roseblossom999's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.75
This book is made up of short stories from South Africa. The stories were quite different in terms of characters and back story but overall it was an underwhelming book. Very few of the ending were a surprise and when they were it was not exactly shocking, it more made the read say "oh, ok". Pretty bland book but makes an enjoyable quick read
__booksandanimes__'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
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.
shonatiger's review
3.0
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.
kofoworola's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
4.0
I love a good short story collection, and this was one. The stories were easy to read and understand, and occasionally funny.
nsabrekwa's review
4.0
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!
_shan_n_'s review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
3.75
These are uniquely South African tales that are filled with original plots and characters. Some leave you laughing, some leave you reflective. A few weren't written as well as others but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the collection.
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