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Title: Skillful prose, but not my cup of tea
Review: I had high hopes at the start of this book: I was interested in the characters, enjoyed Le Guin's writing style, and found the plot compelling. But then, somewhat abruptly, the book effectively took a very long hiatus from the plot to explore the two main characters, the culture of the alien world Le Guin has created, and, at great length, gender issues in this hermaphroditic culture. As Lincoln put it: "People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like." It's a well-written and thoughtful book, certainly, but I am not among those who like this sort of thing.
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