A review by megannewsome
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Kindred is a very direct story that does not hide much behind intricate literary devices, but that doesn't mean the themes aren't complex or thought provoking. At times it's incredibly tough to read, how can it not be, with such graphic and gruesome cruelty that its timeline must cover. What's really impressive is the full range of characters portrayed, whether enslaved workers from complacent to rebellious, or powerful whites from sadistic to manipulative to "good ones." Even the "good one" is not one-note, sometimes missing the mark on the seriousness of his wife's reality due to her race, and other times wallowing in his own misery regarding the harshness of life in the wrong century without tending to his wife and her pain. A particularly key aspect that is often lost in antebellum education is the value of literacy. Butler brings up multiple times that the ability to read and write isn't just a goal to pass the time, but offers the chance for freedom. And yet, Butler also addresses how "education" doesn't have to come from a book, that lived experiences and clever organization can bring liberation. Our poor protagonist doesn't get many opportunities to play her own hero, though. Readers should approach this book fully aware that the topic is heavy, yet the dialogue and narrative are easy to follow, quick to read, and well worth the late night reading session.
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