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A review by jiujensu
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
dark
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
I'd been wanting to read this for a while and it didn't disappoint. Written in 1993, it's still an incredibly relevant dystopian novel about the end of the United States. Is it a sovereign citizen libertarian utopia? - poverty, no government, every person for themselves? It's more about climate change and authoritarian politicians conspiring to kill off humanity - about survival and the need for community. I'm sure it wouldn't be the utopia libertarians, doomsday preppers and the armed white people of Nextdoor are cosplaying currently - I don't think the book makes a case in favor of that. The novel paints a more realistic, hopeless, and terrifying picture of the now not so distant year 2025.
Part of what makes the relevance evergreen is that history repeats over and over. What seems like a reference to Trumpian fascist leanings and "make America great again" and politicians that make people yearn for a simpler time that never really existed, reading in 2021, could easily have been referencing Reagan or politicians governing through industrialization, wars, waves of civil rights gains - any major change - as easily as a point far in the future.
Which brings us to the religious aspects, a big part of the book. I really enjoyed her playing with that idea of God being change starting a new religion. I agree with embracing change - not a bad message - but her God seems as cruel in some of the verses as the Christian one she came from. Despite the religion, the idea that we need each other and are stronger in groups isn't a bad one. Does one need religion to focus community effort or comfort? Who can say.
Climate change features prominently. It's interesting to think that maybe around the writing of the novel, climate change was just becoming a national political issue. Now, almost 30 years later, we refer to a climate emergency and talk about climate refugees. The image of Lauren's group of refugees being chased by fire is vivid and extremely fitting both for California and a depiction of what is often an abstract concept for people.
I think there are some references sprinkled in about the rich people evacuating or protecting themselves, corporate greed, capitalism, etc in the climate change and destruction of the US, but these weren't front and center. But some references made me think of Ted Cruz leaving for vacation during winter storm/power outage and company towns owned by mining companies.
Not super relevant but kind of fun coincidence: Still related to climate change. I had just listened to this podcast that has a bit about the historical significance of carob and the possibility of a comeback due to climate change days before I read in Sower about a character being impressed another had chocolate as opposed to the ubiquitous carob candy, obviously referencing the warmer climate, scarcity, and economic problems.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000xsr8
Part of what makes the relevance evergreen is that history repeats over and over. What seems like a reference to Trumpian fascist leanings and "make America great again" and politicians that make people yearn for a simpler time that never really existed, reading in 2021, could easily have been referencing Reagan or politicians governing through industrialization, wars, waves of civil rights gains - any major change - as easily as a point far in the future.
Which brings us to the religious aspects, a big part of the book. I really enjoyed her playing with that idea of God being change starting a new religion. I agree with embracing change - not a bad message - but her God seems as cruel in some of the verses as the Christian one she came from. Despite the religion, the idea that we need each other and are stronger in groups isn't a bad one. Does one need religion to focus community effort or comfort? Who can say.
Climate change features prominently. It's interesting to think that maybe around the writing of the novel, climate change was just becoming a national political issue. Now, almost 30 years later, we refer to a climate emergency and talk about climate refugees. The image of Lauren's group of refugees being chased by fire is vivid and extremely fitting both for California and a depiction of what is often an abstract concept for people.
I think there are some references sprinkled in about the rich people evacuating or protecting themselves, corporate greed, capitalism, etc in the climate change and destruction of the US, but these weren't front and center. But some references made me think of Ted Cruz leaving for vacation during winter storm/power outage and company towns owned by mining companies.
Not super relevant but kind of fun coincidence: Still related to climate change. I had just listened to this podcast that has a bit about the historical significance of carob and the possibility of a comeback due to climate change days before I read in Sower about a character being impressed another had chocolate as opposed to the ubiquitous carob candy, obviously referencing the warmer climate, scarcity, and economic problems.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000xsr8