I remember reading Things Fall Apart when I was about 13, It was probably the first African novel I read, and I couldn't believe it was actually written by an African even though I was a Nigerian. It was an eye opener, and I was completely engrossed in it, and I believe it provides one of the finest insights into the cultural clash between the natives and their colonial masters.
If though I lived in Nigeria, all the serious books I ever encountered back then as a young teenager were all written by Europeans, roughly all the books in my school library were written by Europeans; so, there was no serious encounter with any Nigerian or African author, so I naturally thought in my small mind then perhaps we weren't smart enough to write those kind of books. I found the Achebe's book in one of my dad's cabinets.
I think it generally of the problems faced by Africans, in many cases you were more exposed to foreign stuffs over your own people.
I remember reading Things Fall Apart when I was about 13, It was probably the first African novel I read, and I couldn't believe it was actually written by an African even though I was a Nigerian. It was an eye opener, and I was completely engrossed in it, and I believe it provides one of the finest insights into the cultural clash between the natives and their colonial masters.
> I couldn't believe it was actually written by an African
What do you mean?
If though I lived in Nigeria, all the serious books I ever encountered back then as a young teenager were all written by Europeans, roughly all the books in my school library were written by Europeans; so, there was no serious encounter with any Nigerian or African author, so I naturally thought in my small mind then perhaps we weren't smart enough to write those kind of books. I found the Achebe's book in one of my dad's cabinets. I think it generally of the problems faced by Africans, in many cases you were more exposed to foreign stuffs over your own people.
I understand you now.