EPBOT Readers discussion

Most excellent: You've completed reading The Left Hand of Darkness! Use this discussion thread to post your thoughts on the final chapters of the book and your overall impressions of it.

Once again, here are some questions to prompt discussion, which you absolutely do not need to answer:

1. In what ways does the journey across the ice reflect Genly and Estraven's relationship throughout the novel?

2. How has Genly Ai's attitudes toward the people of Gethan changed throughout the novel? In what ways it he still coming to terms with their nature?

3. Why do you think Estraven ran toward the armed men?

4. Comment on the symbolic and metaphoric use of light and dark imagery in the novel. How does this relate to the title of the novel?

5. The concept of the centre of time plays an important role in the book, both in myth and in Gethan philosophy, psychology, and sociology. What does it say about the Gethan's that they always live in "Year 1?"

6. Were you satisfied with the ending of this book?

Ok, I had a migraine the last couple of days so I was having trouble gathering my thoughts. Now that I'm feeling a bit better I'll have a go.

The journey across the ice served, to me, as a way to break the characters down to their fundamental selves. There was no room for pretense, manners, prevaricating, or any other sort of social niceties to hide their true selves, when every day was a bad slip or accident away from death. That allowed them to get over their preconceived notions and prejudices and come to admire each other's strengths and see their weaknesses. Estraven had the methodical planning and one foot after another mentality to get them through, without focusing on things that COULD go wrong. He was also more stolid,
and less given to optimism or great feats of imagination. Genly had more brute strength, and more extreme emotions both in positive determination and negative despair. He was also far more susceptible to the elements.

The use of dark and light imagery serves to humanize the genthians I think, as Genly points out, nearly every culture has some form of ying and yang, light vs dark type of symbolism. Often it's seen more as a duality of people, male and female, a better half, a god vs devil. But when Genly asks whether they even have a concept of duality, Estraven points out that the duality exists in every Genthain. And really, when it comes to it, within ever person in terms of being capable of both good and evil. And even the Genthians require two for breeding, they cannot procreate alone. The journey through the ice emphasizes the NEED for duality, when the snow is so bright that there are no shadows, and they have trouble gaining balance and finding their way. Absolute brightness is just as hard to navigate as absolute darkness. I think the title is a nod to that concept, that the left hand of darkness is necessary to counter the right hand of light.

Ok, I think that's good for now. I had a lot of thoughts about the book, but I don't want to ramble too much alone!

I was satisfied with the book. It ended where it needed to to bring the arc of the story to completion- of two radically different peoples accepting each other. All told, I didn't love it, but I am glad that I stuck it through and finished it, and I can deeply appreciate the themes and social questions that Le Guin explored though the story.

The journey across the ice was my favorite part. Two people, so jaded by differences that they can barely express, depending on each other for survival. It its through this experience that they truly begin to understand how much more they are are same than different, and how to appreciate those differences. On the ice, Genry and Estrevan share intimately of their desires, their fears, their vulnerabilities and their sexual differences. It is a test of personal growth and understanding that mirrors the physical growth and adaptation that must take place for both to make it across the ice. Two people who are alone and isolated physically, but also socially, learning to open their worldviews and find desperately needed connection.

As a side note- I've really loved this format for responses! I like the breakdown of spoiler free bite-sized sections, and really love that it was available immediately. In the past, I've read the book, then it's fallen off my radar once the discussion gets underway later. Great job, Stephanie!!!!

So I finished the second half of the book pretty much all in one sitting. I struggled with the first half but the second half I enjoyed a lot more, although overall I'm not sure how I felt about it.

I have to start out by sayings I'm a really straight forward reader, when a book has a lot of symbolism and metaphor and is trying to get you to think about philosophy and the great questions of life, then I am going to have a hard time reading it. Which was a lot of my problem with this book, it felt too much like a book that needs to be analyzed than a book to be read for the enjoyment of reading, but I know that is mostly just coming from my own biases and preferences.

Overall I enjoyed how Genly and Estravan (I'm probably spelling both of those wrong) built their friendship slowly over the course of the book. I was shocked at how things ended between them (especially since I didn't realize how close to the end of the book I was... darn e-readers) and I was frustrated that Genly didn't insist on a pardon after all Estraven did for him! It made me really dislike his character and feel like he hadn't learned as much as he should have from his time on the ice.

Overall the ending was somewhat satisfying but I think it's the kind of book I need to read through a second time to pick up on exactly what it was trying to say.

Thanks Stephanie for leading the discussions, I really liked having the different sections! It really helped me to push on through the first half of the book.

Now that I am done, I am glad to have read the book, although it's certainly not on my list of favorite books. I felt the ending was justified and satisfying, but I had a difficult time getting there.

In the beginning of the book one of my major issues was wading through the created vocabulary and conventions of created societies. This got easier as the book went on, and it became clearer to me that this was likely intentional. Just as Genly Ai had to wade through it and learn and become accustomed to all the differences, we as readers need to do the same so we can truly appreciate the breaking down of the barriers between Estraven and Genly Ai.

I will likely read another Le Guin book at some point. I want to know if it's her writing style that is difficult for me or just the structure of this story. If it's just this story, it might actually improve my feelings on this book.

Thank you, Stephanie, for leading the discussions! I also like having the different sections broken out so I could get my thoughts out along the way and take more time to really think about the book and how I was reading it.