What do you think?
Rate this book
For you I’d steal a goat
This short story collection is filled with memorable characters, intriguing plots and twist endings. With his keen observations and insights into human nature, Mhlongo explores the things people do for each other, but also to each other. Injustice, corruption, love and desire are just some of the aspects of human interaction featured here.
A family refuses to leave when the bank repossesses their house; stalking has an unexpected outcome; a desensitised morgue manager is spooked; and more!
A family refuses to leave when the bank repossesses their house; stalking has an unexpected outcome; a desensitised morgue manager is spooked; and more!
192 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2022
13 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
Niq Mhlongo
17 books81 followersMhlongo was born in Midway-Chiawelo, Soweto, the seventh of nine children, and raised in Soweto. His father, who died when Mhlongo was a teenager, worked as a post-office sweeper. Mhlongo was sent to Limpopo Province, the province his mother came from, to finish high school. Initially failing his matriculation exam in October 1990,[1] Mhlongo completed his matric at Malenga High School in 1991. He studied African literature and political studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, gaining a BA in 1996. In 1997 he enrolled to study law there, transferring to the University of Cape Town the following year. In 2000 he discontinued university study to write his first novel, Dog Eat Dog.[2]
He has been called, "one of the most high-spirited and irreverent new voices of South Africa's post-apartheid literary scene".[1]
Mhlongo has presented his work at key African cultural venues, including the Caine Prize Workshop and the Zanzibar International Film Festival, and was a 2008 International Writing Program fellow at the University of Iowa.[3] His work has been translated into Spanish and Italian.
He has been called, "one of the most high-spirited and irreverent new voices of South Africa's post-apartheid literary scene".[1]
Mhlongo has presented his work at key African cultural venues, including the Caine Prize Workshop and the Zanzibar International Film Festival, and was a 2008 International Writing Program fellow at the University of Iowa.[3] His work has been translated into Spanish and Italian.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 17, 2022
If you are familiar with Niq's style and form of writing, you know that the content will be Msawawa all the way. Ten short sharp reflective short stories written with true grit with slivers of humour. Many memorable characters with a few women slaying dragons. My faves were Displaced, The Stalker, The In-laws, My Lover's Secret and For You, I'd Steal a Goat. Unwelcomed Guests is art imitating a life across our townships we all know too well and, Woman to Woman had an arresting twist towards the end.
Niq doesn't shy away from social commentary on current affairs, therefore Ghost Story, is a searing ghoulish account of a familiar violent means adopted by South Africans when they fail to hold those they've voted into government to account for the disintegration of service delivery across all sectors in our country.
You'll find a familiar story or two😉, if you have read Joburg Noir and Hauntings respectively.
Niq has a a rare skill; that is a measured control of information to his readers, and THAT folks, is what makes a winning short story.
For You, I'd Steal a Goat is available widely.
Niq doesn't shy away from social commentary on current affairs, therefore Ghost Story, is a searing ghoulish account of a familiar violent means adopted by South Africans when they fail to hold those they've voted into government to account for the disintegration of service delivery across all sectors in our country.
You'll find a familiar story or two😉, if you have read Joburg Noir and Hauntings respectively.
Niq has a a rare skill; that is a measured control of information to his readers, and THAT folks, is what makes a winning short story.
For You, I'd Steal a Goat is available widely.
February 20, 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)
Don't be fooled by the funky title of this short story collection because far from having funny little stories, this book contains stories with great social commentary, a very stairical sense of humour and characters that are very realistic in their (in)humanity.
As I have always done with short story collections, I'll review each story individually as best as I can. So here goes,
Unwelcome Guests: This is a story of a family whose house has been taken from them by the bank and the new owners of the house torment the old ones relentlessly. The slightly ridiculous situation of this particular story was very fun to read and I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially because of Mhlongo's easy writing.
My Lover's Secret: This story was a look into the lives of queer black women who have to suffer at the hands of their family and friends. I found this story quite engaging to read and was pleasantly surprised by how good a story Mhlongo had weaved in just a few pages. Also, I was quite taken in by the double plot twist of the story.
Displaced: This particular story takes us back in time and to a darker period of South African history, that is during the time of apartheid. The story while engaging was fairly hard to read due to all the raw suffering depicted in it. The writing and the characterisation in this story was impeccable and if this idea was expanded into a full novel, I'd definitely read it.
Johustlerburg Prison Cell: A story of a drunk driver finding himself in a prison along with someone quite unexpected. This was probably one of my least favourite stories in the collection because it did not seem to have much of a point or maybe I'd just missed it? But this story simply did not strike with me. It was, however, short so that was good.
The Stalker: A man stalks a woman and finds a big surprise. I had kind of guessed the twist from the beginning so it didn't surprise me much when it did come. However, this story left me with a lot of conflicting feelings, especially as the one cheating gets away with it. Apart from that aspect, this story also showcased the casual sexism that the elders of the community partake in, which was, sadly, quite relatable to me.
Fireplace: The story of a political leader and how he is betrayed. This was one of the most interesting reads because it delved deep into dirty politics and a lot of points raised here were ones I completely agreed with. I didn't like any of the characters in the story precisely because they weren't made to be likable, however, they were all pretty realistic in their depiction. In fact, I can imagine this exact situation, with a few changes, happening in some rich political person's life.
Woman to Woman: A wife discovers the infidelity of her husband. This one of the hardest stories to read because it hit so close home. But on the other hand, the rawness of this made this one of my favourites. Just as the title depicts, this story is a conversation between two women and how each have suffered at the hands of the other. Definitely one of the best stories in the book.
Ghost Story: A morgue worker is spooked by strange occurences. I really like this particular story for the specific reason that this showcases the author's ability to see situations without any prejudice. The depiction of extremely graphic violence in this was a bit jarring but it also brought out a different kind of reality.
