I love Kindred! It’s insane! It’s the book that introduced me to Octavia Butler and The mix of historical fiction and sci-fi is amazing. It has so much to say about being black in America, the wounds of slavery, but also about how we often diminish and rationalize the suffering of our ancestors, how our success is (quite literally) built on their bones, and that confronting our past, and trying to separate ourselves from the actions of our ancestors is a painful process. I also just love the complex relationship between Rufus and the MC, he’s such a tragic character. It makes me wonder if he even knew what love was. I could talk about this book for days and I’m glad you read it.
We read it in school in 9th grade and it was actually one of the books that I actually loved. I was surprised by the fact that the school even let it pass because it can get super dark in some areas, but overall I agree with what you said.
@@UdyKumra *hides in the trenches and calls for the cavalry because his WoK review was mentioned* Ooohhh, it’s you 😂 Things are going great, I hope you’re fine as well?
I pulled Kindred randomly off my mom’s shelf in high school. I’m 30 now and I still remember certain scenes vividly. It was a book that definitely stuck with me.
Octavia Butler is my favorite Sci-Fi author. Everything I've read by her has been extraordinary. I read Kindred in one day, because it was so good. Xenogensis is one of the smartest series I've ever encountered. Even Bloodchild and all of her other short stories are extremely immersive. I bought the first Patternist book yesterday, and will probably start it either after I finish Dust of Dreams (currently 70% done) or The Crippled God. I'm saving her Earthseed books for last because everyone says they're her best work.
I’m so glad you mentioned Xenogenesis. More people should talk about that series. I read it back when they first came out, and I was not used to SF being so ... bleak, and ... real. It really had an impact on me.
When Merphy says she didn’t LOVE a du Maurer: •o• Edit: Can you imagine her saying the words “I didn’t LOVE this Fredrick Backman book”. I can imagine the apocalypse but not that.
I read Kindred because of you and because of this video! And I'm so glad I did. Thank you for sharing about it, I read it last summer because I actually heard about it on your channel for the first time, so thank you for sharing about it!
Merphy says "I loved it." for Kindered, immediately add it to my TBR. If seen closely only the book lovers are sailing smoothly (in terms of boredom) through such times, and its nice for you to discuss your views with us. Just a word of thanks from one book lover to other.
Your last video mentioning Kindred convinced me to grab the audiobook from my library and I devoured it in two days. It was so good! Heartbreaking but hard to "put down". I will definitely be reading more Butler in the future!
I read Kindred last year and I loved it. I haven't read other books by Octavia Butler's yet, but I will for sure. And for those who loved Kindred, I would also suggest The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, which is a story around the Underground Railroad, but with some magic. It is a really beautiful story of family, hardships and love, with great characters. It was probably my favorite book so far this year.
i always jump to watch one of your du maurier reviews! the scapegoat is one i've been debating picking up so it was really great to hear your thoughts!!
I'm glad you loved Kindred! I picked up out of a bunch of free books a friend gave me. I thought it looked interesting, but I had never heard of it. A week later, you mentioned you were reading it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed Kindered! It’s one of my favorite books of all time. It’s an incredible story that’s expertly told imo. Butler is just a phenomenal author and I would recommend all of her writing!
Blood Child is the only Butler book I've read, but I still loved it. It has a collection of short stories and then a small collection of essays, and both portions of the book are well worth the read.
"The Scapegoat" is one of my favorite novels and I connect with it deeply whenever I re-read it every couple of years. It isn't just that I love the "changing places" trope explored here, but Du Maurier hits this one out of the ballpark in every respect. So I have to challenge Merphy on three points: 1) "The set-up is too outlandish and unrealistic." Sure, the story is crazy and impossible, but this is par for the course for Du Maurier. You have to swallow some madness to enter her story world. Sure, "Rebecca" is fairly realistic up to a point, but the plots of "Frenchman's Creek" and "The House on the Strand" are totally bonkers. And have you ever read "The Birds," let alone "Don't Look Now"? Weird stuff, man. Pure fantasyland, just like "The Scapegoat." Anyway, who's to say that John and Jean aren't really the same person, and that the story isn't anything more than a passing daydream or hallucination on the journey to John's final destiny? 2) "John is too bland and passive." This is intentional. Like the famous comic character Tintin, John has no real personality and no personal history, so the reader can effortlessly slip into his body and experience what he experiences through their own moral compass. Would we act more like John or more like Jean in any given situation? We get to decide. Let me cautiously suggest that it may be easier for a somewhat jaded older man to understand John's perceptions and reactions than a young woman, but I'm just guessing here. I certainly know how it feels to be sucked into a life and a world I never wanted, mainly because it never occurred to me to say "NO!" at the right moment. Before you know it, you're stuck! In any case, John has no real life, and no wonder he is fascinated by this late opportunity to experience one and make a difference to at least somebody in this eternally disappointing world. Once again, Du Maurier - who frequently referred to herself as being bi-gender - demonstrates a perfect grasp of the male psyche. 3) The kicker is how Jean manages John's life when he steals his identity and travels to England. He behaves as one would expect, but it sums up their entire moral journey and hits me between the eyes every time. The conclusion is both inevitable and brilliant.
