“The Left Hand of Darkness” is one of the most revolutionary books I have read for a long time. Mainly, I was impressed by how peculiar and exciting the author has raised the topic of gender and sex. I believe that this is a crucial issue nowadays and people have to pay a lot of attention to it and educate themselves. The fact that the book was written about fifty years ago makes it even more unique and fascinating.
Many moments throughout the story made me reflect on different subjects and experience the broad spectrum of emotions. The part that I felt enlightened and surprised about simultaneously was the dialogue between the Faxe and Genry. Reading Faxe’s words about the unknown nature of the world and that with absolute knowledge, there would be nothing at all made me shocked. Le Guin used the phrase “ignorance is the ground of thought” (p. 42) that gave me a slight sense of melancholy, the sadness of realizing that by denying ignorance, people lose the chance to explore new horizons. After finishing the chapter, I was thoughtful and concentrated on observing some moments from life through this perspective. It was incredibly inspiring and exciting as suddenly I learned an ultimate truth about the core of life.
The specific feature of the book that made me question a lot of topics during the reading is the ambisexual view on gender. This tool differs the book from many others because it made me curious and confused as I tried to imagine the characters with no gender. In addition, Le Guin tended to fill it with many little details and descriptions that create that unique atmosphere and let the readers feel everything going on in the book.
This story was an incredible experience because I have felt a lot more than usual while reading the book. The discussion about the known and unknown gave me the feeling of relief, for I have realized that the undiscovered is what serves as a fundament for the future. The literary tools that the author used, such as the variety of little detailed descriptions, made me feel like I am a part of this exceptional world.
Reference
Le Guin, U., K. (2012) The left hand of darkness. Hachette UK.