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

dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Wow. I have so many thoughts about this book. I don't think I've ever read a dystopian book that is so realistic. It is a book that shows you how it would be like living through an apocalyptic event. You feel like you are there with the characters, experiencing every moment. It is scary how close to our known reality this is. Most dystopian novel describe a society far ahead in the future which bares little similarities to our world. In this book, Butler describes a society that is slowly failing. There was no big event, an asteroid or a pandemic that started this decrease. Instead it was the shortages in raw materials. A lot of the infrastructures are still in place, the police, universities, money, but they are flawed. It is also scary to see how corporations are taking advantage of people and basically using them as slaves. There is no true bad guy, there is not a sole person you can blame and put all your anger to. There is extreme violence everywhere. I also found the religious aspect really interesting. Aside the dystopian theme, this novel describes the birth of a prophet, Lauren, as she begins shaping Earthseed. It is fascinating the see it develop. It is a comment on how religion is born out of necessity. The need to survive during hard periods and hope that things will become better.
The only part of the story that I really did not like was that the main character (18 years old) engaged in a sexual relationship with someone who is over 40 years her senior and it was described as a good/ common thing. This is deeply problematic and it isn't described as a both thing in the novel. Truly disappointing.
Overall, it is scary how real and close the world that Butler described in the 1990s, is to today.

Quote: "Why personify change by calling it God?"
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