Rating: 
Summary: Future fiction to disturb your sleep
Review: This is a brilliant prophesy of a future America that will not leave the reader resting comfortably. Having read this, I immediately went on read the sequel, Parable of the Talents, which is even more chilling. The genesis of this fiction is here, right now, and something I see nearly every day. The question after reading these books is not will our future look like this, but is this avoidable? There are powerful and astute observations in these - and truth which has haunted me for weeks.
Rating:
Summary: A Spellbinding, Credible American Future
Review: "Parable Of The Sower" is yet another artistic triumph for Octavia Butler. It is among the most original dystopic visions I've read of a future United States. Its potentially credible vision of the United States is rather stark and frightening; one in which the country becomes a vast lawless frontier run by drug-crazed gangs. Lauren Olamina leads a ragtag band of survivors through a bleak Californian landscape littered with corpses, cannibals and smouldering ruins. She becomes the band's spiritual guide, as she introduces to them a new faith, "Earthseed", which accepts that GOD is change. Lauren becomes a prophet, yet one unwilling to convert others, unless it is by example. Butler's novel is replete with the poetic prose I've seen before in Wild Seed. Absolutely this is yet another major novel by one of the finest writers of American fiction in any genre.
Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: I have been a big fan of Octavia Butler ever since reading Wild Seed. She continues to include enriching narratives, creative ideas and philosophies, historical significance, deep character development, and a remarkable story to tell. What intrigued me about this book was not only Lauren's passionate language on life and spirituality but her encouraging positivity on self and collective resilience and growth. Great work, Ms. Butler.
Rating:
Summary: The message fits
Review: A friend warned me, "Girl, if you read this book, it will mess with your mind." Well that was all the incentive I needed to run, not walk to my nearest bookstore and pick up this book. After finishing the last page, I must admit that she spoke the truth. PARABLE OF THE SOWER took common sense principles and a highly realistic backdrop and came up with a sincere manifesto that forces readers to think, think and think a little more. I'm not saying people should run out and start EARTHSEED communities like the main character, Lauren Oya Olamina, but, I will challenge readers to examine her very simple, yet highly sophisticated premise, "God is change." Nothing revolutionary there, but put into the context of the world that we live in now that is overrun with every kind of "phobic" imaginable, I think this book will force readers out of their comfort zone. Some kicking and screaming, but others, like me, who are anxious to let the winds of this extraordinary text sail me into some unchartered waters, will go willingly. Keep on bringing us this thought-provoking work, Ms. Butler.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS BOOK HAS CHANGED MY LIFE
Review: September 11, 2001 was the WTC bombing and I live in the NYC area. I read this book about a month ago-- after reading Kindred. The day of the bombing I was walking on a highway, over a bridge-- trying to get home (although home didn't feel safe). As I was walking all I could see was smoke cuz the World Trade Center was destroyed. I felt a dejavu and then I remembered reading this in Parable of the Sower only a month ago-- It was eerie. When I read this book I thought it was excellent but never did I think something like this book is possible. Now, I see this book is more possible then impossible. Octavia has somewhat predicted the future. I felt like I was Lauren, Harry, Zahra and Bankole walking down the highway with smoke in the sky. I take this book w. me wherever I go. I even made an "emergency pack" by my bed just incase I have to run from home (like Lauren did). I wonder what Octavia thinks after seeing what has happened to our country and coming so close to predicting the state of our nation in this book. I recommend this book to EVERYONE -- especially in this time of the world. Remember that the only lasting truth is change, God is change.Peace
Rating:
Summary: Amazing book
Review: I hate reading long reviews so I'll keep this one short & to the point. I found this book to be a rival to ANYTHING Stephen King. Why has the world been hiding this author?? I feel I must read all of her work ASAP!
Rating:
Summary: my first science fiction
Review: WHEN THIS BOOK WAS FIRST REFERRED TO ME, I ACTUALLY WAS RELUCTANT TO TRY. THE BOOK WAS VERY GOOD, AND VERY PERSPECTIVE. LAUREN'S VIEWS OF RELIGION ARE SIMILAR TO MINE, AND CONNECTED WITH ME ON A SPIRITUAL LEVEL. I WAS READING THIS BOOK, AND FELT THAT I WAS NOT ONLY READING A NOVEL, BUT A POETRY BOOK, AND A BIBLE. THIS WONDERFULLY CRAFTED TABLE IS DARK AND EYE-OPENING. BUTLER'S VIEW ON FUTURE L.A., OR ON A BROADER VIEW, BIG CITY, U.S.A., SEEMS TO REALLY HIT HOME, BUT ONLY TIME WILL TELL. THE EXAMINING OF CHILDREN GROWING UP SO FAST, AND MAGNIFYING THE ILLS OF SOCIETY THROUGH LAUREN'S SICKNESS REALLY DID IT FOR ME. I AM EAGER TO PURCHASE MORE OF MS. BUTLER'S NOVELS.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre writing, horrible ending.
Review: Although I've heard good things about Octavia E. Butler, this book was the first of hers I read, and it wasn't worth it. The idea is OK, but not enough to carry the book without better writing. The writing conveys action, and some thought, but not much more. The plot starts off well, becomes slightly implausable (but still able to be carried of), and then abruptly ends. I found out a couple years later that a sequel came out, and thus explains the abrupt ending that basically dumps any buildup from the plot out the window, in order to set up a sequel. Without the plot dump, it would be a decent book. With it, it's not even worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: It's fiction, but not that far-fetched - it could happen!
Review:
Butler paints a disturbing, interesting and not that far-fetched picture of what life in the U.S. could devolve too if the social, economic and legal safety nets were to be removed. Neighbors band together to protect their communities while hoards of people gone wild and mad victimize anyone who can't protect themselves. Life becomes cheap, - the older generation gradually has to acknowledge that things will never return to the way they were and the younger generation, while hearing their parents and grandparents description of things past, have to re-evaluate what they can hope for and what kind of life and world is still possible. What struck me the most about this story is that it really isn't far-fetched at all. And my only criticism is that the religious component was pretty silly and somewhat unbelievable. Overall a great, quick read. I'll definitely read another of this author's books.
Rating:
Summary: An exploration on the past (and possible future) hardship.
Review: Reading through these reviews, I see a lot of people saying that the novel is warning of things to come. Personally, I don't anticipate such a radical collapse of American society in the time frame Butler presents, but I don't think that is the point. The first part of the book, in the enclave, struck me as an interesting dystopian take on the burbclaves of Snow Crash. I was really caught up in it, imagining what it would be like to live in a place like that. Then, I realized that their world exists today in America, in several inner city neighborhoods -- she only moved it to the suburbs to make it hit home with middle class people. Brilliant move. Once Olamina leaves the enclave, she begins a journey through even more horrors. While I doubt the range of hardships they endure have been experienced by any single group of people, there is nothing that happens in the book that hasn't happened to real people in the recent American past and in the present world (look at the genocides in Africa, and at famines and government collapses around the world). I may be reading more into this part than Butler intended, but I saw the experiences of Olamina's group working their way backward through American history. The enclave is an inner city hell, then she meets travelers on the road, looking for work (Dust Bowl/Grapes of Wrath period) and the temptations of factory towns (turn of the century mill and mine villages). Then she meets people who were outright slaves (American slavery) and endentured servants (like many unwilling American immegrants). Finally, the band rediscovers the frontier at Bankole's land and has an opportunity to begin again and, hopefully, not make the same mistakes. Did anyone else get this impression?
|
