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Ratings: ★★★★★ (4.7/5)
Genre: Fiction, Satire, Political Fiction, Allegory

Book Review:
NoViolet Bulawayo's ''Glory'' is a blazing, audacious, and profoundly timely novel that cements her place as one of the most vital voices in contemporary fiction. Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, this is a book that defies easy categorization, a work of allegory, satire, and fairy tale rolled into one mighty, unforgettable punch.

Inspired by George Orwell's ''Animal Farm,'' Bulawayo sets her story in a fictional African nation, a ''bountiful land'' inhabited by animals. The novel traces the country's tumultuous history, from the arrival of colonists through a bloody War of Liberation and into the long, repressive rule of a charismatic but tyrannical horse. For forty years, he rules with the help of his elite ''Chosen Ones,'' his violent ''Defenders,'' and, in his old age, his ambitious young donkey wife, Marvellous. But as the old adage goes, no night is so long that it does not end with dawn.

The novel is a searing indictment of autocracy, a brilliant exploration of the mechanisms of power, and a heartbreaking portrait of a people trapped in a cycle of hope and disappointment. Bulawayo's prose is acerbic, precise, and often hilarious, even as it tackles the darkest subjects. She captures the absurdity and the horror of tyranny with equal skill, creating characters that are both archetypal and deeply individual.

''Glory'' is not just a story about a particular place or time; it is a universal fable about power, corruption, and the enduring human desire for freedom. It reminds us that the ''glory'' of tyranny is an illusion that lasts only as long as its victims are willing to let it. With its sharp wit, profound insights, and stunning prose, ''Glory'' is a masterpiece. As the Guardian put it, it is ''allegory, satire and fairy tale rolled into one mighty punch.'' An essential read.