Kindred

De: Octavia E. Butler

Narrado por: Kim Staunton

Duración: 10 h y 55 m

Resumen del Editor

The first science-fiction written by a Black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of African-American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity.

Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning White boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life.

During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she's been given: to protect this young slaveholder until he can father her own great-grandmother.

Author Octavia E. Butler skilfully juxtaposes the serious issues of slavery, human rights, and racial prejudice with an exciting science-fiction, romance, and historical adventure. Kim Staunton's narrative talent magically transforms the listener's earphones into an audio time machine.

©2000 Octavia Butler (P)2000 Recorded Books, LLC

Reseñas de la Crítica

"[Kindred] is a shattering work of art with much to say about love, hate, slavery and racial dilemmas, then and now." (Los Angeles Herald Examiner)

"Truly terrifying." (Essence)

"Butler's literary craftsmanship is superb." (The Washington Post Book World)

The Past of Slavery Still Moves and Wounds Us

Octavia Butler's Kindred is a terrible, fascinating, and moving novel, so vivid in its examination of the Southern slave system and its negative effects on slaves (especially) and masters (subtly). Butler puts her protagonist Dana Franklin, a contemporary African American woman, into incredibly difficult physical, moral, and existential situations via time travel to the antebellum Maryland plantation of her ancestors. Although there is no scientific explanation for the time travel, Butler's depiction of life on a slave plantation is convincingly detailed and realistic.

Kim Staunton does a marvelous job reading Kindred. Her natural voice is just right for Dana's warm, thoughtful, and honest first-person narration. Staunton effortlessly reads the voices of various characters, from an educated Southern Californian black woman of the 1970s to a Maryland slave or slave-owner of the early 19th century. There are moments of intense suspense and horrific violence, as well as moments of melting kindness and (nearly) redemptive understanding.

That I, a white man, had no trouble empathizing and identifying with Butler's black, female protagonist narrator Dana, but that I also uncomfortably found myself thinking that I would probably be at least as bad a master as Rufus Weylin, agreeing with Dana's white husband that life for the slaves on the Weylin plantation was not as bad as it could be (which meant that I was to some degree taking too lightly their pain living it), and longing for an impossibly happy ending, all testify to Butler's skill as a writer.

This book should be read by anyone who thinks that slavery really wasn't so bad after all or that the past is past. It should be read by anyone who wants to experience a powerful and absorbing story read by an excellent actress-reader.

A lovely book about a horrific period of history

This book was a wonderful surprise and I listened to the entire thing in one day. I couldn't stop listening. Here is the thing about me, as a reader: I dislike science fiction. So, I was a bit worried when it was chosen as a BOTM by one of my groups. But, this book was wonderful.

Dana, a modern (1976) African-American woman, finds herself travelling through time to visit a young boy named Rufus. It is 1819, and Rufus is a white son of a slave-owner in the deep South. Dana believes that she can influence Rufus to be a better man than his father. Each time Rufus is in physical danger Dana finds herself back in time, where Rufus has continued to age. Each time she herself is in physical danger she returns home. Dana is married to a white man who also finds himself with her on one occasion.

The book is wonderful for its commentary on the human condition, and particularly on that of slaves. It is a historical fiction book that has a subtle story of science fiction, which works well for me. If you are looking for more science in your SciFi you may not like this one.

I saw that some reviewers complained about the implausibility of Dana's ease in adjusting to her role in 1819. The complaints have merit, but the issue didn't keep me from enjoying the book in any way. For me the book was about relationships between people. It was about how racism is learned and how people can be saved from hatred by love.

everyone should read kindred

such an important, powerful, harrowing book. still as timely now as ever. should be required reading for every American

GREAT BOOK!

I could hardly put it down. This story is so believable in so many ways, it truly makes one think about the way we see the past. Loved it!

Great premise well executed.

very good read. the premise was fascinating. feel like it gave me new incites into slavery.

Outlandish

One of the great unexpected decisions Octavia Butler made in structuring Kindred is to explain the science fiction-y elements of the story very early on rather than saving them for late reveals. That enables her to focus more closely on the subject matter at hand -- American slavery in the first half of the 19th century -- rather than speculative gimmicks.

So it's no spoiler to say that Dana, an African American writer in 1976 married to a white man, gets unstuck in time (without any technical explanation) in order to go back and save Rufus, a white boy who she quickly figures out is an ancestor of hers. Though he is a reprehensible product of his life as the son of a plantation slaver (and later the slaver himself), she has to make sure he lives to produce the child that will keep the family line intact.

But that's just your framing device. The most of it is how a modern day black woman reacts to suddenly living for various stretches of time in a slave state -- she is not always a slave herself, and she gets respite in periodically returning to her own time and sometimes her husband is there with her, but Butler devotes almost all of Kindred to depicting the lives of slaves and their enslavers in 1815 Maryland.

It is a life that, even though not depicted too graphically by Butler, was just outlandish in every way, even evoking some sadness that someone like Rufus could be so horribly corrupted by that culture. Amid the unspeakable tragedies that were slavery as it was, there is the unmistakable parallel Butler makes between Rufus's corruptibility then and the legacy we are left with today that is rearing its ugly head again.

Outlandish, yes it was, yes it is still -- not Outlandish as in resembling the similarly timebending historical series Outlander, because Kindred came first. The forthcoming movie Antebellum appears to be based on the same idea as Kindred, but the few images that can be seen in the trailer show a much different set of details.

Fantastic story!!

As a fiction/paranormal fan, I'm glad to read a book of this genre about the lives of African Americans!! Great work!!

Excellent

What an amazing book. Makes you think about how much AND also how little times have changed. I kept thinking how although we are in better times, atrocities still occur in many parts of our world. People haven't changed, only consequences, education and order have improved. Scary.

I Chose this book because of Parable of the Sower

…a book that still haunts me. This was a worthy story, especially due to the vivid portrayal of slavery in all its ugliness. The narrator seemed to be reading to children which was a detraction for me. Parable of the Sower seems richer and more mature. Butler hit her stride with that one.

The book is very interesting and shocking.

Very detail to a harsh history. The story is very interesting. Although the ending wasn't the best I can see why It had to end that way. Totally recommend the book.