Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

58 reviews

gar42's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I jumped into this right after finishing parable of the sower because I wanted to read more about the good experiences of Acorn. I wasn’t ready for horrors worse than what happened in the first book. 

The parallels between this book and contemporary America are horrific. But the messages of sowing the seeds not for our own gratification, but for the good of those who come after us, are more important than ever. 

Much faster paced than the first book, and a more nuanced, complicated picture of Lauren and of Earthseed. 

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lisacanteven's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This series is now my favorite series of all time. I'm having a hard time choosing if I liked the first book or this book better, but I think I liked the first book a little better. The reason is that I did think the ending was a little bit rushed. I don't think it was too rushed, but if I was forced to choose which book I liked more and why that would be my reason. 

I was afraid that this book would end on a huge cliffhanger considering there was supposed to be a third that was never finished before Octavia Butler's death. I'm happy to say that this book could have easily finished the series, and no one would be disappointed. I was so relieved about that, and I thought the way everything wrapped up (except for being a tad bit rushed) was done brilliantly. 

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blessi's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


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badbadwolf's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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erins_bookrecs's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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haerin's review against another edition

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  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

kinda wild how much closer we get to the america octavia butler wrote about in the late 90s. so many aspects of what happens is so relevant to today. 

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hannahgjenson's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

It’s hard to sum up my thoughts about this novel. This novel is so important- important to both your soul and to you as a reader. I loved the tension created by all the different view points, especially when one narrator knew or understood something another didn’t. This book also inspired me to really think deeply about how I can form deeper communities in my life, how I can show up for people who have “horrible ordinary things” just like me, and if I’m someone who has any skills that would be useful to a community during an apocalypse. I need to learn how to garden or build furniture or shoot a gun or something! Preferred this novel to its predecessor, though I loved Parable of the Sower as well.

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bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oooooooh I liked this one even more than Parable of the Sower. I loved the non-linear narrative and the multiple contrasting points of view. I loved how Lauren Olamina's daughter's experiences and viewpoints complicated the narrative from Olamina's journals. 

This book is just as dark as the first one. Many horrifying things happen. It is a true dystopian exploration of a possible future from an author who keenly understood the many horrors at play in the United States. Some of it is so on the nose that it was hard to read. Some, especially the technology stuff, felt unlikely at times, but much more grounded than in almost any other near-future dystopian or sci-fi books I've read. Octavia E. Butler was just that good.

Also, this book has multiple central queer characters, which I never see mentioned when people are discussing it. Don't expect happy queer stories--Butler is as realistic about violent homophobia as she is about all other aspects of this world--but it is very present in ways that felt good and right as well as being harrowing. 

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bass_clarinet's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Beautiful and spiritual. 

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phantomgecko's review

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challenging dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reading this in 2024 made me crazy. Octavia E Butler obviously understood human nature and the way our particular society is because the dystopian future in this book uncannily foreshadows today.

Aside from that. I agree with every character that said Earthseed is nothing. Aphorisms, platitudes, and some nonsense. Lauren says "it's truth" as if that's obvious. But it is not.

I digress. The format of Asha/Larkin reviewing/compiling Lauren's history was a good idea. Her commentary was a nice backdrop for the plot.

Everything about Marc infuriated me. It was realistic. But so aggravating.

Again, Butler really really understood people.

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