The In-Laws: A woman suffers at the hands of her in-laws after the untimely death of her husband. This story is the depiction of a very real situation made fictional. I liked this story quite a bit, especially because of the happy ending, even though it could be considered unrealistic by some.
For You, I'd Steal a Goat: The title story is exactly what it says. Someone steals a goat for someone else. This was a very strange story with an equally strange ending and I don't really know how I feel about it except bemused.
Overall, this was a very rich collection with stories depicting very realistic situations and peppered with very real characters. I found this author by chance so it's quite surprising that I ended up liking the collection as much as I did. I definitely look forward to reading something more by him in the future.
Bottom line: A very interesting line-up of short stories.
Don't be fooled by the funky title of this short story collection because far from having funny little stories, this book contains stories with great social commentary, a very stairical sense of humour and characters that are very realistic in their (in)humanity.
As I have always done with short story collections, I'll review each story individually as best as I can. So here goes,
Unwelcome Guests: This is a story of a family whose house has been taken from them by the bank and the new owners of the house torment the old ones relentlessly. The slightly ridiculous situation of this particular story was very fun to read and I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially because of Mhlongo's easy writing.
My Lover's Secret: This story was a look into the lives of queer black women who have to suffer at the hands of their family and friends. I found this story quite engaging to read and was pleasantly surprised by how good a story Mhlongo had weaved in just a few pages. Also, I was quite taken in by the double plot twist of the story.
Displaced: This particular story takes us back in time and to a darker period of South African history, that is during the time of apartheid. The story while engaging was fairly hard to read due to all the raw suffering depicted in it. The writing and the characterisation in this story was impeccable and if this idea was expanded into a full novel, I'd definitely read it.
Johustlerburg Prison Cell: A story of a drunk driver finding himself in a prison along with someone quite unexpected. This was probably one of my least favourite stories in the collection because it did not seem to have much of a point or maybe I'd just missed it? But this story simply did not strike with me. It was, however, short so that was good.
The Stalker: A man stalks a woman and finds a big surprise. I had kind of guessed the twist from the beginning so it didn't surprise me much when it did come. However, this story left me with a lot of conflicting feelings, especially as the one cheating gets away with it. Apart from that aspect, this story also showcased the casual sexism that the elders of the community partake in, which was, sadly, quite relatable to me.
Fireplace: The story of a political leader and how he is betrayed. This was one of the most interesting reads because it delved deep into dirty politics and a lot of points raised here were ones I completely agreed with. I didn't like any of the characters in the story precisely because they weren't made to be likable, however, they were all pretty realistic in their depiction. In fact, I can imagine this exact situation, with a few changes, happening in some rich political person's life.
Woman to Woman: A wife discovers the infidelity of her husband. This one of the hardest stories to read because it hit so close home. But on the other hand, the rawness of this made this one of my favourites. Just as the title depicts, this story is a conversation between two women and how each have suffered at the hands of the other. Definitely one of the best stories in the book.
Ghost Story: A morgue worker is spooked by strange occurences. I really like this particular story for the specific reason that this showcases the author's ability to see situations without any prejudice. The depiction of extremely graphic violence in this was a bit jarring but it also brought out a different kind of reality.
The In-Laws: A woman suffers at the hands of her in-laws after the untimely death of her husband. This story is the depiction of a very real situation made fictional. I liked this story quite a bit, especially because of the happy ending, even though it could be considered unrealistic by some.
For You, I'd Steal a Goat: The title story is exactly what it says. Someone steals a goat for someone else. This was a very strange story with an equally strange ending and I don't really know how I feel about it except bemused.
Overall, this was a very rich collection with stories depicting very realistic situations and peppered with very real characters. I found this author by chance so it's quite surprising that I ended up liking the collection as much as I did. I definitely look forward to reading something more by him in the future.
Bottom line: A very interesting line-up of short stories.
April 13, 2023
I don't read a lot of African Literature, chalk it up to plain ol' preference but I thought I should give this a try.
This is a collection of 10 short stories and a collection is hard to rate because obviously, you won't like all of the stories.
That's the case here. My favorite is definitely The Fireplace and where it to be expanded into an actual novel, I would definitely read it. The story was captivating, it's the kind of stuff I like and I was left wanting more.
My least favorite were My Lover's Secret, The Stalker, The In-Laws and Ghost Story. For some of these, I did not particularly like the anti-men and anti-marriage sentiments they presented. For some, I was asking myself what the point was.
The ones I'm in the middle about or found just okay are Woman to Woman, Displaced, Johustlerburg Prison Cell and the title story, For You I'd Steal A Goat. One was generic, the other was heartwarming but not spectacular, another was corny and the last was just meh. Also, Unwelcome Guests was very intriguing and thrilling. It really captured my attention but the ending was unsatisfying.
It's 2.5⭐ but since I can't rate it like that on GR, 2 it is coz 3 would be too generous for me.
This is a collection of 10 short stories and a collection is hard to rate because obviously, you won't like all of the stories.
That's the case here. My favorite is definitely The Fireplace and where it to be expanded into an actual novel, I would definitely read it. The story was captivating, it's the kind of stuff I like and I was left wanting more.
My least favorite were My Lover's Secret, The Stalker, The In-Laws and Ghost Story. For some of these, I did not particularly like the anti-men and anti-marriage sentiments they presented. For some, I was asking myself what the point was.
The ones I'm in the middle about or found just okay are Woman to Woman, Displaced, Johustlerburg Prison Cell and the title story, For You I'd Steal A Goat. One was generic, the other was heartwarming but not spectacular, another was corny and the last was just meh. Also, Unwelcome Guests was very intriguing and thrilling. It really captured my attention but the ending was unsatisfying.
It's 2.5⭐ but since I can't rate it like that on GR, 2 it is coz 3 would be too generous for me.
