Banned when it was first published in South Africa in 1979, "Muriel at Metropolitan" is set in a bustling furniture and electronics store catering for poor whites and blacks and describes the daily experiences of Muriel, the accounts typist. Her relationship with her colleagues and her feelings about the stream of customers who come into the shop are depicted and illustrate life on the fringes of white society. Miriam Tlali draws on her own experience of working in Johannesburg to write this novel. She lives in Soweto and is now a professional writer. She has published a collection of short stories "Mihloti", and a second novel, "Amandla", in South Africa.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
What a book! I recommend it to all.,
By Lola Brown (Los Angeles CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Muriel at Metropolitan (African Classics) (Paperback)
I happened upon this little gem at a thrift store.
I really enjoyed her style of writing and the subject is interesting, to say the least. The story is set in South Africa before the end of apartheid. Muriel is an educated black who obtains a clerical position in a busy furniture and electronics store. She writes about her daily experiences: the constant friction between whites, blacks and coloreds (persons of mixed race), her struggle to keep her dignity while "keeping in her place" to save her job and avoid quarrels, her discomfort at having to ask black customers for their "pass" which is proof that they are legally permitted to come into the area. Something new to me was that the blacks held the whites in different categories: They didn't mind the English so much but the Afrikaners were the worst. The Afrikaners were most likely to insult the non-whites and look down upon them and thus were to be avoided if at all possible. The best part of the book was her even-tempered reporting of what went on, a surprising objectivity. For example, she writes: "We were all dissatisfied, all trying to get the best out of life, but we were struggling on different battlefields. For the whites, the struggle was that of human beings trying to better themselves. For the blacks it was that of the underdogs, voiceless and down-trodden. In addition to the difficult task of making a living, we still had to labour under the effects of a rigid apartheid system supported by our own colleagues. Yet we all had the same problems." Isn't that the truth of the matter in a nutshell? We ARE all in the same boat, all struggling in a very difficult world. And why some individuals and governments think that they can only raise themselves up by slamming other people down, well, that's a problem that mankind has not been able to face and conquer. And sadly, humans certainly don't seem to learn from the bitter experiences of others. Look at South Africa today: they now have a government in power that discriminates against whites! Unbelievable! The official government policy is that if a job opens up, a black must get priority, whether they know how to do the job or not. Thousands of whites are now living in dire poverty and no one seems to be helping them. Is this justice? Is this a fair and equitable solution? So the tables have been turned and the whites are getting back some of what they handed out for so many years. Do you really think this is a victory? We are ALL reduced when someone suffers or is abused. The blacks and coloreds of South Africa may feel like they have been released from bondage and good for them, they deserve this freedom. But they will not have won any true victory, they will not really have been released from tyranny, until they have a policy to treat EVERYONE fairly. Wouldn't that be an example for the world? I spoke to a white lady from South Africa recently. She told me a bit about the situation, then and now, then she said "You know, the problem is not with the blacks, it's not with the whites. The problem is the government." Mankind has tried every conceivable form of self-rule: monarchies, socialism, communism, democracies. None have worked well, all have problems. What the people of the world need is a fair and equitable government that will take care of all its citizens. You may be surprised to hear that the Bible speaks of God's Kingdom, which is a real government which will bring peace to the earth, do away with the wicked and bring about paradise conditions. (It's often known as the model prayer or the "Our Father": "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, let your kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as in heaven," etc. Matthew 6:9, 10). This is not a dream or wishful thinking. If someone knocks on your door and wants to tell you about this perfect and fair government, will you listen?
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