Reviews

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

hbermudes's review against another edition

4.0

this is such a brutal read.
getting through it was rough, and there were just some decisions Butler made that i really struggled with… but by the end… hmm.. so much to think about. really dark… and maybe like 2% hopeful but sometimes that’s all you have! not that such an important classic needs my endorsement but yea, i think i do get it.

vvittamminn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

gwcoffey's review against another edition

4.0

I’ve had a story idea rattling around in my head for years about a character with a supernatural degree of empathy. I was talking to a friend about this idea and he mentioned Octavia Butler’s Parable series. If you haven’t read them, they revolve around a young woman with a “hyper-empathy” condition – she feels acutely the pleasure and pain of those around her. This is not the central driver of the plot, but it is an interesting characterization, and an idea I’ve been fascinated by for years.

This post-apocalyptic story is strangely prescient, a novel written in the 80s that you would swear is imagining a near-future post-Trump America. But that also isn’t the central driver of the plot.

Rather, this story is driven by Earthseed, a quasi-religion that seems to be loosely influenced by Buddhism, but with an evangelical flavor. I really admired Butler’s frank and self-assured portrayal of her protagonist and the movement she builds. It is refreshingly unpretentious and beautifully hopeful. This is all set against real tragedy, which makes the novel itself an embodiment of the faith its fictional world presupposes.

Butler writes elegantly about privilege and power, again in a way that feels very modern. If you’re a plot-first person you may find it a a little underwhelming. But what the book lacks in plotting it makes up for in wisdom and compassion.

misa_pisa's review against another edition

2.0

Picked this up because it begins in 2024 and the world it describes is, of course, not far from believable. I can respect it as a cautionary tale but the religious angle made it hard to take seriously. I also just disagree with the religion’s goal. I think showing the power of community and adaptability could have done the job here. I’m sad this classic didn’t hit for me like it has for so many.

iamdoug's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

mnboyer's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

<b>PopSugar 2016 reading challenge #29</b>

This is likely a book that you're supposed to love... but I just didn't love it. It follows a young woman coming-of-age in a dystopian society that both made sense in certain moments, yet did not in others. I didn't always understand her motivations and thought her decision making was a little, well, imperfect. I also wasn't a huge fan of the 'religiosity' that seeps into the book. There were moments where it felt like I was reading through thick mud while turning the pages... the pacing was great one moment, slow and deathly the next. I wanted something to stand out and nothing ever did -- so, alas, it was just a three star 'meh' from me. 

booksarebetter's review against another edition

4.0

This is a rather powerful novel. Octavia E. Butler continues to impress me. While it did take a bit to get into, her writing is beautiful and intense. A little slow in the middle as some books are, but still definitely worth picking up. It isn't quite as good as Kindred, but it was still a good read. 4.5 ⭐

philosopiscis's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

2.75

orinposner's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad medium-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? No

4.0

unoahguy's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-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

4.5