The Left Hand of Darkness

Que viva eternamente con sueño y que mi nivel de inglés sea justito para el libro implica que no lo he leído tan fluidamente como me gustaría. He tenido la sensación como cuando estudiando matemáticas nos explicaban un lema con una demostración que a priori no iba a ninguna parte pero al final ya intuías cómo iba a ayudar a demostrar el teorema (o la idea brillante del libro). De ahí al final ya se pone en marcha la acción o aplicación práctica del teorema y te lo acabas y sigues con tu vida, sin acordarte de la arena que masticaste al principio ni de más que las líneas generales de la aplicación práctica, pero sí del kemmer y del frío que hacía en el planeta.

I see why this is considered a classic of speculative fiction, and don't know why it took me decades to get around to reading it. The story and ideas clearly influenced entire generations of modern writers.

It's even better on a re-read years later.

A fascinating sci-fi classic, occasionally a bit dated in our main character's reactions to a culture without gender or sex, his need to see gender where there is none is sometimes a little overstated- but even that is a fascinating read. Overall a brilliant book, touching on politics, beliefs, culture, friendships and vast cold, frozen landscapes, familiar and alien at the same time.

Deeply moving, insightful, and accessible, I can only look forward to reading it again...

J'ai pris grand plaisir à découvrir l'univers d'Ursula K. Le Guin. Comme le roman s'inscrit dans un cycle de plusieurs romans et nouvelles, je pense que je m'essaierai à parcourir d'autres planètes de l'Ekumen. On plonge assez facilement dans ce monde. Je craignais un peu de m'y perdre mais le talent littéraire de l'autrice rend la visite accessible, même à celles et ceux, qui comme moi, n'ont pas l'habitude de ce genre littéraire. Je n'ajouterai rien concernant l'un des sujets les plus traités du roman — une façon très originale d'aborder la notion de genre — vous trouverez moult articles sur le sujet (cf. la postface de Stéphanie Nicot).

One of my favorite works of fiction, in my top 5; it was number one for a little while but these days I'm more fond of Kafka's short story Metamorphosis. Both challenge the normal perception of the social paradigms we live with.

Yeah, it's alright, I guess. Or maybe I'm just not getting all the hype?

This is a classic and one of LeGuin's most celebrated books for a reason. Not only is it a fantastic science fiction book with one of the most meticulously thought out cultures I've read, full of folklore and traditions and sayings and other bits of flavor that make it feel like a living breathing place, but I couldn't imagine anyone better than LeGuin to write about the process of looking past your prejudices to move from ignorance to understanding and the messy process of accepting a culture different from yours that manages to be brutal and miserable but undeniably sweet and heartfelt at the same time. I loved The Dispossessed but I suspect once the dust settles it might be The Left Hand of Darkness the one to stand at the top of her scifi output for me.

Los conceptos tratados en esta novela están increíblemente adelantados a su tiempo. Le Guin tiene la destreza narrativa de sumergirnos de lleno en el mundo de la novela, y empatizar (y un poco odiar) al personaje principal a través de quien estamos conociendo este planeta de hielo. Un clásico en todo el sentido de la palabra, pero uno que se ha mantenido fresco y relevante desde 1969.

Often discussed as "The book with the genderless aliens" it is obviously a lot more than that. It does of course touch on the gender thing, as the people of Gethen (Eternally winter planet) have no gender and only enter Kemmer occasionally when they become sexually active and can be temporarily male or female.
It is more a political and anthropological reflection about duality and unity. A theme that maybe starts on the sexes thing but goes on to war and peace, nationalism and the Ekumen (A intergalactic union of planets)
Essential reading though, and awesome world building!

Genly Ai is an emissary for the Ekumen on Winter, hopeful to open Winter to trade between worlds. However, Ai has a difficulty navigating a society and a world where people are ambisexual, and don't fit into particular gender roles.

Ai makes disparaging remarks throughout the novel about the residents of Winter, associating negative values to what he ascribes to female or womanly, while praising masculine values. His misogyny runs through the entire novel, insidious, hidden to all but him.

I suspect Le Guin's intent is to hold a mirror to ourselves, and let us see how we react (or don't!) to our behaviors reflected through Ai's actions.

I don't know that Ai fully recognizes his failures or weaknesses. I suspect we're intended to see and grow from them, not Ai.