Kindred

For much of the time I spent reading Kindred, I completely forgot that this novel was written in the 1970s - some 45 years ago now. Octavia Butler's ideas and prose style still feel fresh and I was glad that this important novel hasn't suffered from being 'of its time'. Other 1970s novels I've read have seemed dated but, in fact, Kindred came across as just as relevant now as it must have been to its first readers. On a personal level that was a good thing because it meant I could fully appreciate the story and everything it wanted to impart to me. I was also very aware though that this also illustrates how little progress has been achieved in terms of racial and gender equality over the past four decades. Slavery such as Dana experiences on the plantation may no longer be legal, but the attitudes it fostered are still very much with us as can be seen by the necessity for movements such as BLM.

Dana and Rufus are complicated, nuanced characters who find themselves tethered to each other by an inexplicable bond. I was surprised at how easily I could accept and believe in the time travel premise and think that this was achieved due to the authenticity of the main characters. I often felt that Dana could do more to help the slaves with whom she lived, but she isn't a 'superhero' movie character, rather a confused and frightened woman who struggles to adapt to the cold callousness of the Weylin family. To realise that she shares ancestry from both Rufus and Alice must have been so difficult to come to terms with, yet I loved seeing how Butler gives Dana hints of each of those characters within her own makeup.

Other than its scenes of extreme violence, Kindred was an easier read than I had expected. I think I was influenced by its reputation to expect a philosophical literary novel, but it is actually a compelling story that keeps up an exciting pace throughout. Butler was an accomplished storyteller who manages to impart what she wants to say without breaking the stride of her tale so, while I was left with plenty to think about after finishing Kindred, I never felt hectored or lectured whilst reading. A deserved classic.

Great read; great author. Never read any of Butlers books before. Heard good stuff so I read this one. Wow.

It made me think of things like mass hypnosis of a population, like the Nazi era, the Salem witch trials, reports of dancing for days, and here in the USA before the civil war: slavery.
How could so many people have ethics and morality so blinded from themselves on something as ruthless as slavery. The attitudes of people just didn't see blacks as human; they were sub human. How can they be so blind? What causes this? All I can think of is mass hypnosis, like what happened to the people of Germany during WWII.

The attitude of the people which demanded submissiveness and ultimate respect is unbelievable. I mean it did happen so I believe it. Did they think they were kings? Or gods? I just don't get it. Was America SO HARD to eek out a profit they had to blind themselves to the wrongness of slavery? Or did just plain greed blind (or remove their humanity?)

It is a very thought provoking book and am now a fan of Octavia Butler. Thank you author for your effort in writing and publishing this book.

‘I never realized how easily people could be trained to accept slavery.’

Kindred drew me in and refused to let me go, much like Dana is snatched from the comforts of her modern ‘home’ and taken back to the 1800s, serving as witness and savior to a white plantation owner who turns out to be quite important for her ancestry. I’ve read some of Butler’s Patternmaster series before this, but this book has a different style and a different vibe to it. The themes and philosophy are much stronger, the characters and plot mainly vehicles for the former. The characterization is decent though, and even though the plot remains slightly stagnant—we see the ending in the beginning, and then work from the beginning towards the dreaded conclusion—it was nevertheless quite enthralling. Read for a book club in December 2022—and to think I was almost afraid I wouldn’t finish it in time! I read nearly half the book in just one sitting.Our protagonist, Dana, is a modern black woman who aspires to be a writer while working at a temp agency. She is just about ready to start a new chapter in her life—moving together with her husband, Kevin, into a brand new home. Yet, on her 26th birthday, something unreal happens—she is transported suddenly to save the life of a certain white boy, and eventually realizes that not only is she transplanted in space, but also in time. Dana’s tenacity and strong sense of what is just were admirable qualities and I respected her, and admired her attempts to deal with the repressive nature of the time she was forced into. Her husband, Kevin, initially seems like a character of convenience to add context into Dana’s situation, but I was pleasantly surprised at how Butler weaves his actions and values into the narrative as well.The plot is not the focus of the story here, and yet the book manages to be a page-turner even so. That is partly due to the wildly unpredictable nature of how and when Dana is sent back in time, but even more to what she can’t control—the actions that happen when she is living out her days on the plantation. For Dana, the gaps in her modern life are small, but in the meanwhile she is spending perhaps months at a time living in the 1800s. It would be a challenge for anyone, but especially for a young black woman in the era of slavery. The book deals with a lot of heavy topics and cruel treatment and discrimination is not shied away from on the page. The ending did seem abrupt, but upon reflection, it makes sense—it mirrors the sense of abruptness and lack of closure that our characters find at the end themselves. At times, the plot could feel a bit sluggish, especially when we are given repeat encounters regarding the brutalities of slavery—it is tempting to want to look away, but like Dana, we must persevere through the nightmarish scenes.The themes are by far the best feature of this novel; it is a book of ideas, not just a ‘time travel adventure to preserve one’s genealogy’, but a question of family relationships, what the present owes to the past, how one’s identity is shaped by their ancestors, and whether knowing about one’s history can help one move forward. I enjoyed some commentary I read about Kindred, which discussed the notion of Dana being like a ghost—but contrary to popular convention, she is a ghost of the present haunting the past, rather than the inverse. Her modern sensibilities—and righteous indignation and rejection of the norms and attitudes concerning slavery of the 1800s—are what drive her actions and subtly influence the people she meets. I also appreciated the depth Butler provides to the relationship dynamic between Dana and Kevin. You can tell that they mutually support each other, and that their relationship is a strong one, forged by shared values and common understanding. Dana also has a complex relationship with her ancestors—a line that is founded by deceit and violence, yet one that Dana must nonetheless uphold if she is to secure her own personhood. Butler certainly does not make things easy for her characters, and we know from the start that Dana has a strong price to pay for her goal, even in spite of the suffering it takes to get there.I would recommend this book to all, but especially those who enjoy sci-fi/fantasy books that are really philosophical discussions in disguise, with the main concern being an in-depth examination into a particular idea or situation. In this case, I felt quite called out when the novel hints at the degree to which people can remain comfortably ignorant about contemporary issues, much as the people of the 1800s are to slavery—for instance, we refuse to acknowledge social ills to save face or to ease our own discomfort, like the ever-increasing tragedies of homelessness, human trafficking, etc. This is far from a perfect novel in the traditional realms of character and narration, but given that it is a novel that stays with you—and makes you think about it long after you’ve put it down—it is well worth it.