July 14, 2022
A well-written ten short story collection, For You I’d Steal a Goat is about survival as Niq Mhlongo described his latest offering.
This third short story collection by Now Mhlongo takes the reader through captivating characters crafting survival strategies to navigate social complexities.
Miles away from typical stories leaving the reader further hopeless; the author gave his characters unshakable resolve and resilience. We see displaced communities out-lasting erasure and oppression. An artist attempts to appease ancestors by stealing and then slaughtering a goat. Law enforcement and a desperate family outplaying corrupted power figures; and strong black women out-witting toxic patriarchy entrenched in African culture.
Mhlongo’s pen mightily interrogates if economic circumstances have changed for the black majority by tackling the infamous political rhetoric of poverty, inequalities and unemployment.
Owing to the interweaving timely themes in this collection readers could hear the different characters in each of the ten short stories having a nuanced conversation about patriarchy, African spirituality, family expectations and various definitions of survival.
With a mixture of character-driven and theme-based stories, this collection is an exceptionally simple yet heart-hitting showcase in the art of short story writing.
See full book review below:
https://consciousness.co.za/for-you-i...
#shortstories#fictional #toxicmusculanity #Afrophobia #bookreview
This third short story collection by Now Mhlongo takes the reader through captivating characters crafting survival strategies to navigate social complexities.
Miles away from typical stories leaving the reader further hopeless; the author gave his characters unshakable resolve and resilience. We see displaced communities out-lasting erasure and oppression. An artist attempts to appease ancestors by stealing and then slaughtering a goat. Law enforcement and a desperate family outplaying corrupted power figures; and strong black women out-witting toxic patriarchy entrenched in African culture.
Mhlongo’s pen mightily interrogates if economic circumstances have changed for the black majority by tackling the infamous political rhetoric of poverty, inequalities and unemployment.
Owing to the interweaving timely themes in this collection readers could hear the different characters in each of the ten short stories having a nuanced conversation about patriarchy, African spirituality, family expectations and various definitions of survival.
With a mixture of character-driven and theme-based stories, this collection is an exceptionally simple yet heart-hitting showcase in the art of short story writing.
See full book review below:
https://consciousness.co.za/for-you-i...
#shortstories#fictional #toxicmusculanity #Afrophobia #bookreview
October 11, 2025
3,5 de kwaliteit van de verhalen zwakte gedurende het boek wat af maar wel leuke korte verhalen collectie over Zuid-Afrika
May 26, 2022
#foryouidstealagoat – Niq Mhlongo
#kwela
This colourful collection consists of ten short stories rooted in South African life; it explores human nature and what people do for and to each other. Subjects include corruption; betrayal; injustice; xenophobia; loyalty; love and everything in between. Ordinarily I find it very hard to allocate a star rating to a compilation; inevitably there would be some strong elements, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This was no issue with this delightful book; every individual story deserves a 5-star rating.
The variety was fascinating and illustrates a keen insight into human nature. What most impressed me was the author’s ability to use people from several walks of life as first-person narrators – and succeeding very convincingly in doing so. One is a young schoolboy; one a gay woman; one a law student and one an aspiring actor. The plots are intriguing: a family house is repossessed by the bank, but, since eviction was forbidden during the state of disaster, they were forced to allow the new owner to reside with them – with hilarious consequences; a desensitised morgue manager who stores six-packs of Castle Lager next to the corpses experiences a spooky encounter; South Africans trapped in Germany during the lockdown plans to steal a goat to appease the ancestors; a corrupt politician’s arrogance causes his downfall and a widow has to fight her in-laws in court whilst grieving for her deceased husband.
It is impossible to pick a favourite, but ‘Displaced’ (dealing with the forced removals in Sophiatown on 9 February 1955) will haunt me for a while. Two quotes therein deserve specific mention; ‘Sometimes our mistakes correct us.’ (69) and ‘…love is like God. It is everywhere, even in our dreams.’ (81) Although the corrupt politician in ‘Fireplace’ is not a likeable character at all (he describes his constituents as ‘They are a nuisance, sublime nincompoops.’ – 116) he also makes some interesting statements regarding lies: ‘We lie because we are complex beings… a lie is a work of art that those who are simple-minded…. can never really master… He told you a beautiful lie with great imagination and elegance. He is a genius.’ (132)
The author has previously published 4 novels and 2 short story collections; one of the latter has won both the Herman Charles Bosman prize and the Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award in 2019. I am intrigued by his work and intend to get hold of his other work in due course.
In closing, on a lighter note, the title both delighted and amused me; apart from being brilliantly unique, it reminded me of a saying that I grew up with; when a friend had a particularly handsome brother, we used to say: ‘For you I’d kill the bull…. But for your brother I’d kill you!’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#Uitdieperdsebek
NB-Uitgewers/Publishers
#kwela
This colourful collection consists of ten short stories rooted in South African life; it explores human nature and what people do for and to each other. Subjects include corruption; betrayal; injustice; xenophobia; loyalty; love and everything in between. Ordinarily I find it very hard to allocate a star rating to a compilation; inevitably there would be some strong elements, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This was no issue with this delightful book; every individual story deserves a 5-star rating.
The variety was fascinating and illustrates a keen insight into human nature. What most impressed me was the author’s ability to use people from several walks of life as first-person narrators – and succeeding very convincingly in doing so. One is a young schoolboy; one a gay woman; one a law student and one an aspiring actor. The plots are intriguing: a family house is repossessed by the bank, but, since eviction was forbidden during the state of disaster, they were forced to allow the new owner to reside with them – with hilarious consequences; a desensitised morgue manager who stores six-packs of Castle Lager next to the corpses experiences a spooky encounter; South Africans trapped in Germany during the lockdown plans to steal a goat to appease the ancestors; a corrupt politician’s arrogance causes his downfall and a widow has to fight her in-laws in court whilst grieving for her deceased husband.
