Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo
The Old Horse, the long-serving ruler of a fictional nation, is overthrown in NoViolet Bulawayo’s daring new book, and the drama that ensues for a rabid nation of animals on the road to genuine liberty is chronicled. Glory depicts a nation collapsing, narrated by a chorus of animal voices that reveal the ruthlessness required to uphold the illusion of absolute power and the imagination and bulletproof optimism to overthrow it completely. It was inspired by Robert G. Mugabe’s unexpected fall by coup in Zimbabwe’s nearly four-decade-long rule in November 2017. Bulawayo portrays the brilliant life energy and seductive charm that lurk just buried beneath the surface of seemingly hopeless conditions by immersing readers in the daily lives of a nation in upheaval.
Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo
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Destiny, a young goat who has returned to Jidada to watch the revolution and chronicle the unofficial history and potential legacy of the females who have subtly pulled the strings here, is at the centre of all of this commotion. Even as Bulawayo pulls us out of our world, the animal kingdom reveals the surreality of modern global politics by connecting to our primordial instincts and resonating in the mythology, folktales, and fairy tales that define societies all around the world.
Glory was written in a period of international uproar, with resistance movements across the world confronting various types of oppression, even if Zimbabwe served as the direct inspiration for this exciting story. Bulawayo frequently seems to combine numerous locations into one big-screen allegory, capturing a historical turning moment with the texture and complexity that only the best literature can.
The book is a political satire that is set in an African country with a corrupt and ruthless post-colonial regime. The major protagonists are humanized animals, both the powerful and the weak. Destiny, who first discovers the bravery and sacrifices of her family to the authorities, captures the humanity at the centre of the narrative. She then uses this knowledge to fearlessly expose the hypocrisy of the government. It is a touching story that exposes the misuse of state authority while using humour and modern social media techniques.
