---
title: "Kindred the Graphic Novel by Octavia Butler adapted by John Jennings"
description: "Summary: Graphic adaptation of the best of Octavia Butler's books. Over the past couple years I have begun to appreciate the art and promise of the graphic novel. Not as a \"˜children's version' but..."
url: https://bookwi.se/kindred/
date: 2018-01-09
modified: 2018-01-09
author: "Adam Shields"
categories: ["Book Reviews"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Kindred the Graphic Novel by Octavia Butler adapted by John Jennings

**[![Kindred the Graphic Novel by Octavia Bulter adapted by John Jennings](https://bookwi.se/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/51o56zDtuxL-214x300.jpg)](https://www.amazon.com/Kindred-Graphic-Adaptation-Octavia-Butler-ebook/dp/B01IDGS7BQ/)Summary: Graphic adaptation of the best of Octavia Butler’s books. **

Over the past couple years I have begun to appreciate the art and promise of the graphic novel. Not as a “˜children’s version’ but as something that can be a true art form to itself. I do not think that John Lewis’ memoir in the [March Trilogy](https://bookwi.se/march/) would be as good in narrative text. The graphics of the [March trilogy](https://bookwi.se/march-2-3/) were essential to making it so good. But I am not sure that the graphic novel of Kindred is up to that standard.

It is not that Kindred is a bad adaptation or a bad graphic novel. It stayed pretty close to the original in story and I liked the art. But the novel was, in my opinion, the best novel of a very good novelist. Octavia Butler captured not just the horror of slavery for the slave, but the horror of slavery for everyone involved. I think some of the nuance of the novel was (necessarily) lost in the graphic novel adaptation. A graphic novel, even one that is over 200 pages, can’t really tell the same story as a 300 page novel.

I feel much the same way as I do about the radio play adaptation of [Ender’s Game](https://bookwi.se/enders-game-by-orson-scott-card/), [Ender Alive](https://bookwi.se/enders-game-alive/). As a radio play I thought it was really good. There were [several parts that I think were better](https://bookwi.se/ender/) than the original audiobook and novel. But as a whole, the cuts that were necessary to make it into a radio drama were too much and it harmed the depth of the overall story.

[Kindred](https://bookwi.se/kindred-octavia-butler/) is a modern classic. It is hard to read, but one of the best fictional books that I have read about the reality of slavery in the United States. No book can be everything. So I don’t want to evaluate Kindred, the graphic novel, based on how good that the original novel (and the audiobook) were. But I can’t separate them.

If you are reading fresh and haven’t read Kindred and are a fan of graphic novels, I think this is worth reading. Especially if you find it on sale like I did. But for most people I would recommend the print or audiobook.

**Kindred the Graphic Novel by Octavia Bulter adapted by John Jennings Purchase Links: [Hardcover](https://www.amazon.com/Kindred-Graphic-Adaptation-Damian-Duffy/dp/141970947X/), [Kindle Edition](https://www.amazon.com/Kindred-Graphic-Adaptation-Octavia-Butler-ebook/dp/B01IDGS7BQ/)**

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