Parable of the Sower: A 2024 Review

  

 (Warning! This review has some almost-spoilers! Read at your own risk)

 My mom has always been an Octavia Butler fan, and over the years the obsession has passed on to me as well. In late 2022, my mom took me to see Parable of the Sower the Opera, a musical version of the book. I had no previous knowledge of the plot. Still, I remember finding the show exciting (not to mention the wonderful actors!), and in December I found a copy to read for myself. I never got to reading it over the break, finding other books, and eventually letting it sit on my shelf for quite some time before picking it up this summer.

    The novel takes place in 2024 when Lauren and her neighborhood are walled up in Los Angeles. The city is post-apocalyptic, with climate change greatly affecting the world around them. I found the setting interesting, as she later travels further north when displaced from her family. She is a very independent person and has been working on a book for her new belief system named Earthseed. We follow her throughout the years until 2027, finding others to join her as she works to create a community. 

    Parable of the Sower is written in a diary style, with the main character, Lauren Olamina, narrating in the form of accounts every few days. I found this to both help and hurt the story, as I was sometimes confused about what she meant and how others around her were affected by her actions and words. Lauren has hyper-empathy, meaning she feels others' pain, but she seems rather emotionless. I believe she could be hiding her emotions to stay more discreet, as she does not share this fact widely, but it may have been beneficial for the story if she shared more in her writing. 

    I enjoyed the dystopian elements of the novel, and it felt a bit scary. Parable of the Sower was published in 1993, but we now live in the same year it takes place. Even though we, fortunately, do not have as big of a crisis regarding climate and social issues, reading the story feels alarming as some elements seem more impending than others. I’m not sure I would describe the feeling as pleasant, but it gives a sense of awareness. 

    Overall, I think that Parable of the Sower has an important message, and if you’re a big fan of Octavia Butler or dystopian novels you should at least check it out! It’s not the easiest read, but the novel is definitely intriguing! I’m not sure how many others have read it, but if you have I’d love to talk about it! Thanks for reading, and now onto the sequel! :) 

-Nona