Adina (way behind on reviews, no notifications) 's review of Kindred (original) (raw)

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Adina (way behind on reviews, no notifications) 's Reviews > Kindred

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Kindred
by

22189348

Later Edit: I've thought about this review a lot and I think I regret the tone I used. I stand by what I wrote about the novel but I might have been too aggressive which is not really me. However, people found their thoughts in my review so it is going to stay. Please do not take this review as personal attack if you liked this novel as it is not meant to be.

DNF at 50% (with some skipping)

What came first, the egg or the chicken? What came first, the badly written book or the reading slump? Hard questions to answer but one thing is certain. It definitely did not help forcing me to reach 50% of this book. I only did it because of my rating rule and because I wanted to bitch about it. So here it is again the time for an unpopular opinion.

I though this book to be TERRIBLE. I don’t even know with what to start. I understand it is written by a woman of color in a time when it was an extraordinary accomplishment. I get and admire that. I also get that she had an agenda to prove how easily one can accept slavery, even in our modern world. However, the above is not a relevant excuse for bad writing, cartoonish characters, poorly conceived plot and ridiculous dialogue. Also, the use of time travel had nothing to do with SF, there was no explanation of the phenomenon, and it felt only as a lazy gimmick to prove her point. Yes, others used it as well but better, in my opinion.

Let’s start with the plot. We are in 1976 America, a young black woman is married with a white man and she suddenly starts to repeatedly go back in time in the antebellum South so she can save a child (and later young man) who proves to be her ancestor. It quickly becomes obvious that she has to save him every time he is in trouble, otherwise she would not exist in the present time. So far so good, the premise sounds interesting.

Too bad the execution was poor. Firstly, the two pair accepted way to easy the time travelling part. The same happened with the people in the past. You tell me that a person in the 19th century would not freak out and try to murder any source of such an abomination? The dialogues between the husband and wife after the first two times she comes back are laughable. At first he doesn’t believe her although she disappeared and then he doesn’t understand why she is scared. Really? I would lose control of myself it that happened, screaming my ass into a mental hospital.

Later, when they both land in the past, I could not believe how easily they get used to the roles they had to play there, her as a slave and him as the white master. I totally understand that she had to lay low in order to survive but that doesn’t mean she had to be acceptant in her mind or find excuses for that little piece of shit, Rufus. And to convinced Alice that is ok to be raped so you can survive…. Nope.

I disliked all the characters, especially Dana and her detachment; the author did not make me feel anything except annoyance. I know I am in minority here but it can’t be helped, I can’t find many positive thoughts about this novel.

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Reading Progress

December 18, 2014 – Shelved

December 18, 2014 – Shelved as:to-read

October 24, 2017 –Started Reading

October 25, 2017 –25.0% "Not feeling it."

November 6, 2017 –Finished Reading

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