It is impossible to pick a favourite, but ‘Displaced’ (dealing with the forced removals in Sophiatown on 9 February 1955) will haunt me for a while. Two quotes therein deserve specific mention; ‘Sometimes our mistakes correct us.’ (69) and ‘…love is like God. It is everywhere, even in our dreams.’ (81) Although the corrupt politician in ‘Fireplace’ is not a likeable character at all (he describes his constituents as ‘They are a nuisance, sublime nincompoops.’ – 116) he also makes some interesting statements regarding lies: ‘We lie because we are complex beings… a lie is a work of art that those who are simple-minded…. can never really master… He told you a beautiful lie with great imagination and elegance. He is a genius.’ (132)
The author has previously published 4 novels and 2 short story collections; one of the latter has won both the Herman Charles Bosman prize and the Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award in 2019. I am intrigued by his work and intend to get hold of his other work in due course.
In closing, on a lighter note, the title both delighted and amused me; apart from being brilliantly unique, it reminded me of a saying that I grew up with; when a friend had a particularly handsome brother, we used to say: ‘For you I’d kill the bull…. But for your brother I’d kill you!’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#Uitdieperdsebek
NB-Uitgewers/Publishers
July 17, 2022
Moral panic, flames of lies, and muddled reality, in Mhlongo’s short story collection:
Niq Mhlongo is an award-winning South African writer and the editor of two recent anthologies. He is, also, in my opinion, a master of the short story format, the format that African writers traditionally excel at. In the wonderfully titled For You I’d Steal A Goat, Mhlongo shows off this prowess in ten stories running the gamut from queer love, through families and their burdens, to ghosts.
I had to settle myself into Mhlongo’s authorial voice and style, which is fairly elaborate and a little wordy. Once I did, I enjoyed its distinctness; he brings to his characters a realness and worldliness that I came to appreciate. Mhlongo is also not afraid of bringing an ick factor to his stories, so be warned, especially when you read Ghost Story, the story of a Malawian immigrant killed in a possible xenophobic attack, which brings all the body horror you could imagine.
I was particularly moved by Displaced, about people who were removed by the apartheid government from Sophiatown in the 1950s. I have not read much fiction that tells the story from the perspective of the displaced—no doubt my own fault, because I have not looked to see if such fiction exists—but this was very beautifully done by Mhlongo. The twist at the end was heart-wrenching.
I was also astonished, to say the least, to find words from the resignation letter of a former vice-president of Zimbabwe preserved in a letter of resignation by a character in one of the stories. In Fireplace, MEC Comrade Leadership Mgobhozi, corrupt to the hilt, uses these amazing words:
“The interconnectivity within social media ecologies have been relaying viral moral panic, peddling flames of lies, creating myths, and muddling the reality of my life as a family man. I am a victim of information distortion, voice cloning, sponsored spooking and political sabotage by your office. Digital media, in their hybridity, have been abused by my enemies to blackmail me, but my spirit, like that of a leopard, will never die. Following the recurring disinformation and virilisation of my alleged immoral unions, dispensed through awkward slacktivism, I’m stepping down from your re-election campaign.”
This is almost word-for-word what Kembo Mohadi wrote in his letter to Zimbabwe’s president on March 1, 2021. I laughed out loud when I came upon this speech in Mhlongo’s book. I wonder if Mohadi would be flattered?
Mhlongo has astonishing range in the stories he is able to tell, and I enjoyed that in this collection. He also has the ability to hold one’s attention while delivering interesting and imaginative plots. High literature, this is not, but it is a quick read—I read it over the course of a day.
This was the first time I had read Mhlongo, and it will not be the last. I also have, on my bookshelf, the two anthologies he has edited, Joburg Noir, and Hauntings, both of which I hope to be able to get to before the end of the year.
Rated: 6/10.
A version of this appeared in The Continent, Issue 93, July 16, 2022.
Niq Mhlongo is an award-winning South African writer and the editor of two recent anthologies. He is, also, in my opinion, a master of the short story format, the format that African writers traditionally excel at. In the wonderfully titled For You I’d Steal A Goat, Mhlongo shows off this prowess in ten stories running the gamut from queer love, through families and their burdens, to ghosts.
I had to settle myself into Mhlongo’s authorial voice and style, which is fairly elaborate and a little wordy. Once I did, I enjoyed its distinctness; he brings to his characters a realness and worldliness that I came to appreciate. Mhlongo is also not afraid of bringing an ick factor to his stories, so be warned, especially when you read Ghost Story, the story of a Malawian immigrant killed in a possible xenophobic attack, which brings all the body horror you could imagine.
I was particularly moved by Displaced, about people who were removed by the apartheid government from Sophiatown in the 1950s. I have not read much fiction that tells the story from the perspective of the displaced—no doubt my own fault, because I have not looked to see if such fiction exists—but this was very beautifully done by Mhlongo. The twist at the end was heart-wrenching.
I was also astonished, to say the least, to find words from the resignation letter of a former vice-president of Zimbabwe preserved in a letter of resignation by a character in one of the stories. In Fireplace, MEC Comrade Leadership Mgobhozi, corrupt to the hilt, uses these amazing words:
“The interconnectivity within social media ecologies have been relaying viral moral panic, peddling flames of lies, creating myths, and muddling the reality of my life as a family man. I am a victim of information distortion, voice cloning, sponsored spooking and political sabotage by your office. Digital media, in their hybridity, have been abused by my enemies to blackmail me, but my spirit, like that of a leopard, will never die. Following the recurring disinformation and virilisation of my alleged immoral unions, dispensed through awkward slacktivism, I’m stepping down from your re-election campaign.”
This is almost word-for-word what Kembo Mohadi wrote in his letter to Zimbabwe’s president on March 1, 2021. I laughed out loud when I came upon this speech in Mhlongo’s book. I wonder if Mohadi would be flattered?
Mhlongo has astonishing range in the stories he is able to tell, and I enjoyed that in this collection. He also has the ability to hold one’s attention while delivering interesting and imaginative plots. High literature, this is not, but it is a quick read—I read it over the course of a day.
This was the first time I had read Mhlongo, and it will not be the last. I also have, on my bookshelf, the two anthologies he has edited, Joburg Noir, and Hauntings, both of which I hope to be able to get to before the end of the year.
Rated: 6/10.
A version of this appeared in The Continent, Issue 93, July 16, 2022.
July 9, 2022
I'm a huge fan of author, Niq Mhlongo.
I'm a fan of his writing and storytelling.
I'm a fan of his social posts.
I'm a fan of how he markets and sells his books.
I'm a fan of his travel-and-writing-life.
And now I'm the biggest fan of his latest collection of short stories; For you, I'd steal a goat. Which I read today in one sitting.
In it, a family refuses to leave their house when it is sold out from under them, so the new owner moves in with them. A guy who works in a morgue has a strange visitor. A woman takes her in-laws to court. The Hawks descend on a corrupt official. An arrested drunk driver meets his match in a prison cell. And a South African stuck in Berlin through lockdown (who sounds remarkably similar to our author) wants to appease his ancestors with a goat. But where to find one in the middle of the city?
I didn't know it until now, but this is the book I've been waiting for Niq to write. I loved it.
This book is perfectly local, tactical, relevant, current and well-crafted. It's poignant and piercing at times, but also laced with humour and twisty wit.
This is Mhlongo's third short story anthology, after Affluenza and Soweto Under the Apricot Tree (both of these also worth a read. There's a story in Affluenza about a gumboot dancer on a cultural exchange in Washington DC during Barack Obama's election, called Four Blocks Away, that I still think about.)
I'm a fan of his writing and storytelling.
I'm a fan of his social posts.
I'm a fan of how he markets and sells his books.
I'm a fan of his travel-and-writing-life.
And now I'm the biggest fan of his latest collection of short stories; For you, I'd steal a goat. Which I read today in one sitting.
In it, a family refuses to leave their house when it is sold out from under them, so the new owner moves in with them. A guy who works in a morgue has a strange visitor. A woman takes her in-laws to court. The Hawks descend on a corrupt official. An arrested drunk driver meets his match in a prison cell. And a South African stuck in Berlin through lockdown (who sounds remarkably similar to our author) wants to appease his ancestors with a goat. But where to find one in the middle of the city?
I didn't know it until now, but this is the book I've been waiting for Niq to write. I loved it.
This book is perfectly local, tactical, relevant, current and well-crafted. It's poignant and piercing at times, but also laced with humour and twisty wit.
This is Mhlongo's third short story anthology, after Affluenza and Soweto Under the Apricot Tree (both of these also worth a read. There's a story in Affluenza about a gumboot dancer on a cultural exchange in Washington DC during Barack Obama's election, called Four Blocks Away, that I still think about.)
July 11, 2023
My faves were :
Unwelcome Guests: a family that refuses to leave when the bank repossesses their house.
Johustlerburg Prison Cell: all I can say is some men are the ghetto. How do you carry on with life, build a family and abandoned a child. Moral of the story: the past always catches up with you.
The Stalker: a man discovers that his wife is cheating on him with another woman, calls a family meeting but the wife gets away with it.
Fireplace: my absolute fave, a politician finds out he has been used as sacrificial lamb by those in the higher ranks, explores corruption, money laundering and greed among-st politicians.
Woman to Woman: A wife discovers that her husband is cheating on her and therefore writes a letter to the mother of the girl her husband is cheating with.
The In-Laws: After the death of her husband a woman discovers that her in-laws don’t recognize her as their wife and want to take over her inheritance by claiming that her marriage is not valid they go to court but she wins the case.
A collection of short stories. ..Funny, explores different themes, very relatable, entertaining.
Unwelcome Guests: a family that refuses to leave when the bank repossesses their house.
Johustlerburg Prison Cell: all I can say is some men are the ghetto. How do you carry on with life, build a family and abandoned a child. Moral of the story: the past always catches up with you.
The Stalker: a man discovers that his wife is cheating on him with another woman, calls a family meeting but the wife gets away with it.
Fireplace: my absolute fave, a politician finds out he has been used as sacrificial lamb by those in the higher ranks, explores corruption, money laundering and greed among-st politicians.
Woman to Woman: A wife discovers that her husband is cheating on her and therefore writes a letter to the mother of the girl her husband is cheating with.
The In-Laws: After the death of her husband a woman discovers that her in-laws don’t recognize her as their wife and want to take over her inheritance by claiming that her marriage is not valid they go to court but she wins the case.
A collection of short stories. ..Funny, explores different themes, very relatable, entertaining.
October 30, 2022
I enjoyed this collection of short stories because they were quite easy to read. The stories were interesting and filled with humor.
From a family that refuses to leave when the bank repossesses their house, my favorite. A husband stalking his wife and met with an unexpected outcome; a desensitised morgue manager gets spooked when a new body is brought in; and finally for its title, South Africans trapped in Germany who want to appease their ancestors with a goat; all the stories have different themes and are very interesting! Light read!
From a family that refuses to leave when the bank repossesses their house, my favorite. A husband stalking his wife and met with an unexpected outcome; a desensitised morgue manager gets spooked when a new body is brought in; and finally for its title, South Africans trapped in Germany who want to appease their ancestors with a goat; all the stories have different themes and are very interesting! Light read!
