Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation

I hated reading this. Four stars

This is my first Octavia E. Butler read and I was completely captivated. It's about Dana, a black woman from the 1970's that gets threw back in time whenever her white ancestor is scared or near death. The only time she can get back to her present is if she is also scared or near death. This book is less about why she is going back in time but more of her survival on a southern plantation being educated, black, and a woman. I finished this in a couple of days. Dana is strong and likable character and her journey of survival through the plantation and slavery times I think was really frightening. I was always worried for her and her husband. Some bits I think she was getting some Stockholm syndrome or maybe acceptance of the new status quo [ which she bravely overcame! I was so scared that she would find her situation hopeless. (hide spoiler)] This was a really good and emotional read. I think this would be an interesting book to talk about in a book club or class.

The graphic novel I felt was really good. I'm not a big fan of the illustrations but they weren't bad or distracting. The layout of the panels are masterful and the colors are outstanding and together they really set the mood for the entire piece. I highly recommend this graphic novel version of the book! If I have some extra time I'm interested in reading the book too. ~Ashley

Only reason I didn't do 5 stars is because it's an adaptation, which made me a little anxious that I was missing things/not getting the whole story... even though that's not really rational!

Poignant, yes, but there also quite a few scenes and panels where I'm not sure what happened or why the scene jumped. I think that's more a critique on trying to put the novel into graphic format than on the story itself. Will revisit when I've read the novel.

This already a powerful book and this version does not mute/dilute any of Octavia Butler's strength, vision, or storytelling. Just another way to experience this phenomenal work.

Ooooh weee. This was a wild and rough ride. Although I read the original Kindred, I can't remember the details as vividly anymore. With that said, reading this graphic novel was as if I had read Kindred for the first time again.

Definitely recommend.

Unsurprisingly this is an adaptation of [a:Octavia E. Butler 29535 Octavia E. Butler https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1242244143p2/29535.jpg]'s [b:Kindred 60931 Kindred Octavia E. Butler https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1339423248l/60931.SY75.jpg 1049657] from 1978, in which author Dana is pulled back in time to protect a young white boy in the US South in the 1800s. As a black woman, this is a dangerous place and time to be and to stand out. Each time she gets pulled back to save him from a different threat she ends up stuck in the past for longer and longer periods of time. On one occassion her (white) husband gets pulled back with her and they have to hide the true nature of their relationship to survive.Dana struggles when faced with the slavery, racism, misogyny and violence in the past that she had only read about until then. She eventually becomes another victim to it and is pushed further into desperation as she tries to find a way home and never to be pulled back again.What only lasts a few weeks in the 1970s is years spent in the past and both Dana and husband are changed forever by their experiences.There are a lot of heavy themes in Kindred and this new graphic novel adaptation is an excellent way to introduce the story to a greater wealth of readers. Butler used sci-fi concepts to explore key themes that are intrinsic to our lives in the real world. As saddening as it is to realise, Kindred remains as relevant now as it was 40+ years ago.CW: racist slurs, sexism, sexual assualt, rape, slavery, child death, murder

This was my first time reading an Octavia Butler story, I'm stunned by how wonderfully engrossing it was. I am an instant fan and will seek out other works by her. The graphic novel format of this book worked very well for me because of the brilliant artwork and the fast pace it sets. Highly highly recommend.

Wow. I have full intentions of reading the original story but... damn. Even in a graphic novel format it leaves you a lot to sit with.

I had heard a lot about Octavia Butler and I knew how much of a pioneer she is in the field of fantasy/sci-fi for black authors. But I'm also not much into reading classics and never thought I would be diving into her work. But, we chose Kindred as the March BOTM for our Stars and Sorcery book club and I decided to pick up the graphic novel adaptation. I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to feel after reading this but I know I'm better off for having had this experience and the insight into this wonderful author's work.

This book really is a painful look at slavery and it's lasting effects. Dana is a young, independent, modern woman but we see how easily she starts getting used to the oppression and horrific conditions in Antebellum south because her mind is on survival. Her whole family's existence depends on her keeping Rufus alive, but that also means she has to tolerate his aggression, sexual violence and inhumane treatment of the slaves - all of which go against her own beliefs. This fight between her survival and her conscience is depicted in a very thoughtful manner but the abuses she or anyone else endures is never whitewashed. The author also shows us that just because the practice of slavery was abolished, it didn't really end. It's affects have lasted for generations (even till date) which is clearly reflected in the family's reactions to Dana and Kevin's interracial marriage. There is also a great parallel between the menial jobs that Dana has to work in the 70s to keep food on the table to the kind of jobs she is expecting to perform on the plantation.

The art style in this graphic novel is very unlike anything I've ever read before and it took sometime for me to acclimatize to the characters, but I think it suited the story. The illustrator uses a different color scheme to reflect the past vs the present and that definitely worked in the book's favor. But I think the best (and probably the worst too) part of this adaptation was seeing the horrific depiction of slavery on page - the whippings, beatings and rapes - it's very painful to read and I had to take breaks in between, but it also makes this book and the story feel much more real.

I think this is an important book to read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone, but just be aware of the graphic content. I also think this graphic novel is probably a good first foray into Octavia Butler's work - this will definitely pique your interest and maybe help in your deep dive into the author's other prolific works. I for sure am interested in trying to read the original Kindred sometime, hopefully soon.

I've always meant to read the book, but started with graphic novel. I liked the color story and vividness of the art but didn't really like the style. The story is a real gutpunch, which I was expecting, but combined with the images was truly visceral. Opinion may change once I've read the original, but this seems a well done rendering.

Short Review: 3 stars is probably a bit harsh. This really isn't a bad graphic novel adaptation. But the source material is one of the best novels I have read. It is nuanced and tragic and enlightening. Some of that nuance gets lost in the cuts that are necessary to move this from a 300 page novel to a 230 page graphic novel. There are some things that a graphic novel can show instead of tell. But traditional print novels are better at telling and some of the best parts of the novel Kindred are about the telling. Slavery was a horrible reality. It was horrible for slaves and Kindred does not at all minimize that horror.

But the novel also touches on how the very nature of a culture that enslaves people degrades all people involved, the owners as well as the slaves. And even those that are not either slaves owners or slaves. The most long lasting impact of slavery in the US has been the culture of white supremacy. Just yesterday there was another local politician recorded talking about how African Americans were genetically predisposed to drugs and crime. It is the reality of a culture of white supremacy that I think gets lost in the graphic novel adaptation.

My only slightly longer review of the graphic novel adaptation is http://bookwi.se/kindred/

My now several year old review of the novel http://bookwi.se/kindred-octavia-butler/