Parable of the Sower

by Octavia Butler
Parable of the Sower cover
Good Books rating 4.0
Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic
Technical:
  • ID: 1159
  • Added: 2025-09-27
  • Updated: 2025-09-27
  • ISBN: 9781472214775
  • Publisher: Hachette UK
  • Published: 2014-03-27
  • Reviews: 3

Parable of the Sower is a hauntingly prescient dystopian novel that explores a future where society is unraveling. Lauren Olamina, a young woman with the unique ability to feel the pain of others, documents the chaos around her in her journal. Her world is shattered one night, forcing her to fight for survival and to share her vision of a better future. Octavia E. Butler's masterful prose and profound insights make this novel a timeless exploration of humanity's resilience and the power of hope. Praised by luminaries like Gloria Steinem and Yâa Gyasi, Parable of the Sower is a must-read for those interested in the intersection of social commentary and speculative fiction.

Reviews
Grimdark Magazine · 2024-06-30
insightful 4.50

The book effectively blends social criticism with compelling characters and a timeless narrative. It balances thought-provoking themes with an engaging story.

Grimdark Magazine highlights how Parable of the Sower strikes a perfect balance between social commentary and character development. The reviewer appreciates the timeless quality of the story, which remains relevant and thought-provoking. The novel's exploration of societal issues is seamlessly woven into the narrative, making it both engaging and intellectually stimulating. The reviewer commends Butler's ability to create a world that feels both familiar and dystopian, making the themes resonate deeply with readers.

Quick quotes

    Parable of the Sower hits the spot perfectly, balancing social criticism and complex characters with a timeless story.

    Butler's ability to weave together a dystopian narrative with profound social commentary is truly commendable.

    The novel's exploration of societal issues is seamlessly woven into the narrative, making it both engaging and intellectually stimulating.

Novel Notions · 2022-09-20
mixed 3.50

The prose is engaging and vivid, though the initial sections of the novel can be challenging. The reviewer found the story compelling despite a slow start.

Novel Notions praises Butler's prose for being engaging, accessible, and vivid. However, they admit to struggling with the first quarter of the novel, finding it a bit slow to start. Despite this initial hurdle, the reviewer finds the story compelling and worth persevering through. They appreciate the depth and complexity of the characters and the thought-provoking themes that emerge as the narrative progresses. The reviewer acknowledges that while the start may be challenging, the payoff is substantial.

Quick quotes

    Butler's prose was engaging, accessible, and vivid.

    I struggled a bit in the first quarter of the novel.

    The early sections of Parable of the Sower can be challenging, but the payoff is substantial.

The New Yorker · 2017-07-26
harrowing 4.00

The novel offers a prescient vision of societal collapse and human behavior under extreme conditions. The reviewer notes its relevance to contemporary issues.

The New Yorker highlights the prescient nature of Butler's novel, which offers a bleak yet insightful vision of a society on the brink of collapse. The reviewer notes how the novel's exploration of human behavior in extreme conditions remains relevant, especially in light of contemporary issues. They appreciate Butler's ability to anticipate future societal challenges and her unflinching portrayal of the consequences of unchecked capitalism and climate change. The reviewer finds the novel both harrowing and thought-provoking, making it a significant work of speculative fiction.

Quick quotes

    In her lifetime, Butler insisted that the Parable series was not intended as an augur.

    The novel paints a bleak vision of a near-future America ravaged by climate change, economic inequality, and societal collapse.

    Butler's unflinching portrayal of the consequences of unchecked capitalism and climate change makes the novel both harrowing and thought-provoking.

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