In this long-awaited novel, Butler revisits familiar themes of a society in 2032 whose very fabric has been torn, and where the basic physical and emotional needs of people seem almost impossible to meet. 30,000 first print.
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In this long-awaited novel, Butler revisits familiar themes of a society in 2032 whose very fabric has been torn, and where the basic physical and emotional needs of people seem almost impossible to meet. 30,000 first print.
Read Less
Add this copy of Parable of the Talents: a Novel to cart. $17.99, very good condition, Sold by Solr Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Skokie, IL, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Seven Stories Press.
Add this copy of Parable of the Talents: a Novel to cart. $45.96, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Seven Stories Press.
Add this copy of Parable of the Talents: a Novel to cart. $67.29, new condition, Sold by Just one more Chapter, ships from Miramar, FL, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Seven Stories Press.
Add this copy of Parable of the Talents: a Novel to cart. $80.00, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Seven Stories Press.
Add this copy of Parable of the Talents to cart. $150.00, like new condition, Sold by King Crab Books LLC rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Saint Paul, MN, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Seven Stories Press.
Add this copy of Parable of the Talents: a Novel to cart. $550.00, very good condition, Sold by The Bookman & The Lady rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Fe, NM, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Seven Stories Press.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. Size: 9x5x1; Signed and inscribed by Octavia Butler on title page. First edition, first printing with full number line on copyright page. Hardcover in jacket, price intact on jacket flap. Some sunning to jacket spine, small bookstore sticker affixed to half-title page. Text is clean and unmarked. Couple bumps to board edges. Binding strong. Light edge wear to boards and jacket. Jacket now in fresh Mylar. Very good condition. Additional photos available upon request. All of our books are carefully wrapped and shipped in a box.
Add this copy of Parable of the Talents to cart. $750.00, very good condition, Sold by King Crab Books LLC rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Saint Paul, MN, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Seven Stories Press.
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Seller's Description:
VG+/VG+ 368 p. 1st edition hardcover from Seven Stories, 1998. SIGNED AND INSCRIBED "TO-BEST WISHES" by OCTAVIA E BUTLER! VERY GOOD PLUS IN VERY GOOD PLUS DJ. Book has a reading crease to spine and is bumped at head of spine. Jacket has some rubbing and edge wear. Overall, still pretty nice!
Add this copy of Parable of the Talents to cart. $950.00, like new condition, Sold by King Crab Books LLC rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Saint Paul, MN, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Seven Stories Press.
I enjoyed the first book, Parable of the Sower, so I had to read this. Butler's post-apocalyptic America seems to particularly resonate now, as we descend into the depths of a pandemic. I was especially struck by the near clairvoyant depiction of the fundamentalist US president who, "wanted to make America great again."
I enjoyed the continuing journey of Butler's main character Lauren Oya Olamina. I don't want to give up the many plot twists to future readers. But I will say the novel contains a well-crafted narrative shaped by the journals of the main character, her daughter, and in a few instances her brother. It works very well as the reader tries to figure out how these different threads join together in a final truth. I found the final denouement subtle, and devoid of a trite ending, and the author provides an emotionally well-founded bittersweet explanation for the final outcome.
That said, I can only wonder what the series might have been. I understand that Octavia Butler was working on a continuation (perhaps several volumes), but she hit writer's block before she passed away, and only left the two books in this series. Aside from the solid emotional narrative of the paths of the three main characters, the success of Earthseed, after some grave trials, seemed just too good to be true, and kind of rushed at the end. Almost like the author was trying to wrap the book up and move on. That could have contributed to Butler's inability to continue the narrative. At least it left this reader with the feeling that while her work was done on Earth, but there could well have been more to unwind in space.
