Critical Perspectives on Naguib Mahfouz

The stories here are snapshots along South Africa's via negativa, impressions drawn from the author's experience of political exile. They are fragmentary, anecdotal and idiosyncratic; animated by Langa's fascination with his characters and their various journeys from exile to the 'kingdom'. They are an attempt to explain some of the momentous events of our lives. As in his other writings, Langa is not afraid to confront human conflict, issues of sexuality and oppression, and - here - to try the sometimes shaky ground on which South Africa's new order is founded. If these are cautionary tales, however, then it is because Langa delights in humankind, and is as vigilant of its freedom as he is concerned with its true nature.