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goldenfenris's review against another edition
3.0
This was my first experience with Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and I look forward to reading on of his novels. I enjoyed his writing style and how none of his characters were perfect. They were all flawed, all real. I also learned a lot about Kenya's transition to colonial independence, a subject I knew almost nothing about at the beginning of the collection. The Black Bird and Minutes of Glory were my two favorite stories. They were interesting and complex. Some of the stories were a little slow for my personal taste and I was disappointed when I got absorbed in a story and then it ended. I will try one of his novel sin the near future.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review.
philosophie's review against another edition
3.0
[...]in a sense the stories in this collection form my creative autobiography over the last twelve years and touch on ideas and moods affecting me over the same period. My writing is really an attempt to understand myself and my situation in society and history.
skitch41's review against another edition
4.0
Short story collections are one of my least favorite genres as the relative uneven quality stories often becomes a major let down. However, I am pleased to say that this collection of short stories from one of Africa’s greatest writers is, on the whole, very good.
Broken up into four parts, the first three parts gather together Mr. Thiong’o’s earliest short stories from 1961-1971. All of this was previously published in the United Kingdom in 1975, but this is the first time that these stories have been published in the United States. Perhaps the lowest quality stories are the first ones, but not only do they get better as you move along through the collection, the difference between the low and high quality stories is a matter of small degrees. But what seems to unite all of these stories is the post-colonial motif that runs throughout. In almost all of these stories, the characters are adjusting to either Kenya’s upcoming independence from Great Britain or independence has come and Kenyans are adjusting to the new reality. Thus, the stories collected in the first three parts are great examples of this sort of transition literature. It can also be a bit depressing as things don’t always work as the characters hope they will.
The fourth part of this book is perhaps the most interesting part as it consists of two short stories Mr. Thiong’o wrote in 2011-2012. Aside from the recent date of these two stories, they are also some of the highest quality stories in the entire collection. It has been 40-50 years since Mr. Thiong’o wrote the previous tales, and the improvement clearly shows. The other thing that sets these two stories apart is how much more fun and whimsical they are compared to the previous tales. Gone is the underlying existential uncertainty of the previous tales, but a more playful side comes out instead. In that sense, part four serves a kind of pallet cleanser for everything that came before.
This collection of short stories may not be for everyone, but I would highly recommend it for short story lovers nonetheless.
Broken up into four parts, the first three parts gather together Mr. Thiong’o’s earliest short stories from 1961-1971. All of this was previously published in the United Kingdom in 1975, but this is the first time that these stories have been published in the United States. Perhaps the lowest quality stories are the first ones, but not only do they get better as you move along through the collection, the difference between the low and high quality stories is a matter of small degrees. But what seems to unite all of these stories is the post-colonial motif that runs throughout. In almost all of these stories, the characters are adjusting to either Kenya’s upcoming independence from Great Britain or independence has come and Kenyans are adjusting to the new reality. Thus, the stories collected in the first three parts are great examples of this sort of transition literature. It can also be a bit depressing as things don’t always work as the characters hope they will.
The fourth part of this book is perhaps the most interesting part as it consists of two short stories Mr. Thiong’o wrote in 2011-2012. Aside from the recent date of these two stories, they are also some of the highest quality stories in the entire collection. It has been 40-50 years since Mr. Thiong’o wrote the previous tales, and the improvement clearly shows. The other thing that sets these two stories apart is how much more fun and whimsical they are compared to the previous tales. Gone is the underlying existential uncertainty of the previous tales, but a more playful side comes out instead. In that sense, part four serves a kind of pallet cleanser for everything that came before.
This collection of short stories may not be for everyone, but I would highly recommend it for short story lovers nonetheless.
neverwithoutabook's review
5.0
As my first, Ngugi wa Thiong’o read, I must say I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Set over decades in Kenya, In Minutes of Glory, Thiong’o introduces us to some interesting flawed characters. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator; Thiong’o weaves together in congruent stories of people attempting to deal with change in their lives. An exceptional, I see more Ngugi wa Thiong’o in my reading future. Thank you The New Press & Netgalley for the eARC.
jebeddo's review
4.0
Thiong'o is a talented writer and his technical craft shows in this collection. Sentences are beautiful but not distracting and it is a pleasure to read. A lot of the stories feel didactic, especially the shorter early ones. And sometimes the moral of the story is a tad ... retrograde.
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