August 21, 2023
'One day this apartheid will be a thing of the past. Our people will be free.’ ‘Maybe. But the past claws its way out. You can’t bury it just like that. It’s not like human flesh. And yet we need to move forwards.' (p.63)
As with any short story collection, especially one with only one author, 'For You I'd Steal a Goat' is going to be very hit or miss and largely dependent on how well a reader gets on with both the author's writing style and chosen subject matter.
Stylistically, Niq Mhlongo never met a sentence fragment he didn't like. This creates a stylistic rhythm that not everyone is going to want to boogie to. Now, I like a good sentence fragment, so oft confused with the overuse of simple sentences a la much of middle grade fiction from the 90s and early 2000s (I'm looking at you, R.L. Stine). However, while I tend to like this style, I'll admit that it took some getting used to considering how he tended to pair sentence fragments with simple, unfrilly sentences, making everything feel rather staccato.
For instance: "The bank then decided it would recoup its money by auctioning off our house. My parents had been living in the house for eighteen years, since before I was even born. I had lived there my whole life. Now it was no longer our house." (p.1)
But as I say, by the middle of the second story I had gotten used to it. No frills? I can get on board with that if you've got a good story to tell.
This is, of course, where the other aspect of subjective enjoyment is going to come in: do you think the stories are good?
I liked some of them, and the ones I liked, I really liked. But the ones I didn't like, I really didn't like. And this despite the entire collection being held together by the social justice lens each story is being told through.
Because here's the thing, and it may just be my thing and not yours, but even as someone who agreed with pretty much 100% of the messaging, when Mhlongo started dropping words like 'patriarchy' 'oppression,' 'xenophobia,' etc. directly into the dialogue, I felt myself recoiling.
Look, I've taken women's studies courses, I've taken sociology courses, I've taken cross-listed women's studies and sociology courses. Patriarchy is a provably real thing. Oppression is inarguably a real thing. But using those words in fiction at best feels like telling not showing, and at worst feels like a parody of what conservatives think leftists are like: obnoxiously and embarrassingly incapable of speaking without the use of 'woke' academic terminology to explain a phenomenon.
And honestly, if being that on the nose is the only way an author can convey topics that are incredibly complex....
However, I'm not totally convinced that's what Mhlongo was trying to do, and in fact, it leads me to think this collection wasn't aimed at me. Much like the hit film 'Barbie' is transparent in its politics because it was written with an audience in mind that had no academic women's studies/sociology background, I suspect 'For You I'd Steal a Goat' was meant less to be a lofty literary study, and more so meant to be an accessible means to get a mass audience to think about concepts they may hitherto not have considered or seen in a grounded context.
Exhibit A:
If you already understand how a social structure like patriarchy can underpin a society's gendered cultural expectations, then this paragraph feels like the last sentence should have been cut. Such a person would read this passage and see the subtext the last sentence states explicitly. This then feels like bad writing. But imagine reading the first half of that paragraph and not getting that subtext about patriarchy and how it leads to women oftentimes demurring to keep the peace. You might just think Marang was weak.
It's a good reminder that so-called 'low brow' art can do just as much good, and certainly have a wider reach, than so-called 'high brow' art. Certainly, this can be true when considering the high bar of entry to a lot of literary fiction (and I say this as a student and lover of literary fiction).
Something something the medium is the message.
Anyway, not to belabor the point, I personally liked the stories that weren't so on the nose better, like ‘Displaced', 'Fireplace,' and the titular 'For You, I'd Steal a Goat.' Particularly that one.
In terms of how tied to the land of its author, South Africa, this collection is, the answer is: incredibly. Mhlongo is absolutely writing South African stories in a South African voice for South African readers, though they're still accessible enough for anyone to pick up and potentially enjoy. As much as he criticizes his country, it's clear he has an immense amount of love for its people, and even at their most pedantic and cynical, his work largely manages to maintain a humanist heart.
Based on this collection, I'm not sure if I'd be quick to reach for one of his novels, however, he acted as editor of another collection of South African short fiction, 'Hauntings', the main throughline being ghosts of various types. As a writer, he may not be for me, but after reading 'For You I'd Steal a Goat' I trust his point of view, and I'd trust him to put together a very modern, diverse range of voices.
As with any short story collection, especially one with only one author, 'For You I'd Steal a Goat' is going to be very hit or miss and largely dependent on how well a reader gets on with both the author's writing style and chosen subject matter.
Stylistically, Niq Mhlongo never met a sentence fragment he didn't like. This creates a stylistic rhythm that not everyone is going to want to boogie to. Now, I like a good sentence fragment, so oft confused with the overuse of simple sentences a la much of middle grade fiction from the 90s and early 2000s (I'm looking at you, R.L. Stine). However, while I tend to like this style, I'll admit that it took some getting used to considering how he tended to pair sentence fragments with simple, unfrilly sentences, making everything feel rather staccato.
For instance: "The bank then decided it would recoup its money by auctioning off our house. My parents had been living in the house for eighteen years, since before I was even born. I had lived there my whole life. Now it was no longer our house." (p.1)
But as I say, by the middle of the second story I had gotten used to it. No frills? I can get on board with that if you've got a good story to tell.
This is, of course, where the other aspect of subjective enjoyment is going to come in: do you think the stories are good?
I liked some of them, and the ones I liked, I really liked. But the ones I didn't like, I really didn't like. And this despite the entire collection being held together by the social justice lens each story is being told through.
Because here's the thing, and it may just be my thing and not yours, but even as someone who agreed with pretty much 100% of the messaging, when Mhlongo started dropping words like 'patriarchy' 'oppression,' 'xenophobia,' etc. directly into the dialogue, I felt myself recoiling.
Look, I've taken women's studies courses, I've taken sociology courses, I've taken cross-listed women's studies and sociology courses. Patriarchy is a provably real thing. Oppression is inarguably a real thing. But using those words in fiction at best feels like telling not showing, and at worst feels like a parody of what conservatives think leftists are like: obnoxiously and embarrassingly incapable of speaking without the use of 'woke' academic terminology to explain a phenomenon.
And honestly, if being that on the nose is the only way an author can convey topics that are incredibly complex....
However, I'm not totally convinced that's what Mhlongo was trying to do, and in fact, it leads me to think this collection wasn't aimed at me. Much like the hit film 'Barbie' is transparent in its politics because it was written with an audience in mind that had no academic women's studies/sociology background, I suspect 'For You I'd Steal a Goat' was meant less to be a lofty literary study, and more so meant to be an accessible means to get a mass audience to think about concepts they may hitherto not have considered or seen in a grounded context.
Exhibit A:
Marang did not attend the burial of her husband, not willing to make a scene or face the hostile in-laws, not willing to subject her children to that. She was disappointed in herself that she had accepted their marginalisation of her from the burial and hadn’t acted more decisively when they pilfered her husband’s possessions. She was still confined to the silences that culture and patriarchy prescribed. (p.141)
If you already understand how a social structure like patriarchy can underpin a society's gendered cultural expectations, then this paragraph feels like the last sentence should have been cut. Such a person would read this passage and see the subtext the last sentence states explicitly. This then feels like bad writing. But imagine reading the first half of that paragraph and not getting that subtext about patriarchy and how it leads to women oftentimes demurring to keep the peace. You might just think Marang was weak.
It's a good reminder that so-called 'low brow' art can do just as much good, and certainly have a wider reach, than so-called 'high brow' art. Certainly, this can be true when considering the high bar of entry to a lot of literary fiction (and I say this as a student and lover of literary fiction).
Something something the medium is the message.
Anyway, not to belabor the point, I personally liked the stories that weren't so on the nose better, like ‘Displaced', 'Fireplace,' and the titular 'For You, I'd Steal a Goat.' Particularly that one.
In terms of how tied to the land of its author, South Africa, this collection is, the answer is: incredibly. Mhlongo is absolutely writing South African stories in a South African voice for South African readers, though they're still accessible enough for anyone to pick up and potentially enjoy. As much as he criticizes his country, it's clear he has an immense amount of love for its people, and even at their most pedantic and cynical, his work largely manages to maintain a humanist heart.
Based on this collection, I'm not sure if I'd be quick to reach for one of his novels, however, he acted as editor of another collection of South African short fiction, 'Hauntings', the main throughline being ghosts of various types. As a writer, he may not be for me, but after reading 'For You I'd Steal a Goat' I trust his point of view, and I'd trust him to put together a very modern, diverse range of voices.
October 11, 2022
An interesting title right? Well, it even gets more fascinating when you realize that it's no joke and a goat is stolen.
For you, I'd steal goat is a collection of 10 short memorable stories premised on the idea of the things people do for each other but also to each other. Injustice, corruption, love, and desire are just some of the aspects of human interaction featured here. A family refuses to leave when the bank repossesses their house; stalking has an unexpected outcome; a desensitized morgue manager is spooked; and more.
Perhaps what morphs this collection into a fairly good piece is how honestly put together the stories are, featuring characters that are neither saints nor devils, just important players, and stakeholders in the setting of their stories. The stories remind us of everyday interactions and what we might be missing during these interactions—what we don't see. The hypocrisy is candid and true to reality which makes many of the stories feel fleshed out and alive. I liked this a little too much, everything is nicely tied together and the only room the stories leave you is room to think of how the future of these characters play out, but even that it already gives to you. There's a beginning and an end, an end with no loose ends. The stories are as straightforward as they can be reflecting on the thoughts that bind them together— humans would always be humans, simple, complex, uncertain, flawed,... human.
For you, I'd steal goat is a collection of 10 short memorable stories premised on the idea of the things people do for each other but also to each other. Injustice, corruption, love, and desire are just some of the aspects of human interaction featured here. A family refuses to leave when the bank repossesses their house; stalking has an unexpected outcome; a desensitized morgue manager is spooked; and more.
Perhaps what morphs this collection into a fairly good piece is how honestly put together the stories are, featuring characters that are neither saints nor devils, just important players, and stakeholders in the setting of their stories. The stories remind us of everyday interactions and what we might be missing during these interactions—what we don't see. The hypocrisy is candid and true to reality which makes many of the stories feel fleshed out and alive. I liked this a little too much, everything is nicely tied together and the only room the stories leave you is room to think of how the future of these characters play out, but even that it already gives to you. There's a beginning and an end, an end with no loose ends. The stories are as straightforward as they can be reflecting on the thoughts that bind them together— humans would always be humans, simple, complex, uncertain, flawed,... human.
September 22, 2025
after about the 3rd story, i enjoyed this book by scanning. i really liked the first short story, but didn’t care much for many of the ones after. they were “fair” in value. they did hold; nonetheless, a very “literary” feel versus a “story” feel. i found them to read like dramatized memoir essays, often about the melancholy of love relationships. this made it fall a little boring to me. however, to the author’s credit, i am more preferable to novels and short stories than to somewhat creative literature. i was looking for more to go on in the stories, a little more pizazz. as formerly stated, there were about 3 stories i enjoyed. could be preference. 3 stars.
December 6, 2023
I really enjoyed this short story collection. It covered so many topics from apartheid, political corruption, colonialism, infidelity, patriarchy, xenophobia, LGBT struggles and everything in between. As with any anthology, there were some I enjoyed more than others but I saw the message/humour in each one. My personal favourites were:
Unwelcome guests
Displaced
Fireplace
Woman to Woman
Ghost Story (mainly because the titular character came from my homeland - Malawi!)
Unwelcome guests
Displaced
Fireplace
Woman to Woman
Ghost Story (mainly because the titular character came from my homeland - Malawi!)
