RTSC:

Achebe is regarded by many as the father of African literature.
It was not just to sound good. It was a recognition of unparalleled artistic skill.
It is that same originality that has ensured his work will remain as the most translated, most read, most discussed African work of literature on earth.

The Nobel is not the be all and end all. They have their specific requirements that may disqualify other great works.
It does not in any way confer absolute and unbeatable royalty on any prospective winner.

The taste of the pudding is in the eating. The most read, most translated, most studied African literature has conferred on itself a prestige that the Nobel cannot buy.

Tolstoy as well as Soyinka were good. But that is just it.
They were good. Nothing revolutionary.

A total show of ignorance

Even Achebe himself rejected the tag of "Father of modern African literature". These were his words:


"It's really a serious belief of mine that it's risky for anyone to lay claim to something as huge and important as African literature ... the contribution made down the ages. I don't want to be singled out as the one behind it because there were many of us – many, many of us,"
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/nov/12/achebe-rejects-father-modern-african-literature


You talk about Achebe's originality and I laugh because it is evident that you know nothing about literature and creativity generally. In case you don't know, originality is often applied to the creativity of artists, writers, and thinkers. For instance, Tuface gave us a lot of original songs over the years. Originality is not exclusive to Achebe. Don't