Dieses Buch schildert auf sehr ungewöhnliche Weise das Leben von Sklaven in den Südstaaten der USA, indem es eine Protagonistin, deren Vorfahren Sklaven waren, mehrfach unfreiwillig aus ihrem Leben in den 1970ern in der Zeit in die Zeit vor dem Bürgerkrieg zurückreisen lässt. Dabei erfährt sie mehr über ihre Familiengeschichte und ist gezwungen, mehr als einmal das Leben des weißen Sohnes eines Plantagenbesitzers zu retten, damit er zu einem ihrer Vorfahren werden kann. Es gelingt ihr sowohl, die schwierigen und komplexen Beziehungen zwischen Sklaven und und ihren Besitzern darzustellen, als auch (für mich) glaubwürdig die Gefühlswelt einer jungen schwarzen Frau aus dem zwanzigsten Jahrhundert zu beschreiben, die in diese Zeit gezwungen wird. Besonders schwierig wird es, als ihr weißer Lebensgefährte versehentlich auf eine dieser Zeitreisen mitgezogen wird - und dort natürlich für ihren Herrn und Besitzer gehalten wird. Der Aufenthalt in dieser Zeit geht an ihm ebenfalls nicht spurlos vorbei.

Eine interessante Herangehensweise an ein schwieriges Thema, das mich von dieser Autorin, von der ich schon länger etwas lesen wollte, sofort überzeugen konnte. Dem Buch werden sicher weitere folgen - zum Glück hat sie ein umfangreiches Werk hinterlassen.

They don't have to understand. Even the games they play are preparing them for their future - and that future will come whether they understand it or not.

I am fairly new to Octavia Butler's writing (this and Parable of the Sower is all I have to go on) but I understand all of the accolades and praise she receives. Her stories may be written decades ago but they don't feel dated or out of style, if anything they are as important now as they were when they were written.

I came across Kindred while reading recommendations that fit my style and once I saw "time travel" and "Octavia Butler" I needed no further encouragement and this book shot to the top of what to read next.

I thought I would die on the ground there with a mouth full of dirt and blood and a white man cursing and lecturing as he beat me.

Going in to the story cold I had no expectations for the story and Kindred delivered on all fronts. Butler has a beautiful way of writing but can also be blunt and horribly brutal. Kindred does not hold back on difficult topics like slavery, abuse and rape. It can be challenging reading material but the story is so well written that I didn't hesitate returning to the book.

That's history. It happened whether it offends you or not. Quite a bit of it offends me, but there's nothing I can do about it.

As Canada is going through its own reckoning with residential schools and the First Nations it's very apparent that history is ugly, messy and not be what was taught growing up. History can be offensive and the best way forward is to learn from it and attempt repetition.

Kindred is a time travel book but doesn't play within the rules. Paradoxes are ignored and warnings for tampering in the past aren't mentioned. And none of that matters. The story is so engrossing that I wasn't thinking about a butterfly effect or negative impacts to a family tree. This is an outstanding story and am glad for the trip to the 1800's and learn a little more about the messy history that has impacted us all.