Book review: Delving into Chinua Achebe’s life history

THAT Chinua Achebe was a literary genius is saying what is obvious. However, many don’t know the history and background of this genius and that is why Dr Ayo Elebute’s book, Chinua Achebe: Nigeria’s Legendary Novelist, is a must-read for primary and secondary school pupils, as well as literary lovers.

The book opens with Chinua’s parentage, where the author traces the family lineage to Ogidi, which is now in Anambra State.

While Chinua’s grandfather was a traditionalist, his father, who earlier professed the traditional faith, later became a Christian when some foreign missionaries went to their village to preach to them.

The author chronicles Chinua’s birth and his childhood in the third and fourth chapters of the book. While Chinua is growing up, his parents embrace the Christian faith, thereby making them see the traditional faith as fetish.

However, despite this, Chinua loves things that have to do with tradition and an example given is when he goes with a friend to the village square to watch masquerades perform.

Chinua sees nothing wrong with embracing culture, but his parents see such as one going against the dictates of God.

He, however, gets closer to his mother who promises to be sharing with him stories about the Igbo culture.

Subsequent chapters in the book focus on his elementary and secondary school education, as well as his time at the University College, Ibadan, where he switched from studying medicine to English literature.

Achebe is known for his flowery use of proverbs, most of them from the Igbo tradition, and some of these proverbs are contained in the appendix of the book.

While Chinua Achebe becomes popular for his writings, he also becomes a crusader for the Biafra cause. He believes his people will do well in an independent state of Biafra.

Achebe died on March 21, 2013 at the age of 82 in Boston, USA. He was later buried in his hometown of Ogidi.

 

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