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A review by sidekicksam
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Civilization is to groups what intelligence is to individuals. It is a means of combining the intelligence of many to achieve ongoing group adaptation.
Civilization, like intelligence, may serve well, serve adequately or fail to serve its adaptive function. When civilization fails to serve, it must disintegrate unless it is acted upon by unifying internal or external forces.
Parable of the Sower follows the story of Lauren Olamina, coming of age in the 2020s. The world has ignored climate change for years and now it's become a world of violence, water is scarce and there are always people lurking in the dark. There are few options: work in a company-owned town and risk becoming a debt-slave, or find your luck on the road, and risk losing everything to the pyro addicts, scavengers or cannibal kids.
This was terrifying to read. Did she know??? Of course, we've been murdering our planet for the last few decades so one only has to use logical, rational thinking to predict where we're going as a species, but this being set just after the pandemic is starting to slip from everyone's conscious mind again - incredible.
Butler's take on religion, society/humanity, capitalism, the police and government, and climate change, make for a grim but poignant novel that keeps you hooked. The world-building is very well done, and despite my desire to have a bit more (extensive) background about the state of the world and how it came to be, it was easy to get into and understand the choices of the characters in the world.
Parable of the Sower is exactly the thought-provoking, socially critical dystopian novel you hope it will be, and my only regret in reading this is that I now have to get my hands on Parable of the Talents to find out what happens next!!!
Civilization, like intelligence, may serve well, serve adequately or fail to serve its adaptive function. When civilization fails to serve, it must disintegrate unless it is acted upon by unifying internal or external forces.
Parable of the Sower follows the story of Lauren Olamina, coming of age in the 2020s. The world has ignored climate change for years and now it's become a world of violence, water is scarce and there are always people lurking in the dark. There are few options: work in a company-owned town and risk becoming a debt-slave, or find your luck on the road, and risk losing everything to the pyro addicts, scavengers or cannibal kids.
This was terrifying to read. Did she know??? Of course, we've been murdering our planet for the last few decades so one only has to use logical, rational thinking to predict where we're going as a species, but this being set just after the pandemic is starting to slip from everyone's conscious mind again - incredible.
Butler's take on religion, society/humanity, capitalism, the police and government, and climate change, make for a grim but poignant novel that keeps you hooked. The world-building is very well done, and despite my desire to have a bit more (extensive) background about the state of the world and how it came to be, it was easy to get into and understand the choices of the characters in the world.
Parable of the Sower is exactly the thought-provoking, socially critical dystopian novel you hope it will be, and my only regret in reading this is that I now have to get my hands on Parable of the Talents to find out what happens next!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Cannibalism, and Police brutality