Book Notes: Parable of the Sower

I’m surprised to see that in my previous read I gave this 4 stars, and not 5. It is such an excellent book, on several levels. I last read this in 2017, and I am surprised it was only 5 years ago. It feels longer.

In this re-read, I felt like I had a better understanding of the California geography the story travels through, which helped make it more familiar to me.

The book starts in 2024, which is now only a couple of years away, making things so much more immediate.

It is still a quick, enjoyable action read, if you want to read it that way. But then there is the commentary about a failing USA, corporations taking over as authoritarian micro-states, slavery, race, and, of course, climate change.

As a story, it feels like it ends a little bit abruptly. There is no neat bow at the end, explaining how everything turns out in the end. In a way, that is more realistic, I guess. But also a little unsatisfying, from a narrative perspective. Perhaps that’s why I gave it 4 stars and not 5 in my initial read.

Highlights

“It seems almost criminal that you should be so young in these terrible times. I wish you could have known this country when it was still salvageable.”

“So we become the crew of a modern underground railroad,” I said. Slavery again — even worse than my father thought, or at least sooner. He thought it would take a while.

Strange how normal it’s become for us to lie on the ground and listen while nearby, people try to kill each other.

I gave to Harry, and through him to Zahra, thoughts I wanted them to keep.

Persisting isn’t always safe, but it’s often necessary.

I’m trying to speak — to write — the truth. I’m trying to be clear. I’m not interested in being fancy, or even original. Clarity and truth will be plenty, if I can only achieve them.

All I do is observe and take notes, trying to put things down in ways that are as powerful, as simple, and as direct as I feel them.

Well, we’re barely a nation at all anymore, but I’m glad we’re still in space. We have to be going some place other than down the toilet.