Fools and Other Stories

In this collection of five lean, earthy stories, Ndebele examines the complexities of life for black South Africans confined to that country's numerous townships. He displays an impressive deftness at creating interesting, if not always attractive, characters. The narratives concern the effects of apartheid on those who impose it and those who are subjected to its iron rule. The powerful title story deals with the very different but equally devastating effects of racism on a dissolute old school teacher and one of his former students who has become an activist. While the weight of apartheid is felt by every character here, it is not an immediate, easily quantified presence. Ndebele subtly conveys the complex methods of survival and resistance that black South Africans have been compelled to devise. His insights give weight and meaning to these impressive tales. ( June 28)