Omg you post this on my birthday AND it happens to coincide with Daphne du Maurier’s birthday! Today’s gonna be a good day even if you didn’t like this du Maurier book ☺️
One of the most depressing things is when a story looks like it will be fantastic, but then just feels like missed opportunity. Sounds like that's what The Scape Goat is. I recently finished the Scarlett Pimpernel and it had and lot of potential, but....potential only does so much for me. I really wanted to like it because it's one of my dad's favorites but also because there were so many other things in it that could have been great. P.S. have you ever heard of the Scarlett Pimpernel?
I agree with your Kindred review perfectly. There is so much nuance and complexity among all the characters and their relationships to each other, especially as the years roll by, that by the end you’re frozen trying to make sense of what has happened, who is the villain, if there even is a hero in this story. Good and bad, though quite apparent to us, do not really exist here.
I feel the same way about The Scapegoat, though it's only my second du Maurier book. I liked the atmosphere, I liked the mystery, but John's reactions were just so unbelievable. And I didn't like the ending. But I'm definitely still gonna read more of her books!
Regarding what they were saying about the way Dana was talking - i took it to mean her accent, not necessarily the way she talks grammar wise etc? Because she was from California, not the South... maybe implied by the audiobook, because the narrator put on different accents ...
I'm curious if you'd like Parable of the sower, I found it fascinating as a concept and world building, not so much story and charatcterwise. In Kindred everything is brilliant, characters, motivations, resolution as well as themes.
I absolutely love The Scapegoat and have been waiting for you to read it! Your criticisms are totally valid though. John was definitely wishy washy ... and the ending felt pointless. But du Maurier does atmosphere like no other and I loved it in spite of the issues it had.
It will be interesting to see if I enjoy Scapegoat more than you, seen as the others I've read you've enjoyed more than me. I have recently bought it in an audible sale.
I was disappointed in The Scapegoat too, though not entirely for the same reasons. I didn't mind that it wasn't entirely believable, but I agree that John was frustratingly passive. The book also made me uncomfortable. Sometimes in a good way (like the smothering mother character), but mostly in a bad way (too many annoying misunderstandings, icky problematic lines, pretty much everything involving the child).
I remember reading Kindred in hs, and did not love it. I liked what Butler was trying to do- message and character exploration- but I think the way that it was approached was just not effective (for me anyways). Might be due a reread!
Kindred was my first Butler book, as well. None of her other books thus far have given me the same incredible feelings as Kindred, but they've been pretty good... except for Fledgling. Don't read that 😆.
![A Time Travel Novel Like No Other | Kindred by Octavia E. Butler | Book Review [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zQFSJEXkI0M/mqdefault.jpg)
I love Kindred! It’s insane! It’s the book that introduced me to Octavia Butler and The mix of historical fiction and sci-fi is amazing. It has so much to say about being black in America, the wounds of slavery, but also about how we often diminish and rationalize the suffering of our ancestors, how our success is (quite literally) built on their bones, and that confronting our past, and trying to separate ourselves from the actions of our ancestors is a painful process. I also just love the complex relationship between Rufus and the MC, he’s such a tragic character. It makes me wonder if he even knew what love was. I could talk about this book for days and I’m glad you read it.
We read it in school in 9th grade and it was actually one of the books that I actually loved. I was surprised by the fact that the school even let it pass because it can get super dark in some areas, but overall I agree with what you said.
Kindred falling off the shelf when Merphy wanted it to stand up there is such a mood
“Scapegoat and Kindred” would be a great title for a book... *adds it to the list*
Oh hi Klaus! We discussed Way of Kings on Goodreads. What's up?
@@UdyKumra *hides in the trenches and calls for the cavalry because his WoK review was mentioned*
Ooohhh, it’s you 😂 Things are going great, I hope you’re fine as well?
@@thecontradictorian2225 😂😂 your Way of Kings review was good! I’m good!
@@UdyKumra glad to hear that 😊👍🏻
I'm adding so many books to my TBR that soon my house is going to look like Wan Shi Tong's library from Avatar
Ha! That’s me, except I collect books on Kindle. I have to get better and reading before I purchase new ones.
I pulled Kindred randomly off my mom’s shelf in high school. I’m 30 now and I still remember certain scenes vividly. It was a book that definitely stuck with me.
I'm so glad you loved Kindred too! I read it earlier this year for my reading challenge. ♥️
Added Kindred to my reading list. The premise of the main character time-travelling back and forth reminds me of Outlander which I also enjoy.
Next one should be Parable of the sower, tough read & heart breaking. 1 of my fave by her
I love Parable of the Sower. That is one of my all time favorite books. Please read and review, Merphy.
Octavia Butler is my favorite Sci-Fi author. Everything I've read by her has been extraordinary. I read Kindred in one day, because it was so good. Xenogensis is one of the smartest series I've ever encountered. Even Bloodchild and all of her other short stories are extremely immersive. I bought the first Patternist book yesterday, and will probably start it either after I finish Dust of Dreams (currently 70% done) or The Crippled God. I'm saving her Earthseed books for last because everyone says they're her best work.
I’m so glad you mentioned Xenogenesis. More people should talk about that series. I read it back when they first came out, and I was not used to SF being so ... bleak, and ... real. It really had an impact on me.
When Merphy says she didn’t LOVE a du Maurer: •o•
Edit: Can you imagine her saying the words “I didn’t LOVE this Fredrick Backman book”. I can imagine the apocalypse but not that.
S a m e
What’s next, Fredrik Backman???
I read Kindred because of you and because of this video! And I'm so glad I did. Thank you for sharing about it, I read it last summer because I actually heard about it on your channel for the first time, so thank you for sharing about it!
Merphy says "I loved it." for Kindered, immediately add it to my TBR.
If seen closely only the book lovers are sailing smoothly (in terms of boredom) through such times, and its nice for you to discuss your views with us. Just a word of thanks from one book lover to other.
Your last video mentioning Kindred convinced me to grab the audiobook from my library and I devoured it in two days. It was so good! Heartbreaking but hard to "put down". I will definitely be reading more Butler in the future!
Kindred is wonderful. Very thought provoking. It was one of my favorite books I read last year.
I read Kindred last year and I loved it. I haven't read other books by Octavia Butler's yet, but I will for sure. And for those who loved Kindred, I would also suggest The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, which is a story around the Underground Railroad, but with some magic. It is a really beautiful story of family, hardships and love, with great characters. It was probably my favorite book so far this year.
i always jump to watch one of your du maurier reviews! the scapegoat is one i've been debating picking up so it was really great to hear your thoughts!!
By coincidence I just finished Kindred this week and loved it, it drew me in and I just loved Dana's story.
I'm glad you loved Kindred! I picked up out of a bunch of free books a friend gave me. I thought it looked interesting, but I had never heard of it. A week later, you mentioned you were reading it!
Octavia Butler is wonderful. Read Lith’s Brood series!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed Kindered! It’s one of my favorite books of all time. It’s an incredible story that’s expertly told imo. Butler is just a phenomenal author and I would recommend all of her writing!
Blood Child is the only Butler book I've read, but I still loved it. It has a collection of short stories and then a small collection of essays, and both portions of the book are well worth the read.
I'm so happy I put "Kindred" on my library holds - looking forward to finally read it! ❤️
Kindred on my TBR but I dread hearing about the trials she goes through. I hope I love it as much as you did.
"The Scapegoat" is one of my favorite novels and I connect with it deeply whenever I re-read it every couple of years. It isn't just that I love the "changing places" trope explored here, but Du Maurier hits this one out of the ballpark in every respect. So I have to challenge Merphy on three points:
1) "The set-up is too outlandish and unrealistic." Sure, the story is crazy and impossible, but this is par for the course for Du Maurier. You have to swallow some madness to enter her story world. Sure, "Rebecca" is fairly realistic up to a point, but the plots of "Frenchman's Creek" and "The House on the Strand" are totally bonkers. And have you ever read "The Birds," let alone "Don't Look Now"? Weird stuff, man. Pure fantasyland, just like "The Scapegoat." Anyway, who's to say that John and Jean aren't really the same person, and that the story isn't anything more than a passing daydream or hallucination on the journey to John's final destiny?
2) "John is too bland and passive." This is intentional. Like the famous comic character Tintin, John has no real personality and no personal history, so the reader can effortlessly slip into his body and experience what he experiences through their own moral compass. Would we act more like John or more like Jean in any given situation? We get to decide. Let me cautiously suggest that it may be easier for a somewhat jaded older man to understand John's perceptions and reactions than a young woman, but I'm just guessing here. I certainly know how it feels to be sucked into a life and a world I never wanted, mainly because it never occurred to me to say "NO!" at the right moment. Before you know it, you're stuck! In any case, John has no real life, and no wonder he is fascinated by this late opportunity to experience one and make a difference to at least somebody in this eternally disappointing world. Once again, Du Maurier - who frequently referred to herself as being bi-gender - demonstrates a perfect grasp of the male psyche.
3) The kicker is how Jean manages John's life when he steals his identity and travels to England. He behaves as one would expect, but it sums up their entire moral journey and hits me between the eyes every time. The conclusion is both inevitable and brilliant.
Omg you post this on my birthday AND it happens to coincide with Daphne du Maurier’s birthday! Today’s gonna be a good day even if you didn’t like this du Maurier book ☺️
"I just don't believe you!" Great video!
Which Butler book are you reading next? I loved Kindred too!!
I’m betting Parable of the Sower.
One of the most depressing things is when a story looks like it will be fantastic, but then just feels like missed opportunity. Sounds like that's what The Scape Goat is. I recently finished the Scarlett Pimpernel and it had and lot of potential, but....potential only does so much for me. I really wanted to like it because it's one of my dad's favorites but also because there were so many other things in it that could have been great.
P.S. have you ever heard of the Scarlett Pimpernel?
I agree with your Kindred review perfectly. There is so much nuance and complexity among all the characters and their relationships to each other, especially as the years roll by, that by the end you’re frozen trying to make sense of what has happened, who is the villain, if there even is a hero in this story. Good and bad, though quite apparent to us, do not really exist here.
Adding both to TBR- which seems to grow quicker than I am able to read
Octavia E Butler is spectacular.
I recommend Parable of the Sower next. It isn't as fast paced but it is very good.
Yes.
Just finished "Kindred" and loved it! Is "Parable of the Sower" your next Butler read?
Definitely will check out the kindred totally reminds me of Outlander and the time traveler's wife
I feel the same way about The Scapegoat, though it's only my second du Maurier book. I liked the atmosphere, I liked the mystery, but John's reactions were just so unbelievable. And I didn't like the ending. But I'm definitely still gonna read more of her books!
I will definitely read kindred as soon as I finished my huge tbr that you kinda build for me 😂♥️
Regarding what they were saying about the way Dana was talking - i took it to mean her accent, not necessarily the way she talks grammar wise etc? Because she was from California, not the South... maybe implied by the audiobook, because the narrator put on different accents ...
that's possible! They kept pointing out that she spoke like white people too so I assumed it was in grammar but maybe it's a mix of both
She spoke more quickly (CA) and used proper grammar (educated).
If you read more Butler, definitely check out Parable of the Sower. I liked it just as much is Kindred.
Okay, Kindred on my TBR!
I'm curious if you'd like Parable of the sower, I found it fascinating as a concept and world building, not so much story and charatcterwise. In Kindred everything is brilliant, characters, motivations, resolution as well as themes.
I really need to read Kindred,.
You have to try Wildseed by Octavia Butler!
I don't know but Kindred sounds SUPER interesting!
I love kindred. I have read it twice.
I absolutely love The Scapegoat and have been waiting for you to read it! Your criticisms are totally valid though. John was definitely wishy washy ... and the ending felt pointless. But du Maurier does atmosphere like no other and I loved it in spite of the issues it had.
It will be interesting to see if I enjoy Scapegoat more than you, seen as the others I've read you've enjoyed more than me. I have recently bought it in an audible sale.
I was disappointed in The Scapegoat too, though not entirely for the same reasons. I didn't mind that it wasn't entirely believable, but I agree that John was frustratingly passive. The book also made me uncomfortable. Sometimes in a good way (like the smothering mother character), but mostly in a bad way (too many annoying misunderstandings, icky problematic lines, pretty much everything involving the child).
ahah! so the butler really did do it!
Wow I read kindred when I was 13. I didn't really understand it then.
I want to read Kindred
I remember reading Kindred in hs, and did not love it.
I liked what Butler was trying to do- message and character exploration- but I think the way that it was approached was just not effective (for me anyways).
Might be due a reread!
... Adds both to tbr... ಥ_ಥ
What will your next Octavia Butler be?
Kindred was my first Butler book, as well. None of her other books thus far have given me the same incredible feelings as Kindred, but they've been pretty good... except for Fledgling. Don't read that 😆.
I totally love that t-shirt.
Kindred was a horror story. So good tho.
I felt similarly about The Scapegoat - an enjoyable read but didn't wow me and probably won't ever reread.
Wow, Kindred has been on my radar for awhile but I guess I need to prioritize it on my TBR!