A review by melitrophium
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous challenging dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Scarily contemporary for a book that was published in 1993 (especially because the setting starts in 2024). 
"I was looking for God,” I said. “I wasn’t looking for mythology or mysticism or magic. I didn’t know whether there was a god to find, but I wanted to know. God would have to be a power that could not be defied by anyone or anything.”

  “Change.”
  “Change, yes,”
Interestingly enough, my beliefs share a lot with the religion the main character is founding. Although I'm not a fan of religion, and if I'm turning to a metaphysical word I'd sooner call it magic than god. She seems to sort of agree with this:
“Earthseed deals with ongoing reality, not with supernatural authority figures. Worship is no good without action. With action, it’s only useful if it steadies you, focuses your efforts, eases your mind.”

Overall I loved the worldbuilding. The pace was a bit too slow for my liking. The characters could sometimes feel flat, but that's to be expected since they aren't very free to act and feel (being constantly in dire situations and all). I have high hopes for the sequel.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings