Tales of the Metric System

“The collected stories structure recalls David Mitchell's Ghostwritten, or Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad. As a character says early on, ‘We get most of our energy from complications.’ These complications rapidly pile up, resulting in a layered, multifaceted narrative.” — Publishers Weekly

“Using the transition to the metric system as both the catalyst and symbol for radical change, Coovadia places his characters in a historical context that explains their triumphs and shortcomings without offering excuses.” — World Literature Today

“Imraan Coovadia is one of the best novelists to come out of South Africa in a long time. His prose is charming, clever and sly. A must read.” — Gary Shteyngart

“Tales of the Metric System is about as good a book as
you are likely to read on South Africa’s transition from struggle to power.”

— Ray Hartley, Sunday Times

“Tales of the Metric System leaves the reader with a sense of having undertaken a journey through the familiar only to arrive somewhere completely new.” — Aminatta Forna

“With Tales of the Metric System, Imraan Coovadia uses an innovative structure and masterful writing to craft a portrait of life in South Africa through the transition away from apartheid. By writing his novel as a series of short stories, with some characters reappearing and others referenced, Coovadia combines everyday life and political turmoil in a thoroughly enjoyable book. “ — ForeWord Reviews