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Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space: A Literary Mixtape
A vibrant and brilliant new collection of award-winning short fiction from the acclaimed author of the “charming, witty, and incredibly humane” ( The Pittsburgh Gazette ) debut The Eternal Audience of One .
Presented as a literary mixtape, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a work of literature that provides you with a modern reading experience. The A-Side, read as one narrative, tells the story of a soon-to-be thirty-year-old aspiring writer navigating a complicated world. The B-Side, taken as a separate experience, features (seemingly) independent and unrelated short stories.
There’s “Crunchy, Green Apples (or, Omo)”, a story about loss told by the strangest of narrative a shopping list. “Sofa, So Good, Sort Of (or, John Muafangejo)” is a first-person account of a family’s history and a long journey towards hope. A group of friends attempts to navigate a recent breakup in “From the Lost City of Hurtlantis to the Streets of Helldorado (or, Franco).”
When read together, however, a third world emerges—a complex, intergenerational, and interconnected world exploring the universal gaping void of grief. Rather than attempting to cross this black hole directly, the collection carefully traces around its edges, revealing the enormity of this cosmic force from the “electrifying voice you have been waiting for” (Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King ).
Presented as a literary mixtape, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a work of literature that provides you with a modern reading experience. The A-Side, read as one narrative, tells the story of a soon-to-be thirty-year-old aspiring writer navigating a complicated world. The B-Side, taken as a separate experience, features (seemingly) independent and unrelated short stories.
There’s “Crunchy, Green Apples (or, Omo)”, a story about loss told by the strangest of narrative a shopping list. “Sofa, So Good, Sort Of (or, John Muafangejo)” is a first-person account of a family’s history and a long journey towards hope. A group of friends attempts to navigate a recent breakup in “From the Lost City of Hurtlantis to the Streets of Helldorado (or, Franco).”
When read together, however, a third world emerges—a complex, intergenerational, and interconnected world exploring the universal gaping void of grief. Rather than attempting to cross this black hole directly, the collection carefully traces around its edges, revealing the enormity of this cosmic force from the “electrifying voice you have been waiting for” (Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King ).
320 pages, Hardcover
First published December 3, 2024
About the author
Rémy Ngamije
7 books142 followersRémy Ngamije is a Rwandan-born Namibian author, editor, publisher, photographer, literary educator, and entrepreneur. His debut novel The Eternal Audience Of One was first published in South Africa by Blackbird Books and is available worldwide from Scout Press (S&S). In 2022 it was honoured with a Special Mention at the inaugural Grand Prix Panafricain De Litterature and won the inaugural African Literary Award from the Museum of the African Diaspora.
Only Stars Know The Meaning Of Space, his collection of award-winning fiction, will be published in December, 2024 by Scout Press (S&S).
He won the Africa Regional Prize of the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing in 2021 and 2020. He was longlisted and shortlisted for the 2020 and 2021 Afritondo Short Story Prizes respectively. In 2019 he was shortlisted for Best Original Fiction by Stack Magazines.
Rémy is the founder and chairperson of Doek, an independent arts organisation in Namibia supporting the literary arts and the editor-in-chief of Doek! Literary Magazine, Namibia’s first and only literary magazine. He is also the founder and director of several literary initiatives such as the Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards, the Doek Literary Festival, and the Doek Anthology.
He has served as a judge of the Kalemba, Kendeka, Plaza, and Commonwealth short story prizes.
He is represented by Cecile Barendsma of the Cecile B Literary Agency.
Only Stars Know The Meaning Of Space, his collection of award-winning fiction, will be published in December, 2024 by Scout Press (S&S).
He won the Africa Regional Prize of the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing in 2021 and 2020. He was longlisted and shortlisted for the 2020 and 2021 Afritondo Short Story Prizes respectively. In 2019 he was shortlisted for Best Original Fiction by Stack Magazines.
