2011 Reading #53: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Books 1-10.
Books 11-20.
Books 21-30.
Books 31-40.
Books 41-50.
51. What I Didn't See and Other Stories by Karen Joy Fowler.
52. Thunder and Roses: Volume IV: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon.
53. Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler. When I posted about reading Parable of the Sower, someone commented that they disliked the second book so much that they regretted reading it. I'm not sure what that person's reasons were, but I will say this; if you are a survivor of any sort of abuse, you may want to skip this book--you are likely to find it triggering. As brutal as Sower was, in parts, Talents is even more horrific. I liked it, though--well, I'm not sure "liked" is the right word. It's a well-constructed novel with a lot to say about the good and bad that can come from belief, and I like the ultimate ambiguity of the protagonist, Lauren Olamina; is she a clear thinker who ultimately left the world better for many people, or is she an egomaniac and an obsessive? I suppose that the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Most of the dissenting viewpoint comes through the perspective of Olamina's daughter, and I liked the addition of a balancing point of view. As with the previous book, I admire Butler's skill for creating plausibly maddening characters who are not necessarily villains (although some of them undeniably are). There's a great deal to admire here, with the caveat that the story is, while ultimately hopeful, extremely bleak and painful along the way.
Books 11-20.
Books 21-30.
Books 31-40.
Books 41-50.
51. What I Didn't See and Other Stories by Karen Joy Fowler.
52. Thunder and Roses: Volume IV: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon.
53. Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler. When I posted about reading Parable of the Sower, someone commented that they disliked the second book so much that they regretted reading it. I'm not sure what that person's reasons were, but I will say this; if you are a survivor of any sort of abuse, you may want to skip this book--you are likely to find it triggering. As brutal as Sower was, in parts, Talents is even more horrific. I liked it, though--well, I'm not sure "liked" is the right word. It's a well-constructed novel with a lot to say about the good and bad that can come from belief, and I like the ultimate ambiguity of the protagonist, Lauren Olamina; is she a clear thinker who ultimately left the world better for many people, or is she an egomaniac and an obsessive? I suppose that the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Most of the dissenting viewpoint comes through the perspective of Olamina's daughter, and I liked the addition of a balancing point of view. As with the previous book, I admire Butler's skill for creating plausibly maddening characters who are not necessarily villains (although some of them undeniably are). There's a great deal to admire here, with the caveat that the story is, while ultimately hopeful, extremely bleak and painful along the way.