Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

232 reviews

sarahbearas's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-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

 What to say about this book…

I’m having a hard time articulating just how much this book has lived in my brain. It’s been almost a month since I’ve read it, and I’ve only just sat down to write my review. I usually write my reviews right away to get my thoughts to paper as quickly as possible before I forget, but I didn’t know how to feel about this. I didn’t really know what to say. Now, if you asked me to describe this book, I would say it’s the most hopeful and most devastating book, all at once. And I really, really love it. 

As a reader, dystopian/sci-fi/post-apocalyptic fiction are some of my favorite genres to read; specifically, the wave of YA dystopia in the 2010’s is what got me hooked onto reading in the first place. Parable of the Sower came highly recommended from reviewers I follow. However, this was somehow everything I expected and somehow nothing what I thought it would be at all. 

I love this book a lot. I really do. It’s not often I remember a book long after reading it, and that’s not to disparage anything I’ve read before, it’s just how it is. But when I think about Parable of the Sower, it’s because I’m looking at the world around me and realizing that this piece of fiction is not necessarily fiction at all. It’s really silly of me to say, considering that all good apocalypse and dystopia just takes what’s really happened in the world and puts it into a novel. But goddamn, seriously, sometimes I think Octavia E. Butler was an oracle or something, and we didn’t listen to her closely enough. I think part of the reason this novel feels so close to home right now is because it really is; images coming out of the world right now resemble close to the events happening in the novel, to the life that Lauren lives. And just on, like, a practical level, this novel begins in 2023/2024 and that’s just crazy to be reading in the years that Butler wrote of the downfalls of America. Sometimes I’d read a particular passage and say “Well, that’s crazy, we don’t live like that.” And then I’d sit and stare at my wall for a while and then go, “Well, actually…”. 

There are the things about the novel that I don’t completely love; the subject of Lauren’s hyper-empathy comes and goes, and doesn’t seem to have as much plot relevance as I anticipated. I felt the same about Lauren’s religion, Earthseed - relevant until it wasn’t, and then relevant again, even though that’s. There is a large cast of side characters that bring good life to the world, but there are just so many that really don’t go anywhere. A part of me feels like because this was intended to be a trilogy (hexology????) that this was the set-up for the payoff that would come in the following books. My jaw literally dropped when the book ended, I really sat there and was like “Hello!?!?! There’s got to be more???” A part of me hesitates reading the second book, just because I know this universe was left unfinished, but I really do like Butler’s writing. Very easy to read, never too simplistic or too flowery, for my tastes. Even if I don’t pick up Parable of The Talents (which I probably will, lol) I’ll definitely be reading everything she has to offer. 

I really love this book. Highly, highly recommend it. 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Grief, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Rape, Cannibalism, and Slavery

annakagrace's review against another edition

Too heavy for me right now, but I do want to revisit it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Animal death, Gore, Murder, Blood, Gun violence, Death, Grief, and Child death

seph268's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense fast-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? No

5.0

Octavia Butler wrote a manual for survival our unprecedented times and we’ve all been overlooking it. Would absolutely recommend, cannot wait to reread.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Violence, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Rape, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Genocide, and Excrement

dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Death, Slavery, Trafficking, Blood, Cannibalism, Police brutality, Torture, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual assault

henrybirdie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The good:
I  went into this book knowing nothing about the plot, so was excited to realize it takes place in a dystopian, near-future setting — one of my favorite sub genres. Butler’s imagining of the 2020’s feels unsettling in the same way that Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale does. Both worlds feel extreme and hyperbolic while also giving you that nagging feeling of being scarily possible.  This novel explores a version of California ravaged by climate change and late stage capitalism, where modern progress and technology has effectively collapsed and the economy has crumbled. 

Throughout the novel I found myself wondering how I might fare in this version of America — where would I feel safe? Would I know how to effectively grow my own food? Learn how to mend, how to maintain and fortify my own home base? Would I be a useful asset in my community like Lauren, or cling to the old and dead ways of life? 

I became totally immersed and engaged in Lauren’s journey and also appreciated Butler’s commentaries on American culture, race, status, and the pitfalls of capitalism. 

The not so good:

I really didn’t connect with Earthseed, though it’s clearly a major plot element throughout. I suppose it serves as a vehicle to push Lauren— and by way of her leadership, the rest of her ragtag crew—towards a different way of living. A rejection of the imploding system that they’ve all been bound to. I just found it hard to believe that she was seemingly so alone in this endeavor. With all the chaos, violence, and dire lack of resources, were there no other people seeking out some kind of communal/alternative lifestyle? 

This leads me to my next issue. Where the hell are all the bicycles, wagons, carts, trailers…any kind of low tech wheeled vehicle?! In a world where no one can afford to drive gas powered vehicles surely this would have become a major form of transportation and something that many people would learn to improvise. Characters ride bikes early on, in and around the immediate neighborhood but they’re never mentioned again once Lauren hits the road. Have all the horses and cows and donkeys been eaten? All forms of animal husbandry have been completely abandoned? Seems lazy! 

Last and most importantly….the significant age gap romance gave me major ick. I’m really not seeing the greater purpose for our girl Lauren to fall for a man who is not only nearly the same exact age as her presumably dead father, but actively reminds her of her father. Like…I get it, Lauren has suffered significant trauma and latches onto a man that can take the place of her missing dad but ugggghhh, did it have to be a sexual relationship? A barely 18 year old girl and a 55 year old man??? I guess she’s just “an old soul”…. “mature for her age”…..etc. Sigh.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Trafficking, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Classism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Slavery, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Cannibalism

nyst's review

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Grief, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, Drug use, Death of parent, Violence, Death, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Rape, Trafficking, and Sexual content

gustgustgust's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-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

4.25

This book shocked me. It was written in the '90s and yet it felt prophetic. If it was written in this year, people would say it was too on-the-nose. 

The story is beautiful. the main character, Lauren Olamina, is such a beautiful, complicated character. The relationships are complicated and dense and tentative. The real shining moment is just the world Bulter weaved. It felt not only like it happened, but that I was watching it happen in front of me. It's not for me to adapt, but it is definitely something that would make an incredible series if given full opportunity to be as dark, grim, and haunting as it needs to be. 

The only thing that knocked it down for me was there was a lot of violence, and I understand that the world needed it so it's just a personal taste thing. I don't think anything was don't to scandalize or be outrageous, it was true to the world, I just got pulled out going "oh no, this is too much, too real" 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Child death, Death of parent, Torture, Classism, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Slavery, Murder, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault

greenlivingaudioworm's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Grief, Child death, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Vomit, Violence, Outing, and War

daysanchez's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Blood, Child death, Drug use, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Animal death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Cursing, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, and Sexual content

mattyb's review

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Violence, Drug use, Blood, Rape, Police brutality, Death, Body horror, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Gore

Moderate: Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Chronic illness, Addiction, Kidnapping, Slavery, Rape, Sexual content, and Abandonment