Rémy is the founder and chairperson of Doek, an independent arts organisation in Namibia supporting the literary arts and the editor-in-chief of Doek! Literary Magazine, Namibia’s first and only literary magazine. He is also the founder and director of several literary initiatives such as the Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards, the Doek Literary Festival, and the Doek Anthology.
He has served as a judge of the Kalemba, Kendeka, Plaza, and Commonwealth short story prizes.
He is represented by Cecile Barendsma of the Cecile B Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 24, 2025
Review to follow.
July 1, 2024
Thank you so much to Rémy Ngamije, Gallery/Scout Press, and NetGalley for providing this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I do believe that the term "literary mixtape" is what initially drew me in to this series of stories. And after eating this right up, this is the only possible term that can truly encompass what this is. Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is indeed a mixtape of sorts, with the A-side following one specific narrative, while the B-side exists as a somewhat companion piece with individual maybeeee unrelated stories that help to build the overall novel to its conclusion.
There is just something particular about the writing that gripped me from beginning to end. It is quite descriptive not in the setting, but rather in the headspace of either the POV character or one of the many characters that exist in the short stories. I could really get a feel of the emotions that one might be feeling at the time. And adding on to this, the prose is to die for and is quite poetic; packed with metaphors upon metaphors and dreamy life lessons and sayings sprinkled throughout.
The narrative really keeps the reader on their toes, as all of these seemingly "disconnected" stories may or may not build off of one another to create an all-encompassing story. It is ultimately up to the reader to put on their thinking cap and read between the lines to discover how (if at all) all of the narratives intertwine and intermingle amongst each other.
I do believe that the term "literary mixtape" is what initially drew me in to this series of stories. And after eating this right up, this is the only possible term that can truly encompass what this is. Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is indeed a mixtape of sorts, with the A-side following one specific narrative, while the B-side exists as a somewhat companion piece with individual maybeeee unrelated stories that help to build the overall novel to its conclusion.
There is just something particular about the writing that gripped me from beginning to end. It is quite descriptive not in the setting, but rather in the headspace of either the POV character or one of the many characters that exist in the short stories. I could really get a feel of the emotions that one might be feeling at the time. And adding on to this, the prose is to die for and is quite poetic; packed with metaphors upon metaphors and dreamy life lessons and sayings sprinkled throughout.
The narrative really keeps the reader on their toes, as all of these seemingly "disconnected" stories may or may not build off of one another to create an all-encompassing story. It is ultimately up to the reader to put on their thinking cap and read between the lines to discover how (if at all) all of the narratives intertwine and intermingle amongst each other.
January 5, 2025
This books wasn’t for me. It was too abstract and I struggled to figure out who was narrating, what was going on, and how it was all connected.
December 30, 2024
This was one of the most unique and clever books I've ever read (caveat: this book is not going to enjoyable for everyone. It requires a lot of attention, patience, and appreciation for bold choices in writing styles).
The metaphors come at the reader like a Vin Diesel movie franchise. I spent a lot time on each chapter for the B-side trying to figure out if there was an overlap with the main story being conducted on the A-side. It was tough because most of the chapters are written in the third person without any clear designation who the protagonist is. In fact, we don't learn Rambo's identity until quite late in his story.
Important note: the chapter titled "Tornado" is absolutely brilliant how Rambo's mind is whirling like a tornado and the text is shaped like a tornado.
B-side analysis (in chapter order):
Wicked (2) - focuses on a woman who pines after a man named, Salman. This is the only chapter that mentions Salman. Not clear if this woman is part of the A-side.
The Neighborhood Watch (4) - my favorite chapter in the book that follows five unhoused individuals and how they survive on a daily basis. I assume that the main character in this chapter, Elias, is also the character referenced in the next B-side chapter.
Important Terminology for Military-Age Males (6) - this was really clever and I didn't pick up on it until I went back and noticed that each subchapter here starts with a different letter of the alphabet ;it was quite subtle. As stated above, I suspect this chapter focuses on Elias.
Annus Horribilis (8) - I don't even know how to describe this other than a three page run on sentence with lots of parentheticals. I liked the non-traditional writing style exhibited here.
