Parable of the Talents

Paperback, 365 pages

English language

Published July 1, 2001 by Women's Press Ltd,The.

ISBN:
978-0-7043-4682-6
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4 stars (87 reviews)

Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of depravity. Taking advantage of the situation, a zealous bigot wins his way into the White House. Lauren Olamina leads a new faith group directly opposed to the new government. This is the story of the group's struggle to preserve its vision.

As the government turns a blind eye to the violent bigots who consider a black female leader a threat, Lauren Olamina must either sacrifice her child and her followers or forsake her religion. The plot contains profanity, sexual situations and violence,

15 editions

Somehow Hopeful with all it's darkness

5 stars

I was expecting to be way more triggered and upset by this book than I was but probably because all the trigger warnings about the book had adequately prepared me to emotionally handle it. It's a great book and I am a little sad she did not get to write the third one to complete the series but I am satisfied with the ending. The two books are really interesting, beautiful and contemplative. It is also really freaky the predictions she made about what she called Christan America but what has become the Far Right in our time. It is so frightening. She saw that shit for what it was and it is scary as hell. But she ends the book with so much hope and that is beautiful.

Review of 'Parable of the Talents' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

I immediately followed The Parable of the Sower with this, its sequel and conclusion. This book is more cynical than Sower, perhaps in answer to criticism, or perhaps because it comes from the mind of an older author.

It cuts between perspectives and timelines, sometimes from the protagonist of the first novel, and sometimes from her adult daughter many years later. This is a clever trick for an epistolary novel. The struggles of the mother carry more weight as we have information she does not, information about her own future.

Having finished the pair, it is obvious to me why these stories are on so many favorites lists. They are deeply though-provoking, deeply compassionate, and ultimately deeply hopeful. I really needed some of that right now.

reviewed Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler (Earthseed, #2)

a book I won't forget very soon

4 stars

the writing is fantastic. also there is more... story than in parable of the sower, definitely more things happening and also more hope. somebody (I forgot the source) wrote about this "parable of the sower is about problems, while parable of the talents is about solutions" and yeah, this seems true. it is also still about horrible, horrible problems. some of these chapters were really hard to get through.

also everything seems so realistic - the characters and the choices they have to face, but also the USA/world politics.

the earthseed verses feel so much on point by now. they're definitely the thing I will remember most. as religions go, it's a good one.

EDIT: I wanted to add, if you want to read this book, check out the Octavia's Parables podcast by adrienne maree brown and Toshi Reagon. It is worth it for the songs from the opera "parable …

scientology origin story lol

3 stars

Content warning spoiler

Review of 'Parable of the Talents' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

Follows a small community and mainly their leader how they try to survive and re-establish under religious oppression. Partly pretty brutal, but it shows how a kinder way tries to persist . I cried sometimes. 


Kind of a How to establish an opposing cult under christian nationalism

Review of 'Parable of the talents' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

A dystopian future (2030's) plagued by a pandemic with a xenophobic president running on the slogan "make America great again", and the president's Christian extremist supporters aren't explicitly supported or admonished by then president. Slightly familiar.

I liked the different perspectives in this one. Unlike the first book, the variety of narrators in this sequel allowed the author to point out flaws (and perceived flaws) in the protagonist.

Review of 'Parable of the Talents' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

While reading this it felt like a 4-star "really like it" book but considering I finished this book in 3 days I should just admit that "it was amazing" and give it the 5-stars it deserves. That 4-star feeling was my fault anyway.

One things that stood out to me in this second book of the series is just how fallible the protagonist, Olamina, is. She is incredibly strong, loving, smart, and thoughtful, but at times full of herself and doesn't shy away from manipulating people for her causes. Her obsessions brought both safety and harm to those around her. This all made for a very rich character that I loved.

Another thing I really enjoyed was just how mundane but powerful the sci-fi tech was and how the "super power" was depicted and used to explore humanity and its cruelties and strengths. I liked that the tech was not …

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