Yeah, I mean it. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler should be a classic. Below are some of thoughts on the book so fair warning that some *spoilers* lie ahead.
When I first read this book, I was convinced that it had just been published, as recently as last year. However, when I flipped onto the publishing date page, it was first published in 1979. That’s over 40 years ago! I’ve read so many books out there that are published from long ago that I have such a hard time relating to. I don’t blame it all on the book. Sometimes the publishing industry just changes. Needs of readers nowadays are so different than readers almost have a century ago. I have a sneaking theory that the young adult genre is responsible for a lot of changes. A key factor of young adult fiction is to throw the reader into the plot, have all the obstacles ready on page 1 and make the whole reading experience as immersive and enjoyable as possible. (Which I definitely agree with).
I think that’s why Kindred felt like such a new release to me. It’s because the book you engaged from page 1:
“I lost my arm on my last trip home. My left arm.
And I lost a year of my life and much of the comfort and security I had not valued until it was gone. When the police released Kevin, he came to the hospital and stayed with me so that I would know I hadn’t lost him too. ” (Butler, 9)
I was hooked from then on. There’s just something aboutKindred that has a narrative voice reminiscent of a person from today. Partially it’s the writing, but I also think it’s the plot and subject matter it tackles. This book has staying power, not only because it seems to have a voice that transcends time, but also because the racial issues in 1979 and the 1800’s unfortunately still ring true today. The juxtaposition between those two time periods is a powerful lens to understand that while racial tensions from a hundred or so years ago look different, we must look at the past and present side by side to understand how we can be greater than our environment if we want to see significant change.
All of that to say, I’m also very excited to watch the TV series of Kindred. I wasn’t surprised at all when I saw that they had made it into a show. The lessons from Kindred are still powerful, all while being a fantastic read.