Chinua Achebe (1930–2013) was born in Nigeria. Widely considered to be the father of modern African literature, he is best known for his masterful African Trilogy, consisting of Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, and No Longer at Ease. The trilogy tells the story of a single Nigerian community over three generations from first colonial contact to urban migration and the breakdown of traditional cultures. He is also the author of Anthills of the Savannah, A Man of the People, Girls at War and Other Stories, Home and Exile, Hopes and Impediments, Collected Poems, The Education of a British-Protected Child, Chike and the River, and There Was a Country. He was the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University and, for more than fifteen years, was the Charles P. Stevenson Jr. Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College. Achebe was the recipient of the Nigerian National Merit Award, Nigeria’s highest award for intellectual achievement. In 2007, Achebe was awarded the Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement.
Praise for Chinua Achebe
“A true classic of world literature...A masterpiece that has
inspired generations of writers in Nigeria, across Africa, and
around the world.” —Barack Obama
“A magical writer—one of the greatest of the twentieth century.”
—Margaret Atwood
“African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works
of Chinua Achebe.” —Toni Morrison
“Chinua Achebe has shown that a mind that observes clearly but
feels deeply enough to afford laughter may be more wise than all
the politicians and journalists.” —Time
“Chinua Achebe is gloriously gifted with the magic of an ebullient,
generous, great talent.” —Nadine Gordimer
“Achebe’s influence should go on and on . . . teaching and
reminding that all humankind is one.” —The Nation
“The father of African literature in the English language and
undoubtedly one of the most important writers of the second half of
the twentieth century.” —Caryl Phillips, The Observer
“We are indebted to Achebe for reminding us that art has social and
moral dimension—a truth often obscured.” —Chicago Tribune
“He is one of the few writers of our time who has touched us with a
code of values that will never be ironic.” —Michael Ondaatje
“For so many readers around the world, it is Chinua Achebe who
opened up the magic casements of African fiction.” —Kwame Anthony
Appiah
“[Achebe] is one of world literature’s great humane voices.” —Times
Literary Supplement
“Achebe is one of the most distinguished artists to emerge from the
West African cultural renaissance of the post-war world.” —The
Sunday Times (London)
“[Achebe is] a powerful voice for cultural decolonization.” —The
Village Voice
“The power and majesty of Chinua Achebe’s work has, literally,
opened the world to generations of readers. He is an ambassador of
art, and a profound recorder of the human condition.” —Michael
Dorris
Published in 1958, Achebe's seminal work heralds the revolution that preceded Nigerian independence in 1960. Designed to teach students about the rich Igbo heritage, it tells the heartbreaking tale of Okonkwo's single-minded rise to success among his people and the surrounding villages, followed by a heinous act, banishment, and descent into total failure. James narrates this story of the European colonization of Africa, the encroachment of Christianity, and the disintegration of traditional cultures with appropriate gravitas and measured pacing, bringing out all of the nuances of the text. Students can listen to Achebe read a part of the story (http://ow.ly/kwRJe) and then watch a portion of a production that includes the same text (http://ow.ly/kwS2a) for comparison. Round out the unit with PBS journalist Jeffrey Brown's interview with Achebe on the 50th anniversary of the publication of Things Fall Apart (http://ow.ly/kwSpg). (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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