Commentary/review

“Parable of the Sower” was the only novel written by Octavia E Butler I was so far able to finish (the other being “Fledgling” and “Parable of the Talents”). It is actually hard to believe that “Parable of the Sower” can be that good while the Author decided to publish also something as sick and miserable as, for example, “Fledgling”. “Parable of the Talents” I cannot handle not because it is bad in any way (it received the Nebula award after all) but because it is too heavy-handed for me. It is much too serious, self-important and filled with bits to remember for later. I suppose it can be an assignment but I did not enjoy any part of it.

However, “Parable of the Sower” is one of the most immersive and believable dystopian novels I have read. It is well-balanced, full of necessary detail and simply sounds true. Even if the philosophical background does not make us cry in awe, it is an integral part of the story and nothing more. It does not have to impress. Whatever comes later, “Parable of the Sower” is good as a standalone piece of fiction. After reading a few chapters of the second part, “Parable of the Talents”, I became uninterested in the remainder of the story. “Parable of the Sower” said enough and said it well. The ambition you may read there can actually be construed as part of the narration and not as self-inflicted schedule put there by the Author to keep on writing in the future.

The book is about sensitivity, survival and the art using one’s mind in extremely hostile environments. Of course, the latter component is the most interesting; however, the Author was probably not aware that this part made her story come to life as I could not find even a trace of it in “Parable of the Talents”.

If compared with other known dystopian and post-dystopian novels, it is actually more immersive than “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy but makes a lot less sense in terms of “new humanity” ideas than, for example, “Always Coming Home” (Ursula K. LeGuin) or even “A Children’s Bible” (Lydia Millet).

“Parable of the Sower” is read well and sincerely by Lynne Thigpen. It may sound too serious at first as it is filled with poetry and read with strangely elongated vowels but the closer to the end, the better it gets.

The cover is a little too direct for my taste. It does not fit the novel in terms of its factual content and I would certainly make a different choice here.

Cover Photo by Antoine PERIER on Unsplash