Book Review
Sep. 1st, 2024 09:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Left Hand of Darkness
by Ursula K. Le Guin
This novel is set on the remote planet Gethen or Winter, a place with a cold climate inhabited by humans who only have a gender or sexuality during their monthly kemmer, a state of fertility and strong libido. Gethens can become either gender during kemmer, but do not get to choose. Living among the Gethen is Genry Ai, a human envoy from the Ekumen, an intergalactic league. Genry's mission is to convince the Gethen to join the Ekumen. To achieve this, he must learn to understand not only the Gethen, but the governments and politics of the two main nations, Karhide and Orgoreyn.
Genry spends time in both Karhide and Orgoreyn, and despite the differences between the two nations, struggles to understand a people who are not defined by the binary of gender or the drives of a gendered sexuality. This causes him to fall afoul of both Karhide's monarchy and Orgoreyn's oppressive bureaucracy. When Genry must undertake a dangerous journey across a glacier with Estraven, an exiled minister of Karhide, it is the development of a deep friendship with Estraven that finally allows Genry to understand and fully accept the Gethen. This understanding is what brings Genry success in his mission.
The Left Hand of Darkness is a very thoughtful and fascinating novel. It was written over 50 years ago and the way it explores gender is still innovative. I like how subtle Le Guin is in this exploration, since the story takes place entirely on Winter and Genry is surrounded by people for whom this is the normal and unremarkable way of being. The plot starts out fairly slow, but that gives the adventure of the last half of the book more depth and meaning. I love how Le Guin's use of a high-stakes journey has become more refined over the course of her writing. Her theme of the power and value of relationships, bonds, and community is beautifully and movingly expressed.
by Ursula K. Le Guin
This novel is set on the remote planet Gethen or Winter, a place with a cold climate inhabited by humans who only have a gender or sexuality during their monthly kemmer, a state of fertility and strong libido. Gethens can become either gender during kemmer, but do not get to choose. Living among the Gethen is Genry Ai, a human envoy from the Ekumen, an intergalactic league. Genry's mission is to convince the Gethen to join the Ekumen. To achieve this, he must learn to understand not only the Gethen, but the governments and politics of the two main nations, Karhide and Orgoreyn.
Genry spends time in both Karhide and Orgoreyn, and despite the differences between the two nations, struggles to understand a people who are not defined by the binary of gender or the drives of a gendered sexuality. This causes him to fall afoul of both Karhide's monarchy and Orgoreyn's oppressive bureaucracy. When Genry must undertake a dangerous journey across a glacier with Estraven, an exiled minister of Karhide, it is the development of a deep friendship with Estraven that finally allows Genry to understand and fully accept the Gethen. This understanding is what brings Genry success in his mission.
The Left Hand of Darkness is a very thoughtful and fascinating novel. It was written over 50 years ago and the way it explores gender is still innovative. I like how subtle Le Guin is in this exploration, since the story takes place entirely on Winter and Genry is surrounded by people for whom this is the normal and unremarkable way of being. The plot starts out fairly slow, but that gives the adventure of the last half of the book more depth and meaning. I love how Le Guin's use of a high-stakes journey has become more refined over the course of her writing. Her theme of the power and value of relationships, bonds, and community is beautifully and movingly expressed.
