About this title: Written using alternate points of view, THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS tells the story of Genly Ai, an ethnologist who arrives at the planet Gethen. There he encounters not only sub-zero temperatures, but an androgynous humanoid species whose ways perplex and intrigue him. Though not dependent on the earlier books, this is the fourth book in the Hainish series. It won both the Hugo and Nebula awards in 1969, and, in 1995, was the recipient of the James Tiptree, Jr. Retrospective Award.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Ace Books, New York
Date Published: 1969
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. 1969 Ace paperback. NOT EX LIB! Clean, lightly toned pages with light reading wear, barely creased spine, tanned edges with some scuffs, mild cover chipping. 304 p. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Ace Books, New York
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780441478064ISBN:0441478069
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. (050507) Mass Market Paperback is in G+/Very Good condition with 1" spine tear bottom left corner, small small tear upper spine edge, wear at spine corners, light creasing in spine, crease upper right corner, crease at... 304 p.; 18 cm. Ace; 47806-9. Ace Science fiction.. On cover: "A new and never-before-published introductory essay by the author commissioned especially for this edition. " Cover art by Alex Abel. read more
Description: Good. Purchasing this book supports the King County Library System Foundation. Thriftbooks and KCLSF have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Fair. Dust Cover Missing. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Ace Books, New York
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780441478064ISBN:0441478069
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. 304 p.; 18 cm. Ace; 47806-9. Ace Science fiction.. On cover: "A new and never-before-published introductory essay by the author commissioned especially for this edition. " Cover art by Alex Abel. read more
""Lord help me, I'm just not that bright." (Homer Simpson)
Lots of people have raved about this book, including my friend Dena who read it for a class she took in Science Fiction at U of M. Although I'm not usually a sci-fi fan, I figured I'd try it, especially since she was offering to lend it to me and a free English book is not something you turn down easily in Israel.
I tried. Really, I did. I gave it way, way more than the usual 50 pages I force myself to read before judging a book -- I finally gave up around p. 180 or so. This book is apparently deep and intelligent, which is why I kept pushing myself, but apparently, too deep and intelligent for the likes of me (see above).
The plot, from what I could tell (and it wasn't easy) is about someone from earth visiting another planet in the hopes of including this planet in a growing union of worlds. What makes this new planet unique is that its inhabitants can change their gender, as opposed to being defined by one gender or another (which, I guess, is what makes the book something of a feminist classic although I didn't get a whole lot of feminist insight from it). The narrative is dry and extremely disjointed. It usually reads like a long, boring travelogue, occasionally interrupted by old legends of the planet. Lots of detail and description; not much dialogue or action. Maybe there was psychological complexity somewhere in there, but I just couldn't get past the turgid prose."
"If you consider world-building to be an overabundance of detail, then Ursula K. Le Guin is indeed a master world-builder. The overabundance of detail on the icy planet Gethen, does not immerse the reader, as it is should do but rather disrupts the flow and pacing of the book.
The sheer amount of detail is just one of the problems that caught my attention but my biggest problem with the book is that Urusula Le Guin introduces ideas and concepts that are somewhat interesting and yet she doesn't fully develop them or are even necessary. I felt that the politics, especially in Orgoreyn, was interesting but could've been better. She could've developed the politic of Gethen more by providing more information and going deeper in the different factions of the Orgoreyn government. As for an idea that wasn't necessary, i felt that "mindspeak" was not fully utilized and, for the most part, ignored. If one introduces an entirely new method of communication, it should fully utilized, like "mindspeak" in the Enders series, so it doesn't get lost in the text.
I would disagree that this is a feminist book but rather a postgenderist book, where the focus is not gender itself but rather on gender roles and social constructs. In order for me to establish why i believe that The Left Hand of Darkness is postgenderist book instead of a feminist book, i need to make the claim that Genly Ai could have, just as easily, been female and yet it won't affect the story. Which brings up the concept of "the Other" (see Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second Sex"). Despite the fact that Genly Ai is male, he is still viewed as the "other" to the Gethenians, who are primarily genderless, and not as just a "male". Hypothetically, if Genly Ai was female, she would still be viewed as the "other" to the Gethenians and her worldview and experiences would still be the same. If Genly Ai was female and yet he/she would still be perceived as the "other" on a genderless planet, the issue is not gender itself but rather on gender roles, which goes beyond just gender."
"I wish I'd read the Goodreads description before I picked this up. All I knew going into it was that it was a 1970s sci fi feminist classic about aliens with the capacity to switch between male and female. Sounds totally cool.
It's a hard book to get into, though. It's slow, you don't know what the made-up words mean (unit of measurement or distinguished title? also, no glossary), and what the hell is going on with this parade? I don't read a ton of fiction, and I never tackle science fiction, so my patience for teasing out meanings is short. I actually gave up after less than 10 pages. For some reason, though, I decided to try again, and I'm glad I did. I assume its a classic because of the psychological depth of the world Le Guin created. Good stuff."
"I have a long history with this book. I first attempted it at the precocious age of 9, and of course could not make heads or tails of it, but I didn't forget the strange images implanted in my mind. About age 13 I tried it again, and this time fell into the world of Winter. I read the book about once a year until into my twenties, and I revisit it every year or so now. That means I've easily read it 10 times, perhaps more.
The first thing that attracted me to the book was the adventure of two people trying to survive. I remember when I grasped the comparison between political systems. I remember the strange feeling when I caught onto the ideas of gender and sexuality woven into the book.
But what remains with me and draws me back again and again is the story of love, the connection of two beings who are different but not so different that they cannot recognize themselves in each other. I go back to revisit the formation of friendship, the forging of trust, the realization of bonding, and the inescapable sadness of parting. That has a kind of eternal meaning for me that keeps the book forever fresh."
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