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The Left Hand of Darkness cover art

The Left Hand of Darkness

By: Ursula K. Le Guin
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Summary

Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

A groundbreaking work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants can change their gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture that he encounters. Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.

©1969 Ursula K. Le Guin (P)2016 Recorded Books

What listeners say about The Left Hand of Darkness

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant book, Horrifying Narration

Don't waste your money! The narrator slurs his words and CAN'T READ. He will pause at random stops in a sentence and often he mumbles to the point I had to strain to understand what he was saying. I ended up purchasing a physical copy of the book. Audible was also EXTREMELY DISHONEST because when I listened to the sample they picked the one chapter read by a different, way superior voice. I feel robbed of a credit. It made me want to cancel my subscription altogether.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Vintage sci-fi with modern relevance

One of those books that's been on the TBR pile for many years, and I'm glad I got around to it. thought provoking themes of friendship, culture, and gender were dealt with in a sympathetic narrative that made me realise Ursula Le Guin's remarkable talent.
narration might not suit everyone; George Guidall is one of the most prolific audiobook narrators, but it took a while to settle with his voice and, at times, breathless delivery.
that said, I'd definitely recommend for those with a taste for classic sci-fi.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Jo
  • 07-04-23

Wonderful

My first experience of le Guin’s sci fi works. Loved it and will be reading more

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic introduction to Le Guin

This was my first experience of Ursula Le Guin’s writing and it is hard to put into words what a powerful experience it was.

Some reviewers have disparaged the narrator but I felt his reading was in keeping with the subtle understatement of the novel overall, and therefore enjoyed it very much.

The storyline was almost unbearably, certainly compellingly, intriguing; the world building and imagery, incredibly vivid. The relationship between Ai and Estrevan was almost perfectly portrayed by the author. I particularly enjoyed the way the book deconstructed some of the deep questions of humanity- philosophical, ecological and so on, so insightfully, without ever being anything like moralising.

In a way, I experienced the novel as an intellectual journey as well as en emotional and narrative one. Thought-provoking is too feeble a description. Also, it kept defying my expectations- a rare experience for someone who has read so much.

I will now rush to read/listen to the other books in the Hainish cycle.

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Great story!

Loved this book. Such a great tempo. Like a laidback Dune - less epic but leaves more to think about.
I liked the narrator too. His voice seems a bit wobbly to start but you tune into it, and then it sounds just right.
Definitely recommended!

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Just magnificent scifi!

I adore the vivid imaginings of Ursula Le Guin, and this is just another beautiful example.

The alien-ness and the humanity of the different peoples, the weirdness of the world, the depth of the characters and the weaving plot all blew my mind as I was transported to the world of Winter.

I'm so glad I finally took the time to read it.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Title getting returned

I didn't think it was possible for a narrator to destroy one of my absolute favourite books. George Guidell manages just that.
His narration, with its total lack of rhythm and occasional idiosyncratic pronunciations, makes a mockery of Leguin's elegant use of language.
Better versions exist. Find them.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I love this book

A wonderful book of ideas, woven together with some of the most beautiful prose I’ve ever come across. Le Guin’s skill as an author is astounding. The audiobook is movingly read by the perfect choice of narrator, whose tone and feeling for the text is just right. I hope others enjoy this as much as I did.

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fascinating look at humanity.

A well constructed tail. With great insight into the human condition. I at 45 years old found the language some what dated and overly wordy. But enjoyed and appreciated this aspect of the story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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best narration ever!

Leguin didn't disappoint (no surprise there), don't let the blurb fool you into thinking this is some 'on the nose' culture war metaphor it really is a beautifully crafted piece of sci fi .

The narration was absolutely memorising and stand out brilliant.

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