fabre4:




therefore instead of we to aspire to be better than them we should play the busybody and begin to compare. Its just like saying messi is better than Ronaldo or vice versa
meanwhile what do you think was the reason for Achebe's jealousy

Soyinka won the nobel prize and got professorial chair in the west, achebe only won MAN-BOOKER prize and other lesser known awards.

Its Davidflo- (The Devil who loved me). . Chikena.

Rossikk:


Chris Abani? You're a joker.

Graceland and Abagail, Song for Night about Biafran child soliders your not well...

Introducing, the next literary colossus after Achebe! I see him becoming even better than Achebe. Admittedly, his genre of writing is quite identical to Achebe's. He's also a great story teller like Achebe.

Check out Fidelis Obiora Orace's maiden novel, "CHASED INTO HIS DESTINY".

#Available_only_on_order

I will be better than him in the future, am a good writer too.

Daniel Olorunfemi Fagunwa

Are you aware that we have the MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL PAGEANT? DO YOU WATCH?

dapyd1:
You guys forget that we are talking about literature as an art, and using the word 'better' does not capture it.
Depending on the reader, critic or environment the criteria for measuring which writer is better will be entirely different.
Why do humans like putting people in a box by classifying them as better or worse.
We have had a horde of brilliant writers over the past century in the African continent, majority of whom even the OP has not read even if you spend every minute of your life reading.

The question is subjective and can only lead to arguments and counter-arguments.

My two cents though.

nigeriancritic1:

Soyinka won the nobel prize and got professorial chair in the west, achebe only won MAN-BOOKER prize and other lesser known awards.

And you think Chinua Achebe didn't deserve this prizes right

fabre4:



And you think Chinua Achebe didn't deserve this prizes right

Yes, he was just a good storyteller.

nigeriancritic1:

Yes, he was just a good storyteller.

everyone is entitled to his own opinion but some opinions matter while others don't. What surprises Me Mr is why you spend so much time castigating and destroying somebody's legacy when you have none as long as literature is concerned not as though your opinion counts.
wole is best at what he does and so is Achebe please let sleeping dogs lie and dont be like those Achebe or wole Soyinka fan that confine literature to Nobel prize

RetroBoy:
You cannot compare works of art.
African writers are extremely resourceful and talented.
A lot of people here have supported Soyinka or Achebe along ethnic lines; their folly and myopia is mind-boggling. Art is art, anywhere in the world.
Even as a Yoruba, Chinua Achebe's work will continually hold a dear place in my heart. I read Things Fall Apart for the first time at age 8 , and I havevread it a dozen times since then.
Other great African works of art include:
The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born-Ayi Kwei Armah
Why Are We So Blest-Ngugi wa Thiong'o
The Concubine-Elechi Amadi
Joys Of Motherhood-Buchi Emecheta
Madmen And Specialists-Wole Soyinka
Arrow of God-Chinua Achebe
Toads for Supper-Elechi Amadi
Sunset in Biafra-Chukwuemeka Ike

Thank you my brother for your post. It is futile making direct comparison between authors when their genres and background and plots are not the same.

Adding to your list above is is The Last Duty and The Victims by Isidore Okpewho (a great write that rarely spoken of) also the works of Bode Sowande and Femi Osofisan.

Depends on your perspective it is like saying which food is better? Though I suspect the OP is only trying to be provocative. I do not understand why Chinua Achebe is the one to benchmark. Chinua Achebe's Thing fall Apart was written at a time when there was( in the West) no knowledge of African writing.
There is a very important question many do not consider should a "Good" African writer be "Good" writing in his own language or in the language of his erstwhile colonizers. Do African writers need the imprimatur of their colonizers.I suspect this question might be too deep for many but for me there is little pride writing in another's language while you watch your own language strangulated to death and extinction.

Back to subject ,Achebe's claim to fame is Thing's fall Apart which I consider as a VHS in comparison to the digital era. If it was written today(no one would notice) it is quite ordinary, academically is a high school level work and is probably not his best or most mature work.
Personally I consider Ben Okri to be miles ahead of Achebe not only in terms of material covered and mastery of prose but also intellectual and spiritual depth and range. Ngugi has addressed the question of African language writing and has put his writing where his mouth is. One thing Achebe did very well was transcribing native Igbo wisdom into English much of which he cannot claim ownership of. We must not forget that many African societies were illiterate and so their "literature" was largely oral and is indeed a commonwealth. Achebe showcased Igbo commonwealth,true, but much of it is not really Achebe's but the Igbo's it would be unfair to accuse another Igbo person using many of Achebe's proverbs of plagiarism because they are not his really
There cannot truly be a "Good" African writer if he is not writing in African language(s) that is my take

JeffreyJamez:
T.M David-West a.k.a PrettySpicey ......she's goooooood!

Whilst you're thinking this is an honour, I, in fact, consider Prof. Chinua Achebe a legendary writer/author.

Forever he stands out to me.

PrettySpicey:


Whilst you're thinking this is an honour, I, in fact, consider Prof. Chinua Achebe a legendary writer/author.

Forever he stands out to me.

Bubble Burster


Well me don't see anything special o.

D O fagunwaD O fagunwaD O fagunwa

JeffreyJamez:


Bubble Burster


Well me don't see anything special o.

@ bubble burster.

fabre4:



everyone is entitled to his own opinion but some opinions matter while others don't. What surprises Me Mr is why you spend so much time castigating and destroying somebody's legacy when you have none as long as literature is concerned not as though your opinion counts.
wole is best at what he does and so is Achebe please let sleeping dogs lie and dont be like those Achebe or wole Soyinka fan that confine literature to Nobel prize

evidently you have accepted my position. i'm contented

nigeriancritic1:

evidently you have accepted my position. i'm contented

I did not accept your position I only stated that you are entitled to your opinion

BuddhaPalm:


That!

Was this the one where some smug guys greeted each other with: "how's the car doing?"

Lol.

MoNickk:
yes...great book. not fair to compare writers though. they all write differently.

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hischoice:
Wole Soyinka says he loathes any such comparison with Chinua.

He's gone further to say he would not even want to compare any of his own works with themselves.

Art and literary appreciation, according to him, is a function of mood at any given point in time.

I so much crave for Chinua's books sometimes, that I find myself reading "Arrow of God"'s publishers' names over and over. The next hour, it's Reuben Abati's archive I'm digging into online and offline. And would trash every Chinua's book that tries to stop me en route. That's mood!

Good readers don't compare authors, especially along ethnic lines. Everyone is useful in his time.

A shot of chilled vodKa for you