Stephanie Spines

I thought "Parable" was a brilliant and terrifying dystopia with real current social implications. There are a handful of dystopian novels, among them, Orwell's 1984 and Bradury's 451, that are so relevant that they actually frighten some deepset part of your psyche. This is another one of those works. Terrifying in its not-so-far-offness.While I'm not a McCarthy fan, I can understand the comparisons between The Road and Parable, even if only in the sadness and desolation of the setting. Also in the parentification of the Lauren and other characters in the story.What I found left something to be desired is the whole inclusion of Lauren's Earthseed religion. I thought the concept was underdeveloped, but in my refusal to believe that Butler would do something like that without a firm intention to back it up, I've also wondered if maybe it was meant to be a social commentary in itself about the fleeting nature of religion? Maybe thats far fetched. I just know that by the end of the book, I was no longer reading the exerpts from Earthseed that were included before every chapter. I also know that I was surprised by the religious content here, even if it hinged on the whole god is change thing.I thought the characters were well developed and I didn't find myself hating on or really adoring any of them, but I would challenge the relationship between Lauren and Bankole. I believe I am among the minority for kind of liking Bankole but I would problematize the nature of their relationship as upholding patriarchy, considering Butler's politics and what she is known for. Overall, I really enjoyed Parable of the Sower and will hopefully pick up the sequel in the future. Its definitely worth the read.