Minutes of Glory and Other Stories represents a superlative collection of work by noted Kenyan author by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. The stories here represents divisions among communities that infect individuals and reduce them to their best--or worst--selves.

Some of these divisions affecting identity might occur in any group: power (vs. no power), infertility (vs. parenthood), wealth (vs. poverty). However, colonization introduced new fractures into society: educated (vs. uneducated), Christian (vs. “pagan”), cities (vs. villages), collaborators (vs. freedom fighters)--and seemed to heighten the existing dichotomies. Also running through the stories is the impact of the Mau Mau Emergency, a nationalist movement that advocated violent resistance to British rule.

Unlike many short story collections which can be uneven in quality, the stories in Minutes of Glory are equally powerful and unforgettable. The collection includes stories that have been published previously plus two that have never been published before in English. The stories are varied, some told in first person, most in third. Some are told from the perspective of women, and others from male narrators. Two even take British colonists’ points of view.

While plenty, even most of the stories, chart a route for acceptance and peace for the characters, I have to say my favorite are those where the external divisions create so much internal pressure that the characters succumb to their most monstrous impulses.

At times, particularly in the first two stories, I wasn’t sure that Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, writing from the perspective of women, had fully captured a female voice, but it’s also possible that as a Westerner, I am not fully privy to the voice of a Kenyan woman.

Perhaps my biggest quibble--and it’s not that big really--is that several times the author repeats the same word in a single sentence or series of sentences in proximity. For example, one sentence used “sacred” three times. That could be an artifact of translation. Also, because I read an early copy, it’s possible that will corrected in the final version.

I had not known who Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was, and the book caught my eye because of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s praise. I’m so glad that I read it. Minutes of Glory richly depicts a range of Kenyan society showing the impact of colonialism on the country. Arresting and thought-provoking, anyone who appreciates African literature should read this collection.

Within the first few sentences of each story, I was drawn in by the captivating characters and details that transported me to a different place. Thiong’o’s writing feels alive, as do the subjects of his short stories. Their emotions and relationships were easy to connect to, and each tale was short enough that I found myself reading story after story each time. He manages to narrate a world that feels both mystical and down to earth. There isn’t a bad story in this collection but my favorite was The Black Bird. This is my first time reading Thionh’o’s writing and I’ll be looking up other collections of his.

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 incongruent stories of people attempting to deal with change in their lives. These unique stories sucked me into a time I’ve only heard of & a place I’ve never been. This is an exceptional collection of stories. I see more Ngugi wa Thiong’o in my reading future. Thank you The New Press & Netgalley for the eARC.

Thanks to both New Press and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

This was my first time reading anything by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and I will definitely be picking up another, perhaps a full length piece next time.

All of the stories are beautifully crafted and provided an insight in to a very different world to my own – which is something I enjoy in short stories. Whilst some of the stories have obvious links to one another there are some with less clear links, owing to this I would advise the best way to read this is each story on a different day. This would allow the reader to really absorb what they are reading and allow for no accidental cross over when it comes to any similarities (this is how I wish I had read it instead of all in one!).

Fantastic collection of stories that delve into complex relationships with humanity, humility and humor.

I enjoyed the writing by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, though I found some of them more enjoyable than others. I think that overall, short stories just aren't for me, because by the time I get into them, they're over. I enjoy international reads, and particularly stories from beautiful Kenya. It's so interesting to hear about other types of experiences around the world and I suppose that's the nice thing about these short stories -- so many different experiences communicated. I just found some of the stories a bit slow, and I'm sure that part of that is just a different literary style than I'm used to, along with cultural differences in general. I really enjoyed the title story especially, and wished it was longer. I will certainly check out one of the novels by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o'.

I received an advanced release copy of this book from Netgalley -- thank you Netgalley!

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.

I grew up reading Ngugi wa Thiongo' and with this collection, I'll admit that I enjoyed reading every story. This collection has the crispness Ngugi is known for, not just in how he unpacks the stories but more so how his characters are as flawed as much as they seek to take charge of the course of their lives.
Anyone who reads this book will be taken back to the colonial era in Kenya, to the struggles the author has faced, lessons he's learned in life and his experiences to date.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

Minutes of Glory is a collection of short stories written over the years by the acclaimed Kenyan author, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. Most of the stories tell of the Kenyan lives during the British colonial era. I particularly liked the Black Bird and The Martyr stories. I may not agree with how some of the other stories end, but I recognize the particular beauty in his sentences.

Thanks to The New Press and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

This is a series of well-written short stories, all by the same author. The stories are written from the perspectives of a wide range of different Kenyans ranging from beer hall waitresses to white colonialists. Some of the themes covered include the tensions between traditional beliefs and Christianity, Colonialism, the lives of women and the Mau Mau uprising.

There’s a lot to unpack in this collection. The stories have an otherworldly, folklore-esque atmosphere and I particularly enjoyed The Black Bird and Minutes of Glory as I felt they were the most evocative. The stories provide a glimpse into the culture of Kenya and the lives of the people who live there. I always find it quite tricky to review short story compilations because the quality can vary so much but the stories in this collection are of a consistently high quality throughout.

This book is a very solid, well-written and cohesive collection and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys short stories or reading African literature.

"[...]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."

"Minutes of Glory" is a short story collection that not only covers the period of British colonial rule, resistance and experience of independence in Kenya, but that captures the reader's interest; the stories are well-written and highlight the struggles of women and of insurgents along with the benefaction from the British to some of the men.

I’ve read other African authors, don’t think I’ve ever read a Kenyan one and I do try to read internationally, so that was the main appeal of this short story collection found on Netgalley. It promised minutes of glory and provided 175 or so minutes of…something, not glory per se, but maybe enlightenment of sorts. A window into a different world, a cultural perspective, an education even. Most of the stories here concentrate on the Kenyan colonial experience under the British, which was apparently overwhelmingly negative as most colonial experiences tend to be, and the transition from that to postcolonial independence. From culture clashes to religious conversions, a strange and tragic past that echoed into the present day. Toward the end there are some more recent autobiographical stories too. The style took me a short while (about 20%) to get into, but then I learned to appreciate the author’s storytelling talent, which has a very organic almost fairy tale or fable like quality to it. Maybe not one of the greatest writers of our time, but certainly a distinct and important one, someone who does a great job depicting his country’s past and present difficulties in a concise yet almost poetic manner. I wouldn’t want to set foot in Kenya then or now, but as an armchair trip it was an interesting one. Sad, but interesting. Such a different world. Very good for international reading indeed. Thanks Netgalley.