Just Finished Reading The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

I already knew science fiction and fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin from her Earthsea fantasy series as well as a number of sci-fi short stories I've read in "year's best" anthologies.  Her 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness, which I just finished reading, was a great critical success probably mostly due to its examination of gender roles in an "ambisexual" society and its analogous use of Eastern religious concepts in the setting of a distant planet in the far-off future. On the remote planet of Gethen exist two competing human societies, with its population simultaneously male and female...at least potentially, since sexual characteristics and behavior only arise during a short period called "kemmer".  The federation of planets, a.k.a. the Ekumen, has sent Genly Ai to investigate the situation on Gethen and invite their leaders to join this organization of worlds...sounds kind of like the Federation in Star Trek.  But first Ai has to not only overcome the political infighting present in both nations of that planet, but he also has to see past his own biased assumptions about sexuality and how he is inaccurately judging the people there, whose physiological makeup and social customs are vastly different.  On top of this are complex ritual systems of communication and interaction that the envoy can't seem to help violating every time he opens his mouth.  This seems a pretty relevant story in the context of today's discussions about gender identity and many regard it as a significant, early feminist science fiction novel.  The narrative goes back and forth between Ai and the nation of Karhide's disgraced and exiled prime minister Estravan, whom Ai cannot bring himself to trust in spite of every indication to the contrary.  Le Guin is very detailed with her descriptions of Gethen's geography and the dominant philosophies there.  I think I may have rushed reading through it...I have a feeling that I'll be giving it a second reading before long and can understand how it received such acclaim.  I became aware of this story of Ursula K. Le Guin while reading Gardner Dozois' introduction to one of her short stories in his anthology series.  I'd be interested in reading any of your reactions to it should you decide to take it on...