In Corner B

by Es'kia Mphahlele, Peter N. Thuynsma (Introduction)

Overview

The quintessential story collection from "the most important black South African writer of the present age" (George Moore).

Originally published in 1967, In Corner B contains the core stories of the original editions, together with more recent pieces, and is the first new edition of Mphahlele's work since his death in 2008. Written after his return from exile, these stories inimitably capture life in both rural and urban South Africa during the days of apartheid. A new introduction by Peter Thuynsma, a South African scholar and former Mphahlele student, presents the "dean of African letters" to a new generation of readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143106029
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/25/2011
Series:	Penguin Classics
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Es'kia Mphahlele (1919-2008) was born Ezekiel Mphahlele. His writings include his celebrated first story collection, Man Must Live, and an acclaimed autobiography, Down Second Avenue.

Peter N. Thuynsma succeeded Es'kia Mphahlele as professor of African literature at the University of Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he lives.

Editorial Reviews

Raw and carefully examined portraits of life during apartheid dominate this sterling collection from the late Mphahlele (1919–2008). While the oppressive atmosphere of the times serves as an ominous force as often as backdrop, these stories pivot on the innermost thoughts of ordinary people. In "Man Must Live," a near microscopic analysis of the brazenness of a railway police officer ends up being a larger cautionary tale of rise and fall. A similar inspection of haughtiness and pride is made of a white farm owner living in constant fear of being overthrown by his workers in "The Master of Doornvlei." The title story focuses on a freshly widowed woman whose questioning of her dead husband's love and devotion to her and their children doubles as love story and a taut commentary on education, violence, and corruption. Later stories, such as "Nigerian Talking Points" and "A Ballad of Oyo," explore life in exile, reflecting the author's own experiences. Mphahlele delivers devastating details without ignoring the sometimes comic intricacies of the human psyche, resulting in an impressive survey of a career spent documenting harsh inequality. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Mphahlele, like Mr. Mandela, held to a consistent vision of an inclusive, multiracial nation.(…) In Corner B, now reissued by Penguin Classics, provides an impressive sampling of Mphahlele’s work—incisive essays and virtuoso stories in particular.(…) He routinely sees beyond the confines to which apartheid might have condemned him.”
—Martin Rubin, The Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher