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No longer at ease (African writers series) 19 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Heinemann Educational Books, 1971
A Sensitive, Complex Novel
The title of Chinua Achebe's No Longer at Ease suggests the possibility of a time when there was "ease." The struggles of the protagonist, Obi Okonkwo, a twenty-six year old Umuofian educated in the British Colonial system and at the university in Great Britain, are analogous to the struggles facing Nigerian society during the period at the end of colonization. Obi must manage the complexities ...
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Anthills of the Savannah13 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Picador, 1988
acute observations and beautiful prose
After reading excellent non-fiction about the situation in Africa by Ryszard Kapuscinski, I felt ready for Chinua Achebe. "Anthills of the Savannah" is his first novel I've read. At first, I thought I would be disappointed. In the first half of the novel, the political topic combined with very dense prose, constant changes in the narrators and frequent use of pidgin English from the region made ...
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Things Fall Apart529 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Heinemann, 1968
The foundation for modern African literature
I was surprised and disappointed in some of the incredibly harsh reviews of this book. Since I've read a decent amount of African literature (not a vast amount), my first thoughts are that "Things Fall Apart" isn't superior to some of those novels. However, it is also important to realize this was a pre-cursor and likely an influence on many if not all of those more recent novels. One needs to ...
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Home and Exile 5 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Canongate Books Ltd, 2003
Long Live our blessed Statesman and elder
Long live the proud son of Africa and our respected statesman. Achebe the honest and truthful dispenser of both sides of the story. Colonial griots (to borrow Achebe's words) such as Elspeth Huxley and other apologists have for too long been left alone to justify the dispossession of precious lands and cultures. Until the proud son of Africa made them eat their own words and exposed them for ...
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A man of the people6 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Heinemann, 1965
A Man of the People
"A Man of the People" is another excellent and moving book by the world renowned Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe. His other classic books include: "Things Fall Apart" and "No Longer at Ease".
Chinua Achebe is a gifted story teller. From his writings, one can picture life in his native country and particularly of his Ibo clan. In "A Man of the People", Achebe depicts the life of a post-colonial ...
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Anchor Book of Modern African Stories 3 reviews
Topeka Bindery, 2002
Another great compilation of short stories.
This book is great. I bought it for a class requirement, but had I known this book existed I would have purchased it long before. I would highly recommend this book to increase one's awareness and sensitivity to the African culture.
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Collected Poems2 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Anchor, 2004
Met any great poets lately? Here's your chance...
Within the bright yet unremarkable cover of this small book is the world as seen through the eyes of Mr. Chinua Achebe. The world witnessed by this talented Nigerian-born author and poet contains death, hope, strife, hunger, joy, love, wisdom, and wonder-and Achebe ushers his audience on an emotional journey through them all. As I read "Collected Poems", I became more interested in the poet ...
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Hopes & Impediments1 review
Chinua Achebe
Doubleday, 1989
Achebe is a master of thought
I read this as part of my required summer reading for my AP English class, and I have only previously encountered Achebe's work in Things Fall Apart. This collection of essays is often thought-provoking, quite debatable, and never dull. In his opening essay on racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness, it will certainly be more interesting if you have read the novel before reading Achebe's ...
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Girls at War3 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Anchor, 1991
Great stories by a master writer
This is an impressive collection of short stories that covers a twenty-year period of Achebe's writing. They also cover a period of history in his native Nigeria that spans from the late colonial period to the Biafran war. In them Achebe explores various aspects of a predominant theme in his work, i.e. tradition vs. modernism in his country (as introduced by British colonial administration). The ...
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Chike and the River3 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Cambridge University Press, 1966
Excellent book
This is a story of an eleven year old Nigerian boy (Chike), who moved from the village of Umuofia to live with an uncle in a big Nigerian city (onitsha). While in onitsha, Chike experienced the urban city life (quite a difference from the village he had left behind), he attended school, made friends, and became fascinated with crossing the river Niger on a ferry boat. Chike did not have the ...
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Another Africa1 review
Chinua Achebe
Anchor Books, 1997
A respectful and decent view of Africa
This book by Achebe and Lyons is infact a decent and respectful view of Africa.It does not contain pictures of Starving children or wars.The photographs taken by Lyon shows ordinary Africans going about their business with dignity.There is also a very good essay by Achebe discussing the Images of Africa over time.It uses as it's main theme a discussion of Joseph Conrad's book the heart of ...
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Chinua Achebe Reading Anthills of the Savannah Arrow of God 2 reviews
Chinua Achebe
American Audio Prose Library, 1988
Chinua Achebe Reading Anthills of the Savannah/ Arrow of God (excerpts)
Wonderful reading by Chinua Achebe. He transports you to a different time and place and makes you feel as if you are right there. This reading makes you wish all of his books could be available on tape!
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Arrow of God13 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Heinemann, 1964
Another Chinua Masterpiece
"Arrow of God" is another excellent novel by the world renowned Chinua Achebe. I have read this novel perhaps five times, having first read it decades ago. I still get thrilled and marvel at the ability of Chinua Achebe to tell a good story that keeps the reader wanting to read more. I have also read "Things Fall Apart" and "Man of the People", which are all excellent reading for those interested ...
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1ST EDITION Morning Yet on Creation Day: Essays
CHINUA ACHEBE
LONDON: 1975 HEINEMANN, 1975
1ST EDITION. HARDCOVER BOOK WITH DUST JACKET. 108 PAGES.
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The Trouble with Nigeria5 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Fourth Dimension Publishing Co., 2000
This should be required reading...
I first bought this book from a dusty bin in The Metropolitan Hotel in Calabar, Nigeria. I was there on a thirteen day missions trip during the bloody reign of Babangida and I had already experienced, first hand, the trouble with Nigeria. Achebe had been a favorite author since I read Things Fall Apart during my college days, but with this reading he became more than an author -- he became ...
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African Short Stories (African Writers)1 review
Heinemann International Literature & Textbooks, 1985
A Worthy Introduction to African Literature
This is a great collection of stories. Too often the artistic talent in Africa is overloooked because of the turmoil in some parts of the land. This book is for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the African people and their lives that one cannot get from headlines.
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Things Fall Apart2 reviews
Chinua Achebe
Fawcett crest, 1974
An African Classic
I read "Things Fall Apart" in my school days in the then Rhodesia. I immediately fell in love with the book because I could relate a lot with tribal life in my village and the various forces that were impacting on it. The customs, rituals and beliefs were very similar. The impact of white missionaries on the lives of people in my village was also very powerful and caused a lot of clashes with the ...
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