The Giver of Nicknames (10) - this was my second favorite chapter that follows one student who provides nicknames for four separate characters in his school named "Donovan." This chapter appears to have no connection to other chapters and predominantly focuses on the entitlement showered upon "Donnie Blanco" because his parents are incredibly wealthy.
The Other Guy (12) - another chapter that seems to have little connection to the others, but I could be wrong. This one focuses on a man who is cheated on and pretends like it doesn't bother him.
Seven Silences of the Heart (14) - this is the first obvious chapter that centers on Rambo, but told from the perspective of "Grief" which reminded me of the narrator in "The Book Thief." So not 100% original, but definitely different and effective.
Granddaughter of the Octopus (16) - this one seems to focus on Rambo's mother and the lessons she learned from her grandmother. Great wordplay with the title because the chapter begins with, "My grandmother always reminded me of Ursula, from the Disney version of The Little Mermaid" and like an octopus (with eight tentacles), her grandmother had eight sons by eight different men.
Nine Months Since Forever (18) - this was easy because it's also titled, "Cicero's Interlude," Cicero being one of Rambo's friends.
Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space (20) - this was easy too because it's also titled, "Love's Interlude," Love being the name or possible nickname of Rambo's most recent girlfriend.
This book was full of amazing descriptions. I couldn't possibly capture all of them, but here are my favorites:
"The ensuing female attention was crazy. You chewed through them like Pac-Man with three bonus lives, it's a miracle you didn't eat a ghost and die."
"You were no Ray Allen, and with your layup game shot to shit, you could keep the failing construction industry supplied with cheap bricks."
"The mere sight of golden apples sets you off. She detested them. She said they cheated her of the crunch they were supposed to make when they were bitten."
"She mourned the loss of the cassava connect who left the country because of paperwork issues. 'People think stricter immigration laws make borders safer, protect the labor pool, and keep criminals out,' she said, 'but they just make Jollof rice weaker.'"
"People's eyes can accept a man in tattered, browned, and dirty clothing, even in a store or a church. But a smelly man is despised everywhere."
"She said the universal 'okay' younger brothers use to piss off their older siblings. The 'okay' of 'Sure, whatever makes you feel better about yourself.' The 'okay' of 'This thing that matters so much to you is of no consequence to me.'"
"You can feel a vein growing in your forehead. The vein you get when a bad curry calls your midnight hotline."
"In the cursory contact of our eyes I understood the difference between an instant and a moment ... an instant is blinked away, forgotten so quickly it's barely registered, but a moment spills past its temporal occurrence - a moment has consequences."
"Books are easier to read than girls."
"'Why, Lindo,' I asked him, 'why can't I just have a Vanessa Carlton kinda girl?' 'Vanessa Carlton, dude?' 'Don't even play. VC is mad pretty - the original ride-or-die-walk-a-thousand-miles bad bitch.'"
"The other Caretakers and Lineker hoovered their pizzas and tagged themselves out of the ring, paying their bills, vanishing like genies after a third wish."
"Recently broken-up men should be treated like Chernobyl."
"I think it's the way he referred to her as the wife - in lowercase, like Nicole didn't command the respect of the Caps Lock button, even in speech."
"I deflected her questions this way and that. Serena, yo-yoing Sharapova at an Open, would've been proud of me."
"Any woman calling up such exes should know the facts as Charles Darwin found them on the Galapagos Islands: after a breakup, instead of going on a journey to the center of their hurt, they'll go around the world in eighty baes, avenging themselves upon everyone like they're the wounded counts of Monte Cristo."
The metaphors come at the reader like a Vin Diesel movie franchise. I spent a lot time on each chapter for the B-side trying to figure out if there was an overlap with the main story being conducted on the A-side. It was tough because most of the chapters are written in the third person without any clear designation who the protagonist is. In fact, we don't learn Rambo's identity until quite late in his story.
Important note: the chapter titled "Tornado" is absolutely brilliant how Rambo's mind is whirling like a tornado and the text is shaped like a tornado.
B-side analysis (in chapter order):
Wicked (2) - focuses on a woman who pines after a man named, Salman. This is the only chapter that mentions Salman. Not clear if this woman is part of the A-side.
The Neighborhood Watch (4) - my favorite chapter in the book that follows five unhoused individuals and how they survive on a daily basis. I assume that the main character in this chapter, Elias, is also the character referenced in the next B-side chapter.
Important Terminology for Military-Age Males (6) - this was really clever and I didn't pick up on it until I went back and noticed that each subchapter here starts with a different letter of the alphabet ;it was quite subtle. As stated above, I suspect this chapter focuses on Elias.
Annus Horribilis (8) - I don't even know how to describe this other than a three page run on sentence with lots of parentheticals. I liked the non-traditional writing style exhibited here.
The Giver of Nicknames (10) - this was my second favorite chapter that follows one student who provides nicknames for four separate characters in his school named "Donovan." This chapter appears to have no connection to other chapters and predominantly focuses on the entitlement showered upon "Donnie Blanco" because his parents are incredibly wealthy.
The Other Guy (12) - another chapter that seems to have little connection to the others, but I could be wrong. This one focuses on a man who is cheated on and pretends like it doesn't bother him.
Seven Silences of the Heart (14) - this is the first obvious chapter that centers on Rambo, but told from the perspective of "Grief" which reminded me of the narrator in "The Book Thief." So not 100% original, but definitely different and effective.
Granddaughter of the Octopus (16) - this one seems to focus on Rambo's mother and the lessons she learned from her grandmother. Great wordplay with the title because the chapter begins with, "My grandmother always reminded me of Ursula, from the Disney version of The Little Mermaid" and like an octopus (with eight tentacles), her grandmother had eight sons by eight different men.
Nine Months Since Forever (18) - this was easy because it's also titled, "Cicero's Interlude," Cicero being one of Rambo's friends.
Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space (20) - this was easy too because it's also titled, "Love's Interlude," Love being the name or possible nickname of Rambo's most recent girlfriend.
This book was full of amazing descriptions. I couldn't possibly capture all of them, but here are my favorites:
"The ensuing female attention was crazy. You chewed through them like Pac-Man with three bonus lives, it's a miracle you didn't eat a ghost and die."
"You were no Ray Allen, and with your layup game shot to shit, you could keep the failing construction industry supplied with cheap bricks."
"The mere sight of golden apples sets you off. She detested them. She said they cheated her of the crunch they were supposed to make when they were bitten."
"She mourned the loss of the cassava connect who left the country because of paperwork issues. 'People think stricter immigration laws make borders safer, protect the labor pool, and keep criminals out,' she said, 'but they just make Jollof rice weaker.'"
"People's eyes can accept a man in tattered, browned, and dirty clothing, even in a store or a church. But a smelly man is despised everywhere."
"She said the universal 'okay' younger brothers use to piss off their older siblings. The 'okay' of 'Sure, whatever makes you feel better about yourself.' The 'okay' of 'This thing that matters so much to you is of no consequence to me.'"
"You can feel a vein growing in your forehead. The vein you get when a bad curry calls your midnight hotline."
"In the cursory contact of our eyes I understood the difference between an instant and a moment ... an instant is blinked away, forgotten so quickly it's barely registered, but a moment spills past its temporal occurrence - a moment has consequences."
"Books are easier to read than girls."
"'Why, Lindo,' I asked him, 'why can't I just have a Vanessa Carlton kinda girl?' 'Vanessa Carlton, dude?' 'Don't even play. VC is mad pretty - the original ride-or-die-walk-a-thousand-miles bad bitch.'"
"The other Caretakers and Lineker hoovered their pizzas and tagged themselves out of the ring, paying their bills, vanishing like genies after a third wish."
"Recently broken-up men should be treated like Chernobyl."
"I think it's the way he referred to her as the wife - in lowercase, like Nicole didn't command the respect of the Caps Lock button, even in speech."