November 27, 2022
//4.5//
Great plot, dialogue and setting to almost all of these stories. A very strong collection that I enjoyed immensely.
* Unwelcome Guests 5 ⭐️
* My Lovers Secret 3.5 ⭐️
* Displaced 4⭐️
* Johustlerburg Prison Cell 3 ⭐️
* The Stalker 3 ⭐️
* Fireplace 4 ⭐️
* Woman to Woman 4 ⭐️
* Ghost Story 2 ⭐️
* The In Laws 3.5 ⭐️
* For You, I’d steal a Goat 4 ⭐️
Great plot, dialogue and setting to almost all of these stories. A very strong collection that I enjoyed immensely.
* Unwelcome Guests 5 ⭐️
* My Lovers Secret 3.5 ⭐️
* Displaced 4⭐️
* Johustlerburg Prison Cell 3 ⭐️
* The Stalker 3 ⭐️
* Fireplace 4 ⭐️
* Woman to Woman 4 ⭐️
* Ghost Story 2 ⭐️
* The In Laws 3.5 ⭐️
* For You, I’d steal a Goat 4 ⭐️
June 12, 2023
Niq expresses the day-to-day life in a relatable and yet unique way through a collection of diverse short stories. These stories depict the diversity and uniqueness of life while highlighting the common theme of survival. I particularly enjoyed reading the story about the "fireplace," which clearly illustrates that even pompous politicians can be betrayed, revealing their weaknesses.
July 22, 2024
This collection will be in my top 5 best story collection reads for the yearr! Whoaaaa what a beauty!!
This is my first read from Niq and I’m sold already. His writing is so unique and his humor 😹😹 unmatched!!
He has a very nice way of using words which really stood out for me. Every story was worth the read but my favorites were Displaced, for you I’d steal a goat (obviously), Johannesburg prison cell, my lover’s secret, unwelcome guests and the in-laws.
I’m going to look for more of his works because I loved the magic he made with this one.
This is my first read from Niq and I’m sold already. His writing is so unique and his humor 😹😹 unmatched!!
He has a very nice way of using words which really stood out for me. Every story was worth the read but my favorites were Displaced, for you I’d steal a goat (obviously), Johannesburg prison cell, my lover’s secret, unwelcome guests and the in-laws.
I’m going to look for more of his works because I loved the magic he made with this one.
July 3, 2022
Go read this book! I'm not often fond of short stories but, this collection is sharp, clever and each story is incredibly well written. This collection is easy to read but at the same time never shying away from difficult topics. It's interesting, sometimes funny, sometimes surprising.
February 8, 2024
Although the title suggests it, it is far from a funny read. It is packed full of stories that might as well be people’s reality.
A collection of beautiful well-written stories about love, life, loss, family, friendship.
A collection of beautiful well-written stories about love, life, loss, family, friendship.
February 8, 2024
I can’t still pin what the central theme is because all stories are very different in their own way. The story with the book title was the one that least appealed to me tbh. I really enjoyed displaced though. Very interesting stories and I would be reading from this author again
March 1, 2024
For You I'd Steal a Goat is an anthology of short stories with vivid commentary on human nature. In this collection, Niq explores various subjects: corruption, love, betrayal, tradition, and more. His style of writing never fails to hold the reader's attention and interest. Four stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
March 4, 2024
3.5⭐️ These short stories were very compelling, I actually enjoyed them a lot.
Strong content warnings such as Grief, Racism, Poverty, Xenophobia, Gender Equity, Corruption and more.
I’d recommend if you liked reading ‘Of Women and Salt’ by Gabriela Garcia.
Strong content warnings such as Grief, Racism, Poverty, Xenophobia, Gender Equity, Corruption and more.
I’d recommend if you liked reading ‘Of Women and Salt’ by Gabriela Garcia.
July 16, 2024
Grabbed this from the African section of a Johannesburg bookshop. These short stories met expectations - interesting characters in tricky situations with a regional flavor. Unwelcomed Guests and Displaced stood out for originality and sympathetic characters.
December 31, 2025
This is a well written short story collection from Njomane. The themes he touches on are that of xenophobia, betrayal, family disputes and displacement. Highly recommend it as the man just writes simply and his works are impactful.
June 2, 2022
Easy reading about South African life. There were moments that evoked physical reactions.
August 6, 2024
Every story in this book will leave you laughing! 😂. Such a great piece
August 25, 2024
First of many of South African literature.
A light read and a different style of writing ✨️
My top 3 favourite stories are Johustlerburg Prison Cell, My Lover's Secret, and Woman to Woman.
A light read and a different style of writing ✨️
My top 3 favourite stories are Johustlerburg Prison Cell, My Lover's Secret, and Woman to Woman.
January 16, 2025
Humorous, witty, political.... there is something about the women centered stories that I can't place my hand on tho
December 30, 2025
I love a good short story collection, and this was one. The stories were easy to read and understand, and occasionally funny.
February 4, 2025
Niq Mhlongo’s For You I’d Steal a Goat is a sharp, satirical, and thoroughly entertaining short story collection. Rooted in South Africa, these ten stories tackle weighty themes—patriarchy, corruption, apartheid, and family expectations—while maintaining a biting sense of humor.
One of the most striking pieces, Displaced, stood out to me in particular, capturing the pain of those forcibly displaced from Sophiatown in the 1950s.
A fantastic read—thought-provoking, darkly funny, and engaging from start to finish. - 4.5 stars
One of the most striking pieces, Displaced, stood out to me in particular, capturing the pain of those forcibly displaced from Sophiatown in the 1950s.
“One day this apartheid will be a thing of the past. Our people will be free.’
‘Maybe. But the past claws its way out. You can’t bury it just like that. It’s not like human flesh. And yet we need to move forwards.”
A fantastic read—thought-provoking, darkly funny, and engaging from start to finish. - 4.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews