Rating: 
Summary: I think I liked it, or did I?
Review: I generally don't like LeGuin's work. She's really hard to read & it barely seems worth it. Still, I liked the estravan character & the world building. It is mostly an anthropological/Taoist book so sf fans who've heard good reviews maybe disappointed. Of course they may not since they love other mystical books like Dune. As for me I doubt I'll buy another one of her books, but maybe I'll read some of her stories when they're in Asimov's magazine.
Rating: 
Summary: Utter rubbish
Review: I have never read such a poor Sci-Fi book in my life, I don't know what planet most of the other reviewers are on. The book was badly written around a very weak plot. Absolutely no charaterisation at all, dull dull dull. I lost all faith in the Hugo awards after reading this trash.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing...
Review: I first read this book when I was 14 years old and though I liked it, I didn't understand it. When I was a bit older, I read it again and was simply amazed by the levels of abstraction and thought that were attained in this novel. It is an amazing critique on what motivates us as people, and understanding "human" differences.
Rating:
Summary: The best SciFi book I've ever read
Review: This is an amazing book by an amazing author this is the best science fiction book I've ever read and by the time I had finished it I was in tears!I think that this book is a must for every one!Ruth.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic : A must for any SciFi buff
Review: This is science fiction at its best. Le Guin makes just minimal use of technological buzz to set the context and then is off into societal adventure. An envoy from the human Ekumen of Worlds (a kind of federation) visits the frigidly cold planet of Winter to persuade them to join the group. The politics of such a decision are well explored with various players jockeying to get into a position of dominance should the new order come to pass, while others resist any change.The best part of the book however lies in the way LeGuin has created a society where people's gender and sexuality are totally different. On this planet, people's sexuality is so different from us as to seem bizarre. People are of neutral gender, neither male nor female, but for a cyclic period called kemmer when they are almost "in heat" (I don't mean that negatively, I just cannot think of a better term) and can be of either male or female gender. This totally affects inter-personal interactions : just bear in mind how we tailor our communications (formal or informal) depending on the sex of the person we are addressing. The human character has no choice but to adapt to this environment and his efforts to do so make the book so compelling. Not an easy or fun read, but certainly a thought provoking book.
Rating:
Summary: Read it !
Review: The Left Hand of Darkness is one of the true classics of science fiction of all time and with good reason. It should not be passed up. A man is sent alone to make contact on a distant planet with individuals who, at different times, can be man or woman. He becomes embroiled in conflicts between individuals and conflicts between nations. This takes place in a "slower than light-speed travel" technology . This, plus the cold climate of the planet "Winter" plus the profound physiologic differences between him and Winters population serve to enhance the picture of his being alone and on his own.
I encourage everyone not to miss the opportunity to read this fine story!
Rating:
Summary: a very well told story
Review: One of the earlier science fiction books I read. For me the basic question it forced is "how much of the differences in daily life are due to genes, to social conventions, or simply to expectations ... and what do those differences *really* amount to?" I enjoyed reading this the first time, causing me to become an instant LeGuin fan. I enjoyed reading it almost 20 years later. It still works.
Rating:
Summary: mind- and gender-bending
Review: I have been reading SF since I was about 10 years old and somehow missed this one. My mother tried for years to convince me to read it and for some reason I resisted. When I finally started it, I couldn't stop. I read it in one single sitting, then reread it a few days later. And I still haven't given it back!
I think that Le Guin has written most convincingly about a world of true hermaphrodites and the culture that would spring up from their differences. This book is justly considered a science fiction classic and should be considered an overall classic.
Rating:
Summary: Lyrical and lovely
Review: I enjoyed this book enormously, but not primarily because of any "social commentary" aspect. Le Guin creates a society complete with a convincing mythology, religion, and value system; and also one of the most beautiful accounts of the development of intimate friendship that I ever recall reading. Trying to comprehend the depths of another society, the depths of another mind -- it was this that appealed to me the most. The book is well-written and emotionally charged without spilling into sentimentality
Rating:
Summary: The Best
Review: One of the best books I have ever read, period
| 
