extents than other genres do. I spent half the book figuring out that “Estraven” referred to all persons of a certain ethnicity rather than the name of one character. Strange terms and names abound, and I had to focus on the details to even blow through the plot. That wasn’t very pleasant when I wanted mindless reading for a 4 hour flight home.
Fortunately, at some points, the narrative was gripping. Unfortunately, I liked the back stories of the fictitious universe, where every inhabitant was ambisexual and at once both male and female, far more than I enjoyed the actual unfolding of the plot. The main character, Genly Ai, arrives on this strange world as a political ambassador and quickly becomes embroiled in political treachery and confusion. For me, politics aren’t fun even when I’m 100% mentally checked in.
Rating: Could be better
May 23rd, 2011 8:59pm--Transferred from ireadanything.tumblr.com
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