It was with a good measure of excitement that I picked up this title and started reading. Chinua Achebe is a very successful author. His works have been translated into many languages. Being born in Nigeria, he has a lot to tell, even though this is the first time I have ever read one of his books. And in many ways, this little work is very exciting and it lives up to its promise. In some ways, it fails in my opinion, which is subjective, of course, but in many ways this is a very useful book.
I was expecting to learn a lot about Africa in general and specifically Nigeria. However, one should have guessed that an author as accomplished as this did not become this well known for only touching on subjects that is only relevant to Nigeria or Africa. No. What Achebe has to say is relevant to the human condition as a whole, and he has to be congratulated for that fact. He does not shy away from difficult subjects, and we so desperately need this from scholars and intellectuals worldwide.
Although Achebe makes important contributions on the subjects of leadership, the preservation mother tongue languages as well his commentary on his own novels and the work of other authors, it seems as though the bulk of the book revolves around racism. Achebe hammers and hammers continually on the issue of racism. If one has never been confronted with this before, it might be interesting, but to some extend it has all been done before and to me, this made the book frustrating. But one should elaborate on this.
Achebe, in his essays, looks at history through the glasses of somebody who is in a great way concerned with literature. There is a difference between a historian and a novelist. Between a historian and a philosopher. Whereas a novelist and philosophers often leaves the reader with a certain extrapolation, the historian moves away from generalities in the direction of the unique-individual. I will just give one example of what I am trying to say. In the final chapter, Achebe concludes by saying ‘Africa believes in people, in cooperation. If the philosophical dictum of Descartes “I think, therefore I am” represents a European individualistic ideal, the Bantu declaration “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” represents an African communal aspiration.’ This, to me, is absolute nonsense, and it illustrates in a great way how the author generalises in a careless way about everything and everyone that forms part of the discussion. There are countless examples in history that proves the contrary, which the author does not take into account.
Why do I recommend this work? The simple reason is that, while reading this book, I often agreed with what the author had to say, but at times the author made me angry. And to me, this is a good sign in any book. I can agree, and I can disagree. My biggest piece of criticism I have already launched, but let me reformulate it. Despite all the mention of ‘the middle ground’, and despite the fact that many many people, including myself, would no less than agree that colonialism was a sad era in the history of Africa, despite all this, the parts that reflect on the tragic situation in Africa too easily blames all Africa’s problems on colonialism. In fact, at times, Achebe sounded like nothing other than a politician who likes to rub it in, and rub it in, and rub it in up to the point where you wonder if the people of Africa is in any way responsible for a single problem that affects the continent.
For the sheer fact that this book stirred so many emotions in me, I recommend it. I believe there is reconciliation going on in Africa between ordinary people that academics will for a long time fail to understand and miss out upon, and for that reason, I feel that Achebe and I differ on a great deal. But one thing is certain, if I were not truly an African, I would never have been as moved by this particular book as I was, despite the fact that a good number of my fellow countrymen and woman do not consider me truly ‘African’ because I do not have a black skin (I do not hammer all black people all the time for this, because most accept me. I rather look into myself and how I can always embrace my mother country more and more and thus win trust). But still, I highly recommend this book for anybody who has a passion for this troublesome continent as I do.
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