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.

I went into this expecting it to blow my socks off as I've seen many people raving about it, but that's not what happened. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, it was engaging, the plot was great, and I flew through it in no time, but it wasn't what I was expecting. The writing was simplistic and easily readable. It didn't require much concentration or dedication to get through and I wasn't expecting that. I don't know if I am disappointed because my expectations were too high, or because the author approached the important topics of race relations and slavery using such simplistic language and writing style. I went into it with something more complex in mind, a deeper hard to read story and message, but I feel it was overly simplified and somewhat dumbed down in order to entertain or make it a lighter read. I highly doubt it was used as a plot device for entertainment purposes, but at times it felt that way. Perhaps it's a victim of its time, had it been written more recently this wouldn't have been the case as today's readers are more open to the truth of the brutality and realism of slavery. The above makes it sound like I didn't enjoy it, I did and I'm keen to read more by Octavia Butler, but I'm left with questions. The time travel just happens, there's no explanation given for Dana being pulled back in time. How was Rufus able to pull Dana back to his time? What effect did her interactions with her past relatives have on her present timeline, family, and bloodline?

This was a quick, entertaining and passionate read. It's main characters are really well drawn, and as the book goes on the situation around race, slaves and all that comes with it builds and becomes gripping. This book on my kindle is subtitled "the ground breaking masterpiece" and maybe it was ground breaking but it's not a masterpiece and that in my opinion is because the minor characters in this book don't take on enough personality until the final third and I didn't necessarily buy into some of the Sub plots. One of the major criticisms of this book on Goodreads has been the books inadequacies of the science fiction angles. I need to be clear here, this is not a science fiction book but a book about slavery using time travel as a literary device. Was that device successful? For me, just about but I occasionally worried it was all just a gimmick. Overall though this is a good read and I enjoyed it. Masterpiece? Not for me.

There are some absolutely golden reviews for this book. I found the way the book was written was simple and easy to read. This created a distinct impression that this book was aimed at an audience which were still at school. The fact that the book covered the subject of slavery, a subject which should be explored by young students, added to the impression that this was a school text book. The book breaks no new ground in terms of the way it handles time travel. I had worked out the connection between the first and last chapters very early in the book. Kindred covers the subject of slavery as it should, with pain, hate and distaste. I think the problem I have is that this topic, due to my personal chronology, has been well covered by the likes of Roots by Alex Haley. If I had read Kindred in the late 70s, when it was written then perhaps the reverse would be true. I enjoyed the book, don't misunderstand me, but Kindred did not generate the enthusiasm that I was expecting.

Kindred shows slavery in the antebellum South of the USA through the eyes of a young Black woman, Dana, born in 1950, and 26 years old when the action begins. Dana is married to a white man, Kevin Franklin and lives in Los Angeles when the story begins. How does Dana experience slavery? On her 26th birthday she suddenly becomes dizzy and falls down to find herself in Maryland, 1819, although she doesn't learn the location and year until later. Shortly thereafter she is transported back to her home in LA. Over the course of the next few weeks in LA, she, and also Kevin on one occasion, are repeatedly transported in this unpredictable way to a Maryland plantation, where they spend months or years. There, as a Black person (that's not the word they use) with no papers showing her to be free, Dana is treated as a slave. I did not enjoy this book. I won't say it is impossible, but I certainly have a hard time imagining how anyone could experience enjoyment while reading it. In case you were in any doubt about the matter, let me assure you that slavery is not happy fun times. Dana and other characters repeatedly experience dehumanizing brutality and degradation. What most struck me is that no one escapes Dana's compassion. There are good people and bad people: the slaves who help each other even at great cost, the white masters, slaves who snitch on their fellows or who cooperate in the degradation of their fellow slaves... None of them are simple, and none of them is beyond reach of Dana's empathy. This doesn't necessarily mean that she excuses their behavior, but that she tries to understand. It is not a gentle view of slavery, and it is not a simple one.