(1.) ''CHARITY. . . .IS THE OPIUM FOR THE PRIVILEGED. ''
(2.) ''IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMEONE'S STORY, WRITE YOUR OWN! ''
(3.) ''ONE OF THE TRUEST TESTS OFINTEGRITY IS ITS BLUNT REFUSAL TO BE COMPROMISED ! ''
Chinua Achebe.
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CHINUA ACHEBE IS PROBABLY BEST KNOWN FOR HIS DEBUT NOVEL PUBLISHED IN 1957/58, 'THINGS FALL APART' - a book that sold over 12 millions worldwide and translated into around 50 languages!
'THINGS FALL APART' IS A RARE STUDY OF THE POWER OF COLONIALISM AND THE RESULTANT DIVISIVE TENDENCIES THAT KEEP INFLUENCING LONG AFTER THE COLONY GETS INDEPENDENCE!IT IS ALSO A GREAT CRITIQUE OF NIGERIAN POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT AND THE DEADLY INTER ETHNIC CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA.AND,MOST IMPORTANTLY ABOUT THE INFLUENCE CHRISTIANITY WAS HAVING OVER THE NATIVE TRIBAL CULTURE.OVERALL IT WAS A STUDY OF TRANSITION NIGERIAN SOCIETYWAS UNDERGOING!EVERYTHING SAID IN THE BOOK IS WRITER'S OWN PERSPECTIVES AND COULD WELL BE READ AS A SEMI-AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MR. CHINUA ACHEBE!MR.ACHEBE HAS BEEN LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES FOR LONG AND WORKING AS A PROFESSOR.HE IS CURRENTLY HEADING THE FACULTY OF 'AFRICANA STUDIES' AT THE BROWN UNIVERSITY,RHODE ISLAND,USA.
LAST MONTH CAME HIS MUCH AWAITED MEMOIR , 'THERE WAS A COUNTRY' .THIS BOOK TOO DEALS WITH NIGERIA ,ESPECIALLY,THE LATE SIXTIES OF NIGERIAN HISTORY.THE MEMOIR PRESENTS A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF THE INFAMOUS NIGERIAN CIVIL-WAR OF 1967-70 : THE 'BIAFRAN WAR'.THE SAID CONFLICT HAD REPORTEDLY CLAIMED MORE THAN A MILLION LIVES(as per a BBC-REPORT),MOSTLY AFFECTED WERE THE PEOPLE OF 'IGBO' TRIBE - THE TRIBE THAT THE AUTHOR HIMSELF BELONGS TO!
MR.ACHEBE WRITES IN ENGLISH AND HE ONCE DESCRIBED IT AS A 'LANGUAGE OF THE COLONIZERS'.HIS ART OF STORY TELLING IS LARGELY INSPIRED FROM THE NATIVE TRIBAL ORAL TRADITION OF STORY TELLING WHICH HE WAS FED ON DURING HIS CHILDHOOD.HE ALSO AUTHORED SEVERAL CHILDREN'S BOOKS, COLLECTIONS OF SHORT STORIES, POEMS AND ESSAYS.HE IS TRULY A PROLIFIC AUTHOR.
HIS WRITINGS ASSUME GREATER SIGNIFICANCE EVEN TODAY AS WE FIND NIGERIA IN THROE OF KIND OF A LAWLESSNESS WHEN THE ETHNIC STRIFE HAS ITS HEY DAY,THANKS TO THE SEPRATIST MILITIA, THE 'BOKO HARAM' !
MR. ACHEBE EXPRESSES SADNESS AS WE ALL DO,OVER THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE OIL RICH NATION OF NIGERIA !
'ARROW OF GOD' , 'NO LONGER AT EASE' , 'ANTHILLS OF SAVANNAH' ARE HIS OTHER POPULAR BOOKS.
ON 16'TH OF NOVEMBER(TODAY), CHINUA ACHEBE TURNS 82 !
A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MR. ACHEBE !
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MRITYUNJAY JHA
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
(91) 9334411390.
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