
Glory
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Narrated by:
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Chipo Chung
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2022
Glory is an energy burst, an exhilarating ride. A bold, vivid chorus of animal voices calls out the dangerous absurdity of contemporary global politics, and helps us see our human world more clearly.
A long time ago, in a bountiful land not so far away, the animal denizens lived quite happily. Then the colonisers arrived. After nearly a hundred years, a bloody War of Liberation brought new hope for the animals—along with a new leader. A charismatic horse who commanded the sun and ruled and ruled and kept on ruling. For 40 years he ruled, with the help of his elite band of Chosen Ones, a scandalously violent pack of Defenders and, as he aged, his beloved and ambitious young donkey wife, Marvellous.
But even the sticks and stones know there is no night ever so long it does not end with dawn. And so it did for the Old Horse, one day as he sat down to his Earl Grey tea and favourite radio programme. A new regime, a new leader. Or apparently so. And once again, the animals were full of hope....
Glory tells the story of a country seemingly trapped in a cycle as old as time. And yet, as it unveils the myriad tricks required to uphold the illusion of absolute power, it reminds us that the glory of tyranny only lasts as long as its victims are willing to let it. History can be stopped in a moment. With the return of a long-lost daughter, a #freefairncredibleelection, a turning tide—even a single bullet.
©2022 NoViolet Bulawayo (P)2022 Penguin AudioExtraordinary novel and performance
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A story of hope
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Better to read than listen I think
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Funny but overlong
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The reader is clearly not Ndebele. As a result there are many phrases that she mispronounces which I found grating.
The writing style too is plagued by the use of repetition which I found at times to be applied too abundantly.
But as I said this is a very important book and I applaud NoViolet for having been brave and enough to write it.
This is an important book.
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The Narrator was fantastic, as someone with some family history in Zimbabwe it was a heartwarming surprise to hear the perfect grasp of the colloquial terms, accents and performance. I did google her and see she is Zimbabwean, so this makes sense of course, but she gave a wonderful edge to a story that would have been a lot more dim if only read by my own internal narration !
With its beautiful encapsulation of Zimbabwean people, culture, and resilience, Bulawayo's writing really breathes life into this tale.
I can't remember the exact quote (because I listened to the audio) but the story mentions comedians whose satire about the country is tremendously funny but at the same time deeply upsetting because of how true they ring. I found this similar to my thoughts on the book, the quirky, heartwarming writing and humour of the political absurdity only slightly veiling the gross tragedy being told.
All in all I really enjoyed this, give it a go !
Perfect
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Worthy Booker Nominee
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Best read this year!
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Difficult but beautiful
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Great important read
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