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| Butler's Kindred, published 1979. |
This week, I read Butler's novel Kindred, which I think is a masterpiece. The central character and narrator of the novel is a Black woman living in LA in 1976. She uncontrollably travels back in time to a Maryland plantation where her ancestors, both white and black, lived in the early 19th century.
Butler's character, being a Black, is of course treated as a slave by the plantation owners. The slaves, the few free Blacks, and the white masters who live there are obviously puzzled by this anomalous person, who wears trousers, speaks like a white person, knows how to read, understands more about disease than the local doctor, and has highly non-conforming ideas about slavery.
The novel has a suspense-filled plot. What's more important is that the modern consciousness of the narrator enables her to see exactly what was demeaning, inhuman, horrendous, and appalling about the pre-Civil War South. She experiences living as a slave simultaneously from the perspective of a well-educated 20th century person AND from the point of view of one of the 19th century victims. She is brutally beaten, physically and psychologically threatened, and made to suffer with her fellow slaves -- her 20th century consciousness can't protect her from violence. She lives through the horror of seeing people she has learned to know and love tortured, to witness loved-ones sold away from their homes and families, and to share the death and despair of the most abused of her friends. The clarity of this narrative is almost unbearable.
Through the double perspective of the time-traveler, the novel also shows how the institution of slavery corrupted and destroyed the souls of white folks, turning them into monsters. The historic details of the life of both slaves and masters is fascinating, and I believe is very well-researched and accurate. I think it's one of the best books about slavery in the American South that I have ever read.
Review © 2020 by mae sander for mae food dot blog spot dot com.
If you read this elsewhere it's been pirated.
What a poignant review, Mae. It shows how racist the south especially was during that time and how educated blacks were held back. I saw a well written letter by a black woman the other day who wanted the statues of Confederate Soldiers removed. She pointed out that the men in her life were white. They raped her mother, her mother's mother, etc. They left these pregnant women to work in the fields, while they returned to their fancy homes and wives. It also reminded me of this story you just explained to us. Thanks for this really wonderful review.
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful review. I was intrigued by the time travel factor immediately and what a story. Probably hard to read but I think I'd like to get this book.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds good!
ReplyDeleteFor you to call it a masterpiece is high praise indeed and that alone makes it well worth checking out. I wasn't familiar with this -- thank you.
ReplyDeleteI have very recently read "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" and "Sourdough", both by Robin Sloan, based on your recommendation. I enjoyed them. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHello Mae. You posed an interesting question about Crossbills. Yes, the Crossbill is the same one you see in North America.
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Thank you for the book review. I need to check this book out further.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing indeed. That doesn't mean that we can rewrite history. In the nineteenth century beliefs and attitudes were very different from the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteI've just read one book by Octavia Butler and that was Dawn. I thought it was amazing but never did get around to the sequel. Kindred sounds equally amazing so I must see if the library has a copy when it reopens.
ReplyDeleteTrue: You cannot rewrite history in the sense of changing what happened by wishful thinking or perverse removal of data.
ReplyDeleteBut the interesting thing is that fiction writers CAN rewrite history as a thought experiment. This fiction book, "Kindred" didn't rewrite history, though, just tried to explore it through imagined time travel -- including exploring 19th century beliefs and comparing them to those of the 20th century when Butler wrote. The book highlights the differences in a very effective way.
I'm searching for a book gift for my bestie for her b-day. This sounds like a good choice for her (and one I would love to read myself). Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds very dramatic. And horrifying too.
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