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A review by sadtourist
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
An incredible book that I can't believe I've been de-prioritizing on my up-next list for so long.
A very well-written speculative fiction book in the style of a journal written by a young woman (15-18 years old over the course of the storyline) documenting her experiences. Several things are happening at the same time (not spoilers):
1) We are seeing the world slowly descending into a (at least partly climate-induced) dystopian/apocalyptic world that we often see in this genre, but we're not fully there yet. There are still governments, cities, state borders, and even police (there's no pretense of their usefulness, but just saying that this isn't a post-apocalyptic story. It's happening now). This was a new (to me) take on a genre I read a lot, and it was interesting to see how things happen a bit more slowly over time. I would have liked to learn more about what happened in this world (politically, environmentally, etc) that caused so much to change before the protagonist's time.
2) The protagonist, young Lauren Olamina, has a syndrome (from birth) enabling her to feel the pain (and pleasure) of others. This is something that Lauren deals with throughout the novel which can be extremely dangerous and incapacitating because of the violence and death surrounding her. I am curious to see if the second book explores a bit more of the hope that this offers civilization in the future: are the people with this syndrome just more vulnerable, or are they the hope for the future?
3) And throughout all of this, Lauren is developing her own belief system. There is something really beautiful and enticing (to me) about the Earthseed religious philosophy, which is that it feels very tangible. It's a system of belief built up around real life, based on Lauren's constant analyzing of the world around her. The religion offers structure, community, goals, lessons, and hope. While reading, I thought a lot about the role of organized religion in a near-world-ending scenario. Is a system of belief like this more necessary and useful to a community than existing religions, or even no religion? Food for thought.
A very well-written speculative fiction book in the style of a journal written by a young woman (15-18 years old over the course of the storyline) documenting her experiences. Several things are happening at the same time (not spoilers):
1) We are seeing the world slowly descending into a (at least partly climate-induced) dystopian/apocalyptic world that we often see in this genre, but we're not fully there yet. There are still governments, cities, state borders, and even police (there's no pretense of their usefulness, but just saying that this isn't a post-apocalyptic story. It's happening now). This was a new (to me) take on a genre I read a lot, and it was interesting to see how things happen a bit more slowly over time. I would have liked to learn more about what happened in this world (politically, environmentally, etc) that caused so much to change before the protagonist's time.
2) The protagonist, young Lauren Olamina, has a syndrome (from birth) enabling her to feel the pain (and pleasure) of others. This is something that Lauren deals with throughout the novel which can be extremely dangerous and incapacitating because of the violence and death surrounding her. I am curious to see if the second book explores a bit more of the hope that this offers civilization in the future: are the people with this syndrome just more vulnerable, or are they the hope for the future?
3) And throughout all of this, Lauren is developing her own belief system. There is something really beautiful and enticing (to me) about the Earthseed religious philosophy, which is that it feels very tangible. It's a system of belief built up around real life, based on Lauren's constant analyzing of the world around her. The religion offers structure, community, goals, lessons, and hope. While reading, I thought a lot about the role of organized religion in a near-world-ending scenario. Is a system of belief like this more necessary and useful to a community than existing religions, or even no religion? Food for thought.
Before diving into this book, I think I was apprehensive about getting started for several reasons: I'm a bit done with the YA genre and often avoid books with young/teenage protagonists. I also was aware that the book focuses on religion, and for personal reasons that's something I haven't been in the mood to reflect much on in the last few years. But I'm so glad I finally sat down and took the time to read and appreciate this book.
I was very inspired reading this book: inspired by how Lauren moves through the world as a leader despite her age. Inspired by Butler's writing. Inspired by a philosophy of accepting and embracing change.
It's hard to write and reflect on it now, because I can't say: 'it was a pleasure to read' (because... woof. It hits you in the gut. It's not a 'pleasure'). It's hard to say 'I loved it', because there's so much pain and violence and horror that is hard to love. But underlying all of that is actually... hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape