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Minutes of Glory and Other Stories
A dazzling short story collection from the person Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie calls “one of the greatest writers of our time”
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong ’o, although renowned for his novels, memoirs, and plays, honed his craft as a short story writer. From “The Fig Tree” written in 1960, his first year as an undergraduate at Makere University College in Uganda, to the playful “The Ghost of Michael Jackson,” written while a Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California Irvine, these collected stories reveal a master of the short form.
Covering the period of British colonial rule and resistance in Kenya to the bittersweet experience of independence—and including two stories that have never before been published in the United States—Ngũgĩ’s characters include women fighting for their space in a patriarchal society, big men in their Bentleys and Mercedes who have inherited power from the British; and rebels who still embody the fighting spirit of the downtrodden. One of Ngũgĩ’s most beloved stories, “Minutes of Glory,” tells of Beatrice, a sad, but ambitious waitress who fantasizes about being feted and lauded over by the middle class clientele in the city’s beer halls. Her dream leads her on a witty and heartbreaking adventure.
Published for the first time in America, Minutes of Glory and Other Stories celebrates the storytelling might of one of Africa’s best-loved writers.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong ’o, although renowned for his novels, memoirs, and plays, honed his craft as a short story writer. From “The Fig Tree” written in 1960, his first year as an undergraduate at Makere University College in Uganda, to the playful “The Ghost of Michael Jackson,” written while a Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California Irvine, these collected stories reveal a master of the short form.
Covering the period of British colonial rule and resistance in Kenya to the bittersweet experience of independence—and including two stories that have never before been published in the United States—Ngũgĩ’s characters include women fighting for their space in a patriarchal society, big men in their Bentleys and Mercedes who have inherited power from the British; and rebels who still embody the fighting spirit of the downtrodden. One of Ngũgĩ’s most beloved stories, “Minutes of Glory,” tells of Beatrice, a sad, but ambitious waitress who fantasizes about being feted and lauded over by the middle class clientele in the city’s beer halls. Her dream leads her on a witty and heartbreaking adventure.
Published for the first time in America, Minutes of Glory and Other Stories celebrates the storytelling might of one of Africa’s best-loved writers.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2019
37 people are currently reading
1233 people want to read
About the author
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
107 books2,015 followersNgũgĩ wa Thiong'o was a Kenyan author and academic, who was described as East Africa's leading novelist.
He began writing in English before later switching to write primarily in Gikuyu, becoming a strong advocate for literature written in native African languages. His works include the celebrated novel The River Between, plays, short stories, and essays, ranging from literary and social criticism to children's literature. He was the founder and editor of the Gikuyu-language journal Mũtĩiri. His short story The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright was translated into more than 100 languages.
In 1977, Ngũgĩ embarked upon a novel form of theatre in Kenya that sought to liberate the theatrical process from what he held to be "the general bourgeois education system", by encouraging spontaneity and audience participation in the performances. His project sought to "demystify" the theatrical process, and to avoid the "process of alienation [that] produces a gallery of active stars and an undifferentiated mass of grateful admirers" which, according to Ngũgĩ, encourages passivity in "ordinary people". Although his landmark play Ngaahika Ndeenda, co-written with Ngũgĩ wa Mirii, was a commercial success, it was shut down by the authoritarian Kenyan regime six weeks after its opening.
Ngũgĩ was subsequently imprisoned for more than a year. Adopted as an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, he was released from prison and fled Kenya. He was appointed Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Irvine. He previously taught at Northwestern University, Yale University, and New York University. Ngũgĩ was frequently regarded as a likely candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He won the 2001 International Nonino Prize in Italy, and the 2016 Park Kyong-ni Prize. Among his children are authors Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ and Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ.
He began writing in English before later switching to write primarily in Gikuyu, becoming a strong advocate for literature written in native African languages. His works include the celebrated novel The River Between, plays, short stories, and essays, ranging from literary and social criticism to children's literature. He was the founder and editor of the Gikuyu-language journal Mũtĩiri. His short story The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright was translated into more than 100 languages.
In 1977, Ngũgĩ embarked upon a novel form of theatre in Kenya that sought to liberate the theatrical process from what he held to be "the general bourgeois education system", by encouraging spontaneity and audience participation in the performances. His project sought to "demystify" the theatrical process, and to avoid the "process of alienation [that] produces a gallery of active stars and an undifferentiated mass of grateful admirers" which, according to Ngũgĩ, encourages passivity in "ordinary people". Although his landmark play Ngaahika Ndeenda, co-written with Ngũgĩ wa Mirii, was a commercial success, it was shut down by the authoritarian Kenyan regime six weeks after its opening.
Ngũgĩ was subsequently imprisoned for more than a year. Adopted as an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, he was released from prison and fled Kenya. He was appointed Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Irvine. He previously taught at Northwestern University, Yale University, and New York University. Ngũgĩ was frequently regarded as a likely candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He won the 2001 International Nonino Prize in Italy, and the 2016 Park Kyong-ni Prize. Among his children are authors Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ and Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
February 25, 2024
“Tea was brought. They drank, still chatting about the death, the government’s policy, and the political demagogues who were undesirable elements in this otherwise beautiful country. But Mrs. Hill maintained that these semi-illiterate demagogues who went to Britain and thought they had education did not know the true aspirations of their people. You could still win your ‘boys’ by being kind to them.”
A collection of fifteen short stories by Ngugi wa Thiongo' which span several decades in time and in the writing. My first time reading him, although I have one of his novels on the shelves. He’s in his eighties now and still hasn’t won the Nobel.
These stories are all set in Kenya, some during the colonial era. Others are more modern and reflect on the changes the end of Empire have brought. They aren’t just about colonialism though; they look at the intersections between colonialism, gender, religion, race, class, identity, insecurity, political corruption and tradition. Some of the stories do give clues to Ngugi’s admiration for Frantz Fanon and his rejection of Christianity and English.
The scars of colonialism are present throughout, and the tensions of post-colonial Kenya are explored. There is a touch of magic realism, which actually works well and isn’t overdone. Ngugi does mourn the loss of a connection to tradition and the land:
“In any case the place was now a distant landscape in the memory. Her life was here in the bar among this crowd of lost strangers. Fallen from grace, fallen from grace. She was part of a generation which would never again be one with the soil, the crops, the wind and the moon. Not for them that whispering in dark hedges, not for her that dance and love-making under the glare of the moon, with the hills of TumuTumu rising to touch the sky.”
The stories are collected into four groups: Mothers and Children, Fighters and Martyrs, Secret Lives and Shadows and Priests. There are difficult themes and topics, but a couple of the stories do have an element of whimsy about them. This is an excellent collection and well worth seeking out.
A collection of fifteen short stories by Ngugi wa Thiongo' which span several decades in time and in the writing. My first time reading him, although I have one of his novels on the shelves. He’s in his eighties now and still hasn’t won the Nobel.
These stories are all set in Kenya, some during the colonial era. Others are more modern and reflect on the changes the end of Empire have brought. They aren’t just about colonialism though; they look at the intersections between colonialism, gender, religion, race, class, identity, insecurity, political corruption and tradition. Some of the stories do give clues to Ngugi’s admiration for Frantz Fanon and his rejection of Christianity and English.
The scars of colonialism are present throughout, and the tensions of post-colonial Kenya are explored. There is a touch of magic realism, which actually works well and isn’t overdone. Ngugi does mourn the loss of a connection to tradition and the land:
“In any case the place was now a distant landscape in the memory. Her life was here in the bar among this crowd of lost strangers. Fallen from grace, fallen from grace. She was part of a generation which would never again be one with the soil, the crops, the wind and the moon. Not for them that whispering in dark hedges, not for her that dance and love-making under the glare of the moon, with the hills of TumuTumu rising to touch the sky.”
The stories are collected into four groups: Mothers and Children, Fighters and Martyrs, Secret Lives and Shadows and Priests. There are difficult themes and topics, but a couple of the stories do have an element of whimsy about them. This is an excellent collection and well worth seeking out.
March 5, 2019
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o has long been considered one of the main contestants for the Nobel Prize in Literature - and rightly so, as his writings on Kenyan culture and about the consequences of the British rule over his home country are invaluable for everyone trying to understand African history or colonialism in general. "Minutes of Glory" is a collection of short stories that show people at the crossroads, due to choice or circumstances, during different times in history. Their troubles and challenges are always deeply personal, but also political, reflecting back on Kenyan society and often on the colonialists and their racist worldview: There is a British wife and her Kenyan servant who (at first) are both unable to see each other as anything beyond their respective roles, there is a woman who can't have children, a student who committs suicide after failing an exam, a hypocritical missionary and a young boy who holds him accountable, Kenyan families decimated and traumatized by violence, concentration camps and broken homes, and there are even magical sightings of Michael Jackson.
"My writing is really an attempt to understand myself and my situation in society and in history", Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o explains in the foreward, and his conclusions are truly illuminating for his readers. When he was thrown into a maximum security prison after writing a play in an African language and staging it with local workers and peasants, the author secretly wrote Wrestling with the Devil: A Prison Memoir in order to fight the colonial "culture of silence and fear" and to uphold "Kenyan resistance culture, a revolutionary culture of courage and heroism (...). It's a creative, fight-back culture unleashing tremendous energies among the Kenyan people." "Minutes of Glory" is also a document of this, showing people trying to come to terms with universal human problems and feelings, but caught in specific circumstances, at a specific place, in a specific time.
"My writing is really an attempt to understand myself and my situation in society and in history", Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o explains in the foreward, and his conclusions are truly illuminating for his readers. When he was thrown into a maximum security prison after writing a play in an African language and staging it with local workers and peasants, the author secretly wrote Wrestling with the Devil: A Prison Memoir in order to fight the colonial "culture of silence and fear" and to uphold "Kenyan resistance culture, a revolutionary culture of courage and heroism (...). It's a creative, fight-back culture unleashing tremendous energies among the Kenyan people." "Minutes of Glory" is also a document of this, showing people trying to come to terms with universal human problems and feelings, but caught in specific circumstances, at a specific place, in a specific time.
March 19, 2019
Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.
This is one of those books that make me happy I decided to embark on my literary world trip. Minutes of Glory might not be a happy book, but it's one that speaks volumes for the country it tells the reader about, Kenya.
Since I was a child, Kenya has been one of the countries that I've most often heard about when it comes to Africa. But aside from some pictures from safaris and a faraway view of the Kilimanjaro, as well as the general knowledge that I possessed about the sub-Saharan countries, what did actually know about the Kenyan people and their struggles? Or their history? Their cities, aside from Nairobi? Not that much.
Minutes of Glory is a great collection of short stories, where I'm not even a big fan of short stories, which gives us the tales of the modern Kenyan people. The book covers many topics, among which traditional beliefs vs the new, modern world; poverty and lack of education; the struggles of women; religion, etc.
The author's writing style is simple, yet captivating. He manages to describe the hardships, as well as the joys of people, in vivid detail in the matter of a few pages, and manages to draw the reader in and make them feel engaged with the characters' journeys. While, for example, I've never been a part of a society torn between staying with its old traditions and moving forward with the developing world, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o made me sit down and think about how hard and confusing that might be. While I've always had the possibility to get a good education, to learn, to read, to travel, this book showed me how devastating the lack of those possibilities is to a man's soul.
I found this book by pure chance, on NetGalley, close to its publishing date. I can only be grateful for that.
This is one of those books that make me happy I decided to embark on my literary world trip. Minutes of Glory might not be a happy book, but it's one that speaks volumes for the country it tells the reader about, Kenya.
Since I was a child, Kenya has been one of the countries that I've most often heard about when it comes to Africa. But aside from some pictures from safaris and a faraway view of the Kilimanjaro, as well as the general knowledge that I possessed about the sub-Saharan countries, what did actually know about the Kenyan people and their struggles? Or their history? Their cities, aside from Nairobi? Not that much.
Minutes of Glory is a great collection of short stories, where I'm not even a big fan of short stories, which gives us the tales of the modern Kenyan people. The book covers many topics, among which traditional beliefs vs the new, modern world; poverty and lack of education; the struggles of women; religion, etc.
The author's writing style is simple, yet captivating. He manages to describe the hardships, as well as the joys of people, in vivid detail in the matter of a few pages, and manages to draw the reader in and make them feel engaged with the characters' journeys. While, for example, I've never been a part of a society torn between staying with its old traditions and moving forward with the developing world, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o made me sit down and think about how hard and confusing that might be. While I've always had the possibility to get a good education, to learn, to read, to travel, this book showed me how devastating the lack of those possibilities is to a man's soul.
I found this book by pure chance, on NetGalley, close to its publishing date. I can only be grateful for that.
August 1, 2019
Minutes of Glory by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is a collection of 16 short stories organized thematically under the headings Of Mothers and Children; Fighters and Martyrs; Secret Lives; Shadows and Priests. The stories cover a range of topics dealing with Kenyan culture, the impact of British colonialism, racism, political corruption, indigenous beliefs and traditions versus Christianity, internalized racism, discrimination, the erosion of indigenous culture, and gender relations.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o explores these topics by showing how they manifest in the lives of his characters. The conflicts take many forms. We witness women ostracized by their communities because of their inability to bear children; a village’s desperate struggle to survive a draught; people adopting western ways, western clothing, and western attitudes in a tragic effort to gain respect and acceptance; villagers turning against members of their own community; conflicts between city and village, between rich and poor; the smug attitudes of the colonizers, convinced of their superiority to the indigenous peoples and of their right to appropriate native land; and the ways in which oppression of the other also entraps the oppressor. But it is not all bleak. The collection concludes with a couple of delightfully whimsical short stories.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is a skilled storyteller. He weaves folkloric elements, ghosts, magical happenings, and superstitions into his stories, giving them an other-worldly quality. He also grounds them in political reality with intermittent references to the Mau Mau uprising and its repercussions. The stories are told simply, with compassion and poignancy. The characters are drawn with sensitivity.
This is a compelling collection of short stories focusing on the challenges facing Kenya. But the themes transcend Kenya. They illustrate the deleterious impact on all people and all cultures ripped apart by colonialism, classism, and corruption.
Highly recommended.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o explores these topics by showing how they manifest in the lives of his characters. The conflicts take many forms. We witness women ostracized by their communities because of their inability to bear children; a village’s desperate struggle to survive a draught; people adopting western ways, western clothing, and western attitudes in a tragic effort to gain respect and acceptance; villagers turning against members of their own community; conflicts between city and village, between rich and poor; the smug attitudes of the colonizers, convinced of their superiority to the indigenous peoples and of their right to appropriate native land; and the ways in which oppression of the other also entraps the oppressor. But it is not all bleak. The collection concludes with a couple of delightfully whimsical short stories.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is a skilled storyteller. He weaves folkloric elements, ghosts, magical happenings, and superstitions into his stories, giving them an other-worldly quality. He also grounds them in political reality with intermittent references to the Mau Mau uprising and its repercussions. The stories are told simply, with compassion and poignancy. The characters are drawn with sensitivity.
This is a compelling collection of short stories focusing on the challenges facing Kenya. But the themes transcend Kenya. They illustrate the deleterious impact on all people and all cultures ripped apart by colonialism, classism, and corruption.
Highly recommended.
October 15, 2025
3,5
Nguyi wa Thiong´o es considerado de los grandes escritores africanos, siendo un eterno precandidato al Premio Nobel. Fallecido este año, no estará en las listas ni recibirá, ya, el Premio.
La temática que aborda es en torno a la vida en la aldea, en particular la influencia nociva de la evangelización, asociada a la pérdida del sistema de valores preexistente, y el proceso de modernización, incluyendo el traslado de la aldea a la ciudad, a sus ámbitos marginales, y dominado por una anomia vinculada a la desculturización; y los casos excepcionales de quienes tienen acceso a una educación superior, con el proceso de alienación y desprecio de sus orígenes.
Esta es una recopilación de los cuentos que fueron escritos a lo largo de sus muchos años de carrera, atravesando en ese tiempo el período colonial, La emergencia (el levantamiento Mau Mau, con su tendal de muertos) y la la independencia, con la desilusión que traería .
El libro incluye tres cuentos que me han parecido excelentes:
El mártir. En una epifanía, y en forma simultánea, tanto el Ama blanca como el Sirviente negro, toman conciencia de la humanidad que hay en el otro, más allá del rol que juega cada uno. Pero la cadena de hechos ya está en marcha y tal vez ya sea tarde.
Un encuentro en la oscuridad. Es un muchacho ejemplar, con resultados notables en sus estudios, que le permitieron contar con una beca para estudiar en el exterior. Es, además, hijo del Pastor calvinista, quien con su rigidez y vigilancia, le inspira terror. Pero hay algunas cosas en su vida, que de saberse en este ámbito tan puritano, podrían arruinar su proyecto. Y debe tomar una decisión.
Adiós, África. Un colono residual, sufre la frustración de ser removido de su cargo, para ser reemplazado nada menos que por un negro. Y sufre obsesivamente por el descaro y el desdén que sufrió por parte de uno de sus sirvientes, a quien había tratado en forma muy amable y caritativa. No tiene paz. "África te hace esto..." suelta con amargura, sin terminar de comprender.
Y un extra
Casamiento ante la cruz, sin llegar al nivel de los anteriores es muy bueno (se hace largo; casi estaría para una novela).
Los demás, se encuentran entre buenos y aceptables. Pero, contrariando la lógica, lo peor quedó para el final: sobre todo el interminable monólogo de un borracho (Un funeral en Mercedes); el último (El hombre de la tribu mubenzi) no es tan malo, aunque sí bastante previsible. A veces hay que dejar lo mejor para el final.
El libro, en general, me pareció bueno. En los cuentos señalados se puede ver la calidad del autor, aunque el anticlímax de pasar de la excelencia a un final mediocre me dejó un sabor amargo.
Ngugi wa Thing'o, Kenia 1938-2025 fue un escritor africano destacado; formó parte del grupo de nostálgicos y rescatadores de la cultura tradicional, y aunque menciona la colonización como la causa de su fin, no orienta su literatura a su crítica.
Nguyi wa Thiong´o es considerado de los grandes escritores africanos, siendo un eterno precandidato al Premio Nobel. Fallecido este año, no estará en las listas ni recibirá, ya, el Premio.
La temática que aborda es en torno a la vida en la aldea, en particular la influencia nociva de la evangelización, asociada a la pérdida del sistema de valores preexistente, y el proceso de modernización, incluyendo el traslado de la aldea a la ciudad, a sus ámbitos marginales, y dominado por una anomia vinculada a la desculturización; y los casos excepcionales de quienes tienen acceso a una educación superior, con el proceso de alienación y desprecio de sus orígenes.
Esta es una recopilación de los cuentos que fueron escritos a lo largo de sus muchos años de carrera, atravesando en ese tiempo el período colonial, La emergencia (el levantamiento Mau Mau, con su tendal de muertos) y la la independencia, con la desilusión que traería .
El libro incluye tres cuentos que me han parecido excelentes:
El mártir. En una epifanía, y en forma simultánea, tanto el Ama blanca como el Sirviente negro, toman conciencia de la humanidad que hay en el otro, más allá del rol que juega cada uno. Pero la cadena de hechos ya está en marcha y tal vez ya sea tarde.
Un encuentro en la oscuridad. Es un muchacho ejemplar, con resultados notables en sus estudios, que le permitieron contar con una beca para estudiar en el exterior. Es, además, hijo del Pastor calvinista, quien con su rigidez y vigilancia, le inspira terror. Pero hay algunas cosas en su vida, que de saberse en este ámbito tan puritano, podrían arruinar su proyecto. Y debe tomar una decisión.
Adiós, África. Un colono residual, sufre la frustración de ser removido de su cargo, para ser reemplazado nada menos que por un negro. Y sufre obsesivamente por el descaro y el desdén que sufrió por parte de uno de sus sirvientes, a quien había tratado en forma muy amable y caritativa. No tiene paz. "África te hace esto..." suelta con amargura, sin terminar de comprender.
Y un extra
Casamiento ante la cruz, sin llegar al nivel de los anteriores es muy bueno (se hace largo; casi estaría para una novela).
Los demás, se encuentran entre buenos y aceptables. Pero, contrariando la lógica, lo peor quedó para el final: sobre todo el interminable monólogo de un borracho (Un funeral en Mercedes); el último (El hombre de la tribu mubenzi) no es tan malo, aunque sí bastante previsible. A veces hay que dejar lo mejor para el final.
El libro, en general, me pareció bueno. En los cuentos señalados se puede ver la calidad del autor, aunque el anticlímax de pasar de la excelencia a un final mediocre me dejó un sabor amargo.
Ngugi wa Thing'o, Kenia 1938-2025 fue un escritor africano destacado; formó parte del grupo de nostálgicos y rescatadores de la cultura tradicional, y aunque menciona la colonización como la causa de su fin, no orienta su literatura a su crítica.
December 28, 2018
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.
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.
February 25, 2019
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.
March 9, 2019
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.
Thanks to NetGalley and The New Press for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
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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.
Thanks to NetGalley and The New Press for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
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December 1, 2018
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.
November 8, 2020
Una serie de cuentos clara, real, magnética. Logré descubrir una nueva cultura a través de ellos. Conocer la manera en que piensan en Kenia,. Cómo se ven atravesados por el choque cultural, la diferencias sociales y de clase. Cómo afecta esto en particular a las mujeres. Una maravilla literaria.
May 18, 2019
Minutes of Glory and Other Stories is a slim anthology of short stories, an introduction to the writings of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, a Kenyan scholar who has seen revolutionary changes in every facet of Kenyan and Ugandan society.
The stories are haunting and filled with struggle. The first few stories start out a little slow, and describe the effects of internal forces. The best of these is Black Bird. The remainder of the stories really take off, and examine the cumulative effects of colonialism and classism on a country and culture tossed about by so many external forces.
The consequences of the arrival of imperial invaders are glaringly apparent in the story The Martyr. The so-called settlers, who ignore ancient boundaries and steal land, also attempt to reduce the native population into cardboard characters. Even when speaking positively about them, the outsiders refer to the residents of an entire country as if they had the properties of blank sheets of paper. They vociferously lament what they see as the lack of appreciation for their clearly superior ways. Their lack of self-reflection leads to a pearl- clutching moment for even the most "tolerant" of the uninvited dullards.
Words like savage, tribal, civilized, and educated all smack of condescending imperialistic ethnocentrism, and the heavy meanings are fully revealed through these stories. These situations are painfully universal, of course. Anytime we can generalize, it's easier to be cruel, or even kind, in the least meaningful sense. When we force ourselves to consider others as individuals, it's harder on both the oppressor and the oppressed to suppress the moral invective. That perspective requires more of us, and does not inoculate us from danger. But every situation and justification favors the oppressed, every time. Just as the clash of perpendicular cultural practices favor the powerful.
The stories in the Fighters and Martyrs section rise in slow intensity, with a particularly effective examination of the destructive nature of guilt and shame. The Secret Lives section is a treatise on jealousy, collaboration, and the myriad of ways in which a spirit can be made to soar or be painfully crushed. Ghosts of all kinds thread their way through each section. The story of The Ghost of Michael Jackson in the Shadows and Priests section, is perhaps, the best, most imaginative story of all.
The stories are haunting and filled with struggle. The first few stories start out a little slow, and describe the effects of internal forces. The best of these is Black Bird. The remainder of the stories really take off, and examine the cumulative effects of colonialism and classism on a country and culture tossed about by so many external forces.
The consequences of the arrival of imperial invaders are glaringly apparent in the story The Martyr. The so-called settlers, who ignore ancient boundaries and steal land, also attempt to reduce the native population into cardboard characters. Even when speaking positively about them, the outsiders refer to the residents of an entire country as if they had the properties of blank sheets of paper. They vociferously lament what they see as the lack of appreciation for their clearly superior ways. Their lack of self-reflection leads to a pearl- clutching moment for even the most "tolerant" of the uninvited dullards.
Words like savage, tribal, civilized, and educated all smack of condescending imperialistic ethnocentrism, and the heavy meanings are fully revealed through these stories. These situations are painfully universal, of course. Anytime we can generalize, it's easier to be cruel, or even kind, in the least meaningful sense. When we force ourselves to consider others as individuals, it's harder on both the oppressor and the oppressed to suppress the moral invective. That perspective requires more of us, and does not inoculate us from danger. But every situation and justification favors the oppressed, every time. Just as the clash of perpendicular cultural practices favor the powerful.
The stories in the Fighters and Martyrs section rise in slow intensity, with a particularly effective examination of the destructive nature of guilt and shame. The Secret Lives section is a treatise on jealousy, collaboration, and the myriad of ways in which a spirit can be made to soar or be painfully crushed. Ghosts of all kinds thread their way through each section. The story of The Ghost of Michael Jackson in the Shadows and Priests section, is perhaps, the best, most imaginative story of all.
May 6, 2020
Great storytelling. Ngugi's stories are complex and deal with the concepts of identity and culture in varying degrees.
I enjoyed the stories involving women protagonists. I felt that those stories showed perspective without being gender biased. Although these were short stories, I felt connected and invested in the characters.
Ngugi's writing style is very simple but intentional. He places dynamic fictional characters in the context of Kenya's history before, during, and after colonization. He uses the characters lives to examine the effects of colonization, neo colonialism, and christianity on the Kenyan identity.
A very enjoyable and thought provoking read.
I enjoyed the stories involving women protagonists. I felt that those stories showed perspective without being gender biased. Although these were short stories, I felt connected and invested in the characters.
Ngugi's writing style is very simple but intentional. He places dynamic fictional characters in the context of Kenya's history before, during, and after colonization. He uses the characters lives to examine the effects of colonization, neo colonialism, and christianity on the Kenyan identity.
A very enjoyable and thought provoking read.
June 28, 2025
Great collection of short stories. I enjoyed the vivid accounts of human experiences in colonial Africa
October 8, 2022
With the aim of broadening my literary horizons, I frequently request and read books, short stories, and poems by non-Western authors. It is a way for me to diversify my reading, yes, but it also gives me a taste of other places, other cultures, other ways of viewing life. This has not just enriched my bookshelves, but also my own way of living, my own understanding of myself. The stories in Minutes of Glory most definitely contributed to this growth. Thanks to The New Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My sincere apologies for the delay.
Short stories are, for me, one of the best ways to get a taste for a culture, for a history, for a people. Because we all tell stories into which we pour our history, our loves, our fears, our beliefs, and our anger. While stories are a good introduction, it is nonetheless worthwhile to know some of the history of their country of origin. The Republic of Kenya has a history full of conflict, largely brought in from the outside. By the 15th century, Mombasa was a great trading city and became known to the Portuguese Empire. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Masai people settled in Kenya, taking over the Bantu people. Colonisation found them towards the end of the 18th century, first through a German protectorate, then via the Imperial British East Africa Company. The breakout of WWI also affected African colonies through proxy wars, as Western powers tried to keep each other busy there to prevent further fighting within Europe itself. As settlers established themselves, they began to occupy more and more land through land titles, which local farmers did not have, and so edged out the local population. This led to the Mau Mau Uprising from 1952 to 1959. During this uprising up to 80,000 Kikuyu were detained in detention camps and subjected to horrible treatment. The uprising was eventually defeated and saw many Kikuyu farmers stripped of their lands. British Imperial control came to an end on 12 December 1963 and Jomo Kenyatta became the Republic's first president. While independence is always the goal, it is not a happy ending in and of itself, as many previously colonised countries struggle to establish for themselves and identity and systems away from their colonised past. This history, especially the Mau Mau Uprising and the loss of land by local farmers play a major role in many of the stories in Minutes of Glory. While the stories themselves give enough background to understand, I nonetheless felt it was important to give this background here as well.
Minutes of Glory is split into four parts, each containing a number of stories. The first part is 'Of Mothers and Children' and features the story 'Mugumo', about a young woman, marriage, and the mugumo tree; 'The Rain Came Down', a story of motherhood, loss, and letting go; and 'Gone with the Drought', a really tragic story of family, famine, and madness. 'Fighters and Martyrs' is the second part. 'The Village Priest' tells the tale of a man struggling between the Christian faith and the faith of his people, while 'The Black Bird' describes the impact of strongly-held beliefs. 'The Martyr' is written from the perspective of white settlers and one of their servants and masterfully describes the different tensions of humanity, loyalty, and domination at play in this relationship. It is a brilliant story. 'The Return' shows a man coming home after having been imprisoned in a detention camp during the Mau Mau Uprising. Is his village waiting for him, or has time left its imprint here as well? 'A Meeting in the Dark' describes the pressures of living in two worlds, the village and the expectations of the new, white world. (This story does feature discussion of female circumcision, i.e. Female Genital Mutilation. The last story of this part if 'Goodbye Africa', another story told from the perspective of white settlers as they look back on their role in the "shaping" of Kenya.
Part three, 'Secret Lives' concerns itself with exactly what the title suggests. 'Minutes of Glory', the title story, tells of a young woman who simply, for a few minutes, wants to be everything she dreamed of, even if life has been a series of disappointments. 'Wedding at the Cross' shows a man losing himself in his desire to seem worthy, while his wife always knew him as good. 'A Mercedes Funeral' is perhaps one of the most tragic stories in Minutes of Glory as it describes the way the life and death of a man became a way for those around them to consider themselves better. 'The Mubenzi Tribesman' combines elements of 'The Return' and 'The Village Priest', showing a young man torn between a White life and the hopes of his tribe. Part four, 'Shadows and Priests' was perhaps my favourite part, featuring Thiong'o's most recent stories. 'Without a Shadow of a Doubt' is almost biographical, telling of Thiong'o' and his brother's experiments concerning shadows and how it led them to great truths. 'The Ghost of Michael Jackson' plays with supernatural elements while critiquing the blind adoration towards priests. This is a playful story, and perhaps also my favourite of the collection.
These stories were my first introduction to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and I am once again immensely pleased at discovering a new author. In the Preface Thiong'o states that: 'My writing is really an attempt to understand myself and my situation in society and in history'. Seeing someone so succinctly describe not just his own writing but his own relationship to his writing was intriguing. Reading the stories in Minutes of Glory it becomes clear to what extent his short stories indeed function as a king of soul-searching for Thiong'o. These stories deal extensively with Kenyan history, but also with the different expectations of his society. We see men and women struggling with their role, with the expectations on them, with their interactions with their elders. Much of this is very recognisable, even to a Western reader, while some offer insight to readers like myself. Others, however, are new and confronting. The way he evokes the internal battle of having been colonised and having that forever change and shape your culture honestly impressed the weight of colonial history upon my mind once again. When reading Japanese fiction I came to appreciate the different tone and style of Japanese writing, and similarly I have found something different to appreciate in Thiong'o's writing. There is a matter-of-factness, mixed with real insight, in Minutes of Glory which meant that each story had me gripped. I will definitely be looking out for more books by Thiong'o.
Minutes of Glory is a great collection of stories which have not just introduced me to Thiong'o but also made me appreciate the role literature has in understanding history, society, and culture. It also made me re-assess some of what I knew about Kenya's history, which I found very valuable.
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
Short stories are, for me, one of the best ways to get a taste for a culture, for a history, for a people. Because we all tell stories into which we pour our history, our loves, our fears, our beliefs, and our anger. While stories are a good introduction, it is nonetheless worthwhile to know some of the history of their country of origin. The Republic of Kenya has a history full of conflict, largely brought in from the outside. By the 15th century, Mombasa was a great trading city and became known to the Portuguese Empire. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Masai people settled in Kenya, taking over the Bantu people. Colonisation found them towards the end of the 18th century, first through a German protectorate, then via the Imperial British East Africa Company. The breakout of WWI also affected African colonies through proxy wars, as Western powers tried to keep each other busy there to prevent further fighting within Europe itself. As settlers established themselves, they began to occupy more and more land through land titles, which local farmers did not have, and so edged out the local population. This led to the Mau Mau Uprising from 1952 to 1959. During this uprising up to 80,000 Kikuyu were detained in detention camps and subjected to horrible treatment. The uprising was eventually defeated and saw many Kikuyu farmers stripped of their lands. British Imperial control came to an end on 12 December 1963 and Jomo Kenyatta became the Republic's first president. While independence is always the goal, it is not a happy ending in and of itself, as many previously colonised countries struggle to establish for themselves and identity and systems away from their colonised past. This history, especially the Mau Mau Uprising and the loss of land by local farmers play a major role in many of the stories in Minutes of Glory. While the stories themselves give enough background to understand, I nonetheless felt it was important to give this background here as well.
Minutes of Glory is split into four parts, each containing a number of stories. The first part is 'Of Mothers and Children' and features the story 'Mugumo', about a young woman, marriage, and the mugumo tree; 'The Rain Came Down', a story of motherhood, loss, and letting go; and 'Gone with the Drought', a really tragic story of family, famine, and madness. 'Fighters and Martyrs' is the second part. 'The Village Priest' tells the tale of a man struggling between the Christian faith and the faith of his people, while 'The Black Bird' describes the impact of strongly-held beliefs. 'The Martyr' is written from the perspective of white settlers and one of their servants and masterfully describes the different tensions of humanity, loyalty, and domination at play in this relationship. It is a brilliant story. 'The Return' shows a man coming home after having been imprisoned in a detention camp during the Mau Mau Uprising. Is his village waiting for him, or has time left its imprint here as well? 'A Meeting in the Dark' describes the pressures of living in two worlds, the village and the expectations of the new, white world. (This story does feature discussion of female circumcision, i.e. Female Genital Mutilation. The last story of this part if 'Goodbye Africa', another story told from the perspective of white settlers as they look back on their role in the "shaping" of Kenya.
Part three, 'Secret Lives' concerns itself with exactly what the title suggests. 'Minutes of Glory', the title story, tells of a young woman who simply, for a few minutes, wants to be everything she dreamed of, even if life has been a series of disappointments. 'Wedding at the Cross' shows a man losing himself in his desire to seem worthy, while his wife always knew him as good. 'A Mercedes Funeral' is perhaps one of the most tragic stories in Minutes of Glory as it describes the way the life and death of a man became a way for those around them to consider themselves better. 'The Mubenzi Tribesman' combines elements of 'The Return' and 'The Village Priest', showing a young man torn between a White life and the hopes of his tribe. Part four, 'Shadows and Priests' was perhaps my favourite part, featuring Thiong'o's most recent stories. 'Without a Shadow of a Doubt' is almost biographical, telling of Thiong'o' and his brother's experiments concerning shadows and how it led them to great truths. 'The Ghost of Michael Jackson' plays with supernatural elements while critiquing the blind adoration towards priests. This is a playful story, and perhaps also my favourite of the collection.
These stories were my first introduction to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and I am once again immensely pleased at discovering a new author. In the Preface Thiong'o states that: 'My writing is really an attempt to understand myself and my situation in society and in history'. Seeing someone so succinctly describe not just his own writing but his own relationship to his writing was intriguing. Reading the stories in Minutes of Glory it becomes clear to what extent his short stories indeed function as a king of soul-searching for Thiong'o. These stories deal extensively with Kenyan history, but also with the different expectations of his society. We see men and women struggling with their role, with the expectations on them, with their interactions with their elders. Much of this is very recognisable, even to a Western reader, while some offer insight to readers like myself. Others, however, are new and confronting. The way he evokes the internal battle of having been colonised and having that forever change and shape your culture honestly impressed the weight of colonial history upon my mind once again. When reading Japanese fiction I came to appreciate the different tone and style of Japanese writing, and similarly I have found something different to appreciate in Thiong'o's writing. There is a matter-of-factness, mixed with real insight, in Minutes of Glory which meant that each story had me gripped. I will definitely be looking out for more books by Thiong'o.
Minutes of Glory is a great collection of stories which have not just introduced me to Thiong'o but also made me appreciate the role literature has in understanding history, society, and culture. It also made me re-assess some of what I knew about Kenya's history, which I found very valuable.
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
December 16, 2018
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.
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.
September 11, 2022
Collection of stories by the Kenyan author is set during British colonial rule and resistance in Kenya into early days of independence. I appreciated the range of perspectives and experiences highlighted in this book and it was a p quick read. Global South melancholia is definitely one of my favorite things to read
February 20, 2023
4.5 stars
Having wanted to read Ngugi Wa Thiong’o for some time, a short story collection seemed a perfect way to be introduced to his writing. Minutes of Glory contains stories written as early as the 1960’s all the way up to 2012 with the first three parts covering his writing from 1961-1971 and the last two stories much later. All the stories are set in or around the town of Limuru in Kenya and are set in both pre- and post-independence and feature both male and female main characters. For the stories that feature women more prominently, children are a big part of them, they can’t have them or have lost them although the titular story, one of my favorites, is about a young woman who takes a chance on making her life better, even if only for a moment.
Religion is also another topic that features a lot, usually in a negative way due largely to its association with the colonialists but not always. We see the battle between the old ways and the new and the ignorance or corruption of the priests, the latter of which is illustrated wonderfully in the final story, The Ghost of Michael Jackson. Corruption also features in another favorite, The Mercedes Funeral which shows that independence did not remove that aspect of government while several other stories have characters who believed idealistically that independence would mean more opportunities for all Kenyans.
Colonialism gained in 1963 naturally features, sometimes it is in subtle references, in other stories it is much more overt; The Martyr and Goodbye Africa come to mind and illustrate effectively the way in which the British viewed the black Kenyans. Other themes include men returning from war or prison only to find that life has moved on without them, what we will do for love and how our fortunes can rise and fall over night. One of the more recently written stories was inspired by Ngugi’s brother Njinji and written as a gift for his daughter and is touching and thought provoking in a simple and heartfelt way.
Overall Ngugi Wa Thiong’o seems a master of the short story but I know he has better known for his fiction and non-fiction. This makes me excited to try other works he has written and if anyone has suggestions where to start to let me know.
Having wanted to read Ngugi Wa Thiong’o for some time, a short story collection seemed a perfect way to be introduced to his writing. Minutes of Glory contains stories written as early as the 1960’s all the way up to 2012 with the first three parts covering his writing from 1961-1971 and the last two stories much later. All the stories are set in or around the town of Limuru in Kenya and are set in both pre- and post-independence and feature both male and female main characters. For the stories that feature women more prominently, children are a big part of them, they can’t have them or have lost them although the titular story, one of my favorites, is about a young woman who takes a chance on making her life better, even if only for a moment.
Religion is also another topic that features a lot, usually in a negative way due largely to its association with the colonialists but not always. We see the battle between the old ways and the new and the ignorance or corruption of the priests, the latter of which is illustrated wonderfully in the final story, The Ghost of Michael Jackson. Corruption also features in another favorite, The Mercedes Funeral which shows that independence did not remove that aspect of government while several other stories have characters who believed idealistically that independence would mean more opportunities for all Kenyans.
Colonialism gained in 1963 naturally features, sometimes it is in subtle references, in other stories it is much more overt; The Martyr and Goodbye Africa come to mind and illustrate effectively the way in which the British viewed the black Kenyans. Other themes include men returning from war or prison only to find that life has moved on without them, what we will do for love and how our fortunes can rise and fall over night. One of the more recently written stories was inspired by Ngugi’s brother Njinji and written as a gift for his daughter and is touching and thought provoking in a simple and heartfelt way.
Overall Ngugi Wa Thiong’o seems a master of the short story but I know he has better known for his fiction and non-fiction. This makes me excited to try other works he has written and if anyone has suggestions where to start to let me know.
May 1, 2019
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.
January 5, 2020
This remarkable collection of short stories, written by Ngugi wa Thiong’o, has the power to conquer the reader’s attention with its style and the magical atmosphere that pervades all of them. In fact, nature is described as an active actor that shares and represents the feelings of the characters. Set in the period between British colonial rule and resistance in Kenya and the independence, these short stories reflect on several issues such as women’s condition, the role of Christianity in the colonial period, corruption, lack of education and famine.
First of all, women are portrayed as the inferior sex in a patriarchal society. They are treated harshly by violent husbands and if unable to procreate they are portrayed as impure or unclean. They are considered more prone to madness and sometimes they feel powerless and frustrated. African men, at the head of the patriarchal society, are also made inferior by white European settlers because their blackness is considered synonym with shame. They are forced to convert into their faith and obliged to become soldiers to their Christian God to rescue their tribes from a supposed eternal damnation. The arrival of white missionaries, farmers and administrators has changed completely their society and they have gradually become victims of a cruel wave of violence and the object of a forced and unwanted civilization because seen as savage and not as human beings. They have been steadily displaced from their lands by European settlers and forced to sheep-walk. Even if they tried to rebel, they lacked education, the key to a better future, and therefore condemned to a future of sweat and toil or to a period in detention camps. Those who had the possibility to educate themselves chose to learn English and behave like Europeans, erasing completely their African roots. They are represented by the author as living in an ivory tower of privilege and arrogance. Therefore, Kenyan’s rebellion is a fighting against invisibility and even a minute a glory is sufficient to save them from eternal obscurity.
First of all, women are portrayed as the inferior sex in a patriarchal society. They are treated harshly by violent husbands and if unable to procreate they are portrayed as impure or unclean. They are considered more prone to madness and sometimes they feel powerless and frustrated. African men, at the head of the patriarchal society, are also made inferior by white European settlers because their blackness is considered synonym with shame. They are forced to convert into their faith and obliged to become soldiers to their Christian God to rescue their tribes from a supposed eternal damnation. The arrival of white missionaries, farmers and administrators has changed completely their society and they have gradually become victims of a cruel wave of violence and the object of a forced and unwanted civilization because seen as savage and not as human beings. They have been steadily displaced from their lands by European settlers and forced to sheep-walk. Even if they tried to rebel, they lacked education, the key to a better future, and therefore condemned to a future of sweat and toil or to a period in detention camps. Those who had the possibility to educate themselves chose to learn English and behave like Europeans, erasing completely their African roots. They are represented by the author as living in an ivory tower of privilege and arrogance. Therefore, Kenyan’s rebellion is a fighting against invisibility and even a minute a glory is sufficient to save them from eternal obscurity.
February 1, 2019
I got this as an Advance Reading Copy (so the final version could be different). I was already in the middle of several books, but I got so absorbed by this one that I still read it in three days.
The stories are organized thematically—Mothers & Children, Fighters & Martyrs, Secret Lives, and Shadows & Priests. As a general rule, I liked each story better than the last.
Prior to this book, the only book I had read by Ngũgĩ was Wizard of the Crow , which was a hilarious novel full of magic. Because of this, I was initially surprised to see the realism and seriousness of most stories in Minutes of Glory (with the exception of "The Ghost of Michael Jackson"), but they were still excellent. Some highlights:
"The Martyr" is a fascinating critique of liberal colonialism and the ways that colonialism prevents people from seeing each other as fully human. "Wedding at the Cross" deals with class and the politics of respectability in a powerful way. "A Mercedes Funeral" is a wild ride all the way through.
My favorites were the last two stories. "Without a Shadow of Doubt" is a really cute story that seemed to be nonfictional/autobiographical about the narrator and his brother trying to catch shadows as children and the discoveries they made. "The Ghost of Michael Jackson" was a bizarre fantasy story critiquing the hypocrisy of religious leaders.
Overall, this is the best short story collection I've read in a while, and I plan to go find more of Ngũgĩ's books.
The stories are organized thematically—Mothers & Children, Fighters & Martyrs, Secret Lives, and Shadows & Priests. As a general rule, I liked each story better than the last.
Prior to this book, the only book I had read by Ngũgĩ was Wizard of the Crow , which was a hilarious novel full of magic. Because of this, I was initially surprised to see the realism and seriousness of most stories in Minutes of Glory (with the exception of "The Ghost of Michael Jackson"), but they were still excellent. Some highlights:
"The Martyr" is a fascinating critique of liberal colonialism and the ways that colonialism prevents people from seeing each other as fully human. "Wedding at the Cross" deals with class and the politics of respectability in a powerful way. "A Mercedes Funeral" is a wild ride all the way through.
My favorites were the last two stories. "Without a Shadow of Doubt" is a really cute story that seemed to be nonfictional/autobiographical about the narrator and his brother trying to catch shadows as children and the discoveries they made. "The Ghost of Michael Jackson" was a bizarre fantasy story critiquing the hypocrisy of religious leaders.
Overall, this is the best short story collection I've read in a while, and I plan to go find more of Ngũgĩ's books.
June 10, 2025
Minutes of Glory and Other Stories is a semi-autobiographical collection of short stories. The author, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, grew up in post-colonial Kenya. His stories feature themes of colonization, racism, Kenyan culture, and the effects of poverty.
This collection had its highs and lows, though most of the stories failed to hit their mark. The prose of the stories feels stilted.
My favorites of this collection include:
The Martyr: A worker for a wealthy white matron reflects on an upsurge of violence against foreign residents
A Meeting in the Dark: An educated son of a Christian convert tries to hide from the sins he's committed
Goodbye Africa: A white Englishman desires to leave Africa with his wife
A Wedding at the Cross: A converted wife desperately misses her husband's personality before he converted
Without a Shadow of Doubt: Beautiful remembrance of childhood
Other stories like A Mercedes Funeral and Minutes of Glory really fell flat for me. They droned on too long to have an effective ending.
This collection had its highs and lows, though most of the stories failed to hit their mark. The prose of the stories feels stilted.
My favorites of this collection include:
The Martyr: A worker for a wealthy white matron reflects on an upsurge of violence against foreign residents
A Meeting in the Dark: An educated son of a Christian convert tries to hide from the sins he's committed
Goodbye Africa: A white Englishman desires to leave Africa with his wife
A Wedding at the Cross: A converted wife desperately misses her husband's personality before he converted
Without a Shadow of Doubt: Beautiful remembrance of childhood
Other stories like A Mercedes Funeral and Minutes of Glory really fell flat for me. They droned on too long to have an effective ending.
January 15, 2020
That aside, Minutes of Glory is a short story collection to describe. Thiong'o provides readers with slices of life stories of Kenyans before, during and (immediately) after the colonial era focusing on the region of the country. He weaves in themes of colonisation, race and religion into the everyday lives of the Africans and the British in a simple but captivating manner.
This short story collection took me by surprise when I picked it up the second time around. Honestly, the first time around when I picked it up I read it through like a novel but found it frustrating because I could not see the connection among the different characters... Nonetheless, I am glad that I gave it a second shot because I resonated with his stories and longed to read about this era from our other Kenyan authors.
This short story collection took me by surprise when I picked it up the second time around. Honestly, the first time around when I picked it up I read it through like a novel but found it frustrating because I could not see the connection among the different characters... Nonetheless, I am glad that I gave it a second shot because I resonated with his stories and longed to read about this era from our other Kenyan authors.
July 24, 2025
De Brasil vamos a Kenia con "Minutos de gloria y otros cuentos" de Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, publicado por Editorial Empatía @edempatia.
Hace unos cuantos años leí una novela suya, "El brujo del cuervo", recomendada por Euge @eugehuinchulef, que me gustó mucho. Surgió la oportunidad de conseguir este libro a través del Tinder de Pila de Libros @piladelibros, me acordé del autor y le di para adelante.
Es una colección que reúne sus primeros relatos, escritos desde su época universitaria hasta principios de los años setenta, coincidiendo con la independencia de Kenia. Él vivió de primera mano la revuelta Mau Mau (1952-1962) y esa experiencia marcó sus cuentos. Son historias melancólicas, atravesadas por una sensación de derrota y desesperanza que refleja la realidad de un pueblo sometido. Aclaro que si bien son tristes, no llegan a ser devastadores, y se dejan leer sin afectar el ánimo. Hay una constante: sus personajes luchan, cada uno a su modo, contra un entorno que los aplasta. La prosa de Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o es directa, sin ornamentos, pero efectiva para transmitir esa atmósfera de opresión y resistencia silenciosa.
Una lectura para acercarse a la literatura africana contemporánea y conocer el impacto del colonialismo en las sociedades que lo padecieron.
Publicado originalmente en https://www.instagram.com/p/DMeHs98MqTg/
Hace unos cuantos años leí una novela suya, "El brujo del cuervo", recomendada por Euge @eugehuinchulef, que me gustó mucho. Surgió la oportunidad de conseguir este libro a través del Tinder de Pila de Libros @piladelibros, me acordé del autor y le di para adelante.
Es una colección que reúne sus primeros relatos, escritos desde su época universitaria hasta principios de los años setenta, coincidiendo con la independencia de Kenia. Él vivió de primera mano la revuelta Mau Mau (1952-1962) y esa experiencia marcó sus cuentos. Son historias melancólicas, atravesadas por una sensación de derrota y desesperanza que refleja la realidad de un pueblo sometido. Aclaro que si bien son tristes, no llegan a ser devastadores, y se dejan leer sin afectar el ánimo. Hay una constante: sus personajes luchan, cada uno a su modo, contra un entorno que los aplasta. La prosa de Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o es directa, sin ornamentos, pero efectiva para transmitir esa atmósfera de opresión y resistencia silenciosa.
Una lectura para acercarse a la literatura africana contemporánea y conocer el impacto del colonialismo en las sociedades que lo padecieron.
Publicado originalmente en https://www.instagram.com/p/DMeHs98MqTg/
July 20, 2019
Short stories from a Kenyan writer (now in his 80s a literature professor in California), mostly from the 1960s, touching on the lives of native Kenyans, colonialism, the Mau Mau rebellion, later freedom, and the changes under newly developed national wealth and a new class of leaders (many corrupt, venal, and violent). Some stories (those written earlier, I guess from the prefaces) are simple and straightforward, while others written later are more complexly structured and get into some very interesting characters, settings, and situations.
June 29, 2020
Usually, in a short story collection, there are lots of ups and downs. It's the type of book that normally gets an average rating because of that. This book though, it's got strong story after strong story with only one exception. I was only unable to connect to the Mercedes story, and after a couple of tries gave up in order to appreciate the remainder of the book.
These stories from Kenya collect so many perspectives: you get the girl working at a bar feeling unloved, the religious boy meant for the white school who has a child on the way, a convert feeling as though he's praying to the wrong God, the husband doing everything he can to show his bride's family he's worth it, a woman envying another's child, a priest brainwashing his parish.. even though some of the stories are only a couple of pages long, you are able to connect with the characters and feel as if you understand what they are going through. Very well written and enjoyable.
Also, this cover is beautiful. I'm a sucker for a beautiful cover.
(book obtained from netgalley, to provide my personal opinion)
These stories from Kenya collect so many perspectives: you get the girl working at a bar feeling unloved, the religious boy meant for the white school who has a child on the way, a convert feeling as though he's praying to the wrong God, the husband doing everything he can to show his bride's family he's worth it, a woman envying another's child, a priest brainwashing his parish.. even though some of the stories are only a couple of pages long, you are able to connect with the characters and feel as if you understand what they are going through. Very well written and enjoyable.
Also, this cover is beautiful. I'm a sucker for a beautiful cover.
(book obtained from netgalley, to provide my personal opinion)
February 12, 2021
Early on in my reading of this, I was a little on the fence. I enjoyed the stories, but it took me reading through a handful of them before I started getting used to Ngũgĩ's style.
That being said, don't pass this collection by. After reading a few stories, I reached that quickening where I didn't want to put this book down. The complex emotions carried in each of these stories were multitudes. The longer stories stand out to me as the most immersive, but the shorter tales are all the more densely packed.
That being said, don't pass this collection by. After reading a few stories, I reached that quickening where I didn't want to put this book down. The complex emotions carried in each of these stories were multitudes. The longer stories stand out to me as the most immersive, but the shorter tales are all the more densely packed.
December 22, 2019
Short stories reveal the soul of a people. In this collection by the “giant of Kenyan letters” Ngugi wa Thiong’o, I had the chance to meet Kenyans: their history and idiosyncrasies. I found it especially powerful the impact of European colonizers and the profound effects of religion (mine included) in their way of life.
Favourite stories:
Black Bird
Without a shadow of a doubt
A meeting in the dark
The Ghost of Michael Jackson
Favourite stories:
Black Bird
Without a shadow of a doubt
A meeting in the dark
The Ghost of Michael Jackson
July 15, 2020
Beautiful prose and poignant stories. Well told observations of macro events like colonialism and patriarchal societies but from perspectives of wonderfully well-formed individuals. It's best to take this one slow and savor each story individually rather than expect or seek out a comprehensive universe or theme.
Three stars designation is entirely on me as I was unable to ever find a rhythm with the stories as a whole and wanted to find a common theme throughout.
Three stars designation is entirely on me as I was unable to ever find a rhythm with the stories as a whole and wanted to find a common theme throughout.
July 12, 2019
It doesn't matter that I didn't love every story here. This felt like I book I should read for its history and literary history, and I'm glad I did. I liked the organization of the collection. I found a few stories sexist, but was that the author or the narrator? I liked how themes were repeated. I loved the sense of place.
September 20, 2022
These 15 stories take place at various time throughout Kenya's history: colonial, the fight for independence, post-colonial. They are all good stories and also thought provoking, revealing many different perspectives. I liked them all, but have a definite favorite, which is: Without a Shadow of a Doubt.
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