The Book Club at Calhoun met recently for the first time this semester, with the text of the month being Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.
Released in 1993, the novel centers around a young woman in post-apocalyptic California whose experiences lead her to become the founder of a religion known as “Earthseed.” The protagonist, Lauren Oya Olamina, possesses a power known as “hyper-empathy,” which causes her to feel the physical sensations and internal emotions of those around her.
Butler presents Parable of the Sower as Lauren’s diary from a young age, detailing her life experiences as she witnesses violence, becomes displaced from her home, and “discovers” the founding principles of Earthseed.
The club met in the on-campus library to discuss Parable in person on Monday.
Most of the group found it an emotionally and ideologically challenging read. Several people said that they had to stop reading it before bed.
A recurring theme in the discussion of the book was empathy—specifically pain caused by empathizing too closely with others. While “hyper-empathy” may not be something that many people in real life have, several members of the group identified heavily with the experience of empathizing with others to the point of experiencing emotional distress themselves.
In the discussion that followed, a few members of the club asked how much is “too much” when it comes to empathy and shared their thoughts on its role in our day-to-day lives as humans.
Another common experience among the readers was religious discomfort—while not hostile toward Christianity, the book does ask challenging q uestions concerning its impact on the world. The Christian members of the club talked about reconciling their beliefs with the portrayal of their religion in the book.
While it was an uncomfortable read for many of the group, Parable of the Sower was still well-received by them.
With contemplative, moody books like Parable, distilling discomfort in the reader can even be one of the main goals.
Challenging expectations helped to make the book memorable in the minds of the Book Club, and it sparked an honest conversation about sensitive topics among the members.
The Book Club will meet again on Monday, October 10th from 2:00-3:00 PM to discuss Grady Hendrix’s The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. Anyone interested in participating should go to the “Mind Lab/Sun Room,” located in the on-campus library.
If you have any questions about joining Book Club, please contact Bradley Sides, Faculty Advisor.