"I deflected her questions this way and that. Serena, yo-yoing Sharapova at an Open, would've been proud of me."
"Any woman calling up such exes should know the facts as Charles Darwin found them on the Galapagos Islands: after a breakup, instead of going on a journey to the center of their hurt, they'll go around the world in eighty baes, avenging themselves upon everyone like they're the wounded counts of Monte Cristo."
November 5, 2024
4.5 stars
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! I loved this. The prose, the topics covered, the unique style of putting this book together.. it was so good. There's so many quotes I wish I could share, but you'll just have to check out the book when it publishes on 12/3 :)
This is presented as a literary mixtape: an A side and a B side. A collection of short stories flip flopping between two seemingly unrelated/unconnected people. The way this story unfolds is truly unlike anything I've ever read before. I highly recommend!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! I loved this. The prose, the topics covered, the unique style of putting this book together.. it was so good. There's so many quotes I wish I could share, but you'll just have to check out the book when it publishes on 12/3 :)
This is presented as a literary mixtape: an A side and a B side. A collection of short stories flip flopping between two seemingly unrelated/unconnected people. The way this story unfolds is truly unlike anything I've ever read before. I highly recommend!
November 23, 2024
Many thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space by Rémy Ngamije. When I initially saw the title, I wondered what exactly a literary mixtape is. I miss the art of the mixtape. I used to love staying up late to make mixtapes, not only for myself, but for friends, crushes, girlfriends. Mixtapes were always a kind of musical artifact that not only reflected what I was listening to at the time, but also almost like a drug that could alter my emotions making me feel elated, nostalgic, or even getting me hyped up for something. I also thought that receiving mixtapes was one of the coolest gifts as well. I often learned about new bands, musical styles, and artists from mixtapes from friends. A girlfriend from college made me some mixtapes, and I still have emotional connections to some of the songs, and if one song from that mixtape comes on the radio or I hear it somewhere else, it takes me back in the day. Although Rémy Ngamije’s new book doesn’t really have much to do with music, his writing is lyrical and the chapters/entries into this book operate much like a mixtape, eliciting emotions and capturing different time periods from Cicero’s (the main character) life of nearly 30 years. These are the A-sides. The alternating chapters, or B-sides, feature different stories and narratives. And while they are not focused on the Cicero’s experiences or perspectives, many of the stories deal with similar themes of friendship (especially male friendship), family, education/school, art, and love. After reading the first few chapters, I was a little disappointed to see that there really wasn’t any kind of musical theme to any of the stories. Ngamije’s writing incorporates some references to music and rap, and some of the characters’ narration is lyrical and reflective of 90s-early 00s hip-hop braggadocio. Early on, I was even a little turned off by the perspectives of some of the characters towards women. With the A-sides, Cicero is reflecting on a past love, the seemingly ideal girlfriend who got away, while he has had other girlfriends who never seem to measure up to his past love. One of them, in “Black, Colored, and Blue (or, the Gangster’s Girlfriend)” is about his tryst with a Gangster’s girlfriend. Although Ngamije’s writing is lyrical, unique and creative, I didn’t really like this story too much. It seemed somewhat unrealistic that the Gangster’s girlfriend would date Cicero, who lived a kind of ascetic life in a small apartment. In other stories like “Yog’hurt (or Just Breathe)”, Cicero takes a kind of dismissive tone of his girlfriend’s interests, and although he takes a yoga class with her, his mind wanders to other women in the class. These kinds of stories made me dislike Cicero initially. I could almost understand why his girlfriend left him, but I didn’t understand why he continued to follow her on Instagram and pine for the old days. Other B-side stories like “The Giver of Nicknames” had a powerful message about justice (or lack thereof) and money, but I also struggled to understand the narrator’s inaction in the story and the consequences that result from his inaction. Maybe that was the point—it definitely made me uncomfortable, but thinking back now, the story has a powerful message. Somewhere after that story (I think it is with the next story “Little Brother (or, Three in the Morning)”), Cicero experiences a dramatic change in his life, and it’s like the mixtape songs grow up. He’s no longer listening to juvenile music, but is seeking out more meaningful and emotional music. I’m glad that I kept this mixtape playing, because the stories/chapters in the latter half of the book were a much better experience for me. We see Cicero experience change, whether that is just a natural part of maturity or due to the serious event in his life, Cicero’s narrative and perspective took a better turn and the stories were also more endearing and engaging. In this way, I can see how this book functions like a mixtape. There’s a variety of styles and perspectives, with an underlying theme dealing with relationships, emotions, growth, and maturity, and Cicero’s stories and experiences, both reflecting on and navigating through life, help to maintain these themes. The last few chapters are really great, so if you want to fast-forward this tape, definitely check out those tracks towards the end. However, I would also recommend rewinding the tape and going back to check out some of the B-sides and earlier tracks from Cicero’s life. Seeing the end and how he changed might give us a different kind of perspective on where he was earlier, still raw and angry from the break-up and other events in his life. It’s like listening to a old favorite at a new point in your life, when you might recognize some new instrument or have a different perspective on a lyric. Things change as we have more experiences and live more of life. Needless to say, I’m glad I let this tape play all the way through because Ngamije has a great, lyrical style, at times free-associating and name checking various interests, whether it’s poets, authors, artists, movies, or musicians. Really cool and unique. The one thing I wondered, though, is how different this book would be if it was really arranged like a mixtape with an A Side and B Side in order instead of alternating. I wonder if Cicero’s story would have a different flow to it or if there would be a different kind of unity to the B Side stories. Nevertheless, it is an interesting experiment with some other experimental approaches to narrative style. Recommended.
November 30, 2024
This is a literary masterpiece that defies conventional storytelling. Raw and real, this book is an emotional journey that pulls no punches. Ngamije’s writing is exquisite, offering insights and expressions so original and profound that they stayed with me long after I turned the last page.
What makes this reading experience truly extraordinary is its pairing with the Spotify mixtape, which complements the narrative perfectly. The music deepened the atmosphere, creating a multi-sensory experience that elevated the story beyond the pages.
This book is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s not just a collection of short stories—it’s an experience. Ngamije’s prose captures the intricacies of human emotion and the vastness of space, both literal and metaphorical, in a way that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant.
Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a must-read for anyone who craves something fresh, deeply moving, and utterly unforgettable.
What makes this reading experience truly extraordinary is its pairing with the Spotify mixtape, which complements the narrative perfectly. The music deepened the atmosphere, creating a multi-sensory experience that elevated the story beyond the pages.
This book is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s not just a collection of short stories—it’s an experience. Ngamije’s prose captures the intricacies of human emotion and the vastness of space, both literal and metaphorical, in a way that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant.
Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a must-read for anyone who craves something fresh, deeply moving, and utterly unforgettable.
December 26, 2024
This book was a revelation. I had not heard of the author before purchasing this book. I will certainly be investing more time and money reading Ngamije's other works. I suspect that I am not unusual, as a white American man, in being quite ignorant of what life is like in modern Africa. This collection of short stories gave me glimpses into some of Africa's multifaceted aspects. The author is equally adept and convincing at speaking in the voice of a man or of a woman. (At one point, I checked the author's bio to see if the author was a man or woman. ) Ngamije even writes a few of the stories in second-person; a technique which some writing coaches advise against because it is so difficult to do well. For Ngamije it feels smooth and natural. An outstanding work.
December 13, 2024
Odds are you’ve never read a book like this one. I know I hadn’t.
Damaged narrators stumble into and out of relationships. Naïve romantics turn jaded in search of passion, and truth.
Familial relationships foil casual, lusty ones, which boil down to nothing. And we all emerge forlorn, but resolute that love is indeed possible. It’s just not effortless.
Damaged narrators stumble into and out of relationships. Naïve romantics turn jaded in search of passion, and truth.
Familial relationships foil casual, lusty ones, which boil down to nothing. And we all emerge forlorn, but resolute that love is indeed possible. It’s just not effortless.
December 23, 2024
I will always admire Rémy Ngamije’s ambition, even when it doesn’t work for me, as is the case here. This short story collection is split in two, with the “A-sides” following several major life events of a man approaching his thirtieth birthday and the “B-sides” complementing that central narrative while also standing more firmly on their own. I wanted less thematic and narrative redundancy in the “A-sides”, more engaging plots in the “B-sides” so there was something to cling to other than Ngamije’s structural experiments, and more thorough character development throughout so that I could root for this main character and the people around him more earnestly. I feel that an Ngamije several more years into his career could have pulled this project off more effectively; as it stands, the whole thing feels a bit underbaked.
Read
December 20, 2024Two series of short stories forefront the outer bravado and inner disconnect of the narrator and his friends in Namibia. The Five-O (Rambo, Rinzlo, Cicero, Lindo, and Franco) move through "toxic maleness" and try to leave the toxic behind, with varying results. I liked the contrast between city hustle and home-life tenderness.
January 7, 2025
A true literary mixtape. This is a stunning collection of short stories with the A side following an aspiring writer as he approaches 30 and the B side capturing the stories of a collection of increasingly interconnected characters. Beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted. If I had to choose a favorite story, “My Grandmother was an Octopus” is my pick. I love the raw and unapologetic feminine power. A great read.
January 7, 2025
3.5 I loved the rhythm of this book and the prose are fantastic. Especially with the A side, I felt the themes were repetitive and lacked nuance over time. I also felt that some of the chapter written from a female perspective did not really feel like they were written from a female perspective. However, this book was so beautiful, I would read anything by this author.
January 14, 2025
I can only give my impressions on this one because I wasn't able to read it through to the end. It felt very fractured, frenetic and melancholy, and I felt that I was not the ideal reader for this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
November 21, 2024
DNF at 15%. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me. The writing was too abstract for my taste, and I didn’t care for the fact that the A-side narrative is written in second person.
Shelved as 'dnf-meh'
December 30, 2024Picked this up for book bingo and the “You” structure and POV got old real quick. I couldn’t see the point of it or what the narrative was building too. Felt like a character stripped of all emotion.
Stopping point: 20 mins (4%)
Stopping point: 20 mins (4%)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 24, 2025Not my usual genre or type of read but I'm glad I picked this up as part of a buddy read just for something different.
The Giver of Nicknames was a stand out story for me. As well as Crunchy Green Apples and Granddaughter of the Octopus
The Giver of Nicknames was a stand out story for me. As well as Crunchy Green Apples and Granddaughter of the Octopus
August 13, 2024
I enjoyed this collection and will digest stories and come back and reread
September 7, 2024
I received an ARC of this book, beautiful stories and great writing quality.
October 29, 2024
Un punto de vista nuevo e interesante para mi de un adulto joven de Namibia, me gustó el formato Side A y B, olvidé poner la playlist mientras lo leia (No se si aporta mucho)
Read
November 21, 2024I have tried - but cannot get into this book. Just not for me.
Want to read
December 1, 2024#GoodreadsGiveaway
Read
December 12, 2024Notables 2024 #138
January 4, 2025
Avant-garde, but accessible as you settle in. Captivating use of language, with interesting perspectives on life in Namibia and thereabout.
January 9, 2025
I read The Eternal Audience of One a couple of years ago and thought it was one of the best pieces of fiction I had read in a while--just seemingly effortless in its ability to capture the nuance of characters and situations, with so much joy and sadness and humor threaded through. I am therefore always apprehensive about reading a beloved author's next work, fearful that it won't recapture that earlier reading experience. This--with the semi-connected short stories--really did. Beautiful, funny, sad writing and storytelling that just feels very 'true'.
November 28, 2024
"Only Stars Know The Meaning of Space: A Literary Mixtape" is an engaging, unconventional read. It definitely has a "mixtape" feel to it and I love how it all came together. A very unique experience! I hope to read more books by Remy Ngamije. Highly recommend to anyone into experimental literature.
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