Image: achebebooks.com
Chinua Achebe passed away on March 21, 2013. One of the great literary figures of our time is lost to us, but fortunately, his books will always be there to remind us of him.
I read 'Things Fall Apart' around two years back. The book was actually a gift, and what a gift it was, for otherwise, I may never have heard of him. His characters are strongly realistic. He is able to take the lives of his people, and tell moving stories with it. There is nothing ever pretentious or unbelievable in his books. Very recently I read 'Anthills of the Savannah'. This book is fantastic story, that traces the lives of three friends. It talks of the colonial mindset, and the hangover that exists in a country long after the colonial powers have left. It tells about the corruption and decadent government that makes a mockery of ruling a nation.
Indeed, the deep inner voice of these books (and possibly his other books), resonates with us Indians. The attitude of the colonial elite, those who look down on their own indigenous culture, the struggle of poverty-stricken masses, the educated intellectuals trying to find their own footing, and make sense in a land of lawlessness, it's these and many other things that remind us of our own situation. In his books you are taken right to the heart of Africa, through the eyes of an African, and that is an enriching and moving experience. Next time you're at a bookstore, do pick up Chinua Achebe; you won't be disappointed.
I read 'Things Fall Apart' around two years back. The book was actually a gift, and what a gift it was, for otherwise, I may never have heard of him. His characters are strongly realistic. He is able to take the lives of his people, and tell moving stories with it. There is nothing ever pretentious or unbelievable in his books. Very recently I read 'Anthills of the Savannah'. This book is fantastic story, that traces the lives of three friends. It talks of the colonial mindset, and the hangover that exists in a country long after the colonial powers have left. It tells about the corruption and decadent government that makes a mockery of ruling a nation.
Indeed, the deep inner voice of these books (and possibly his other books), resonates with us Indians. The attitude of the colonial elite, those who look down on their own indigenous culture, the struggle of poverty-stricken masses, the educated intellectuals trying to find their own footing, and make sense in a land of lawlessness, it's these and many other things that remind us of our own situation. In his books you are taken right to the heart of Africa, through the eyes of an African, and that is an enriching and moving experience. Next time you're at a bookstore, do pick up Chinua Achebe; you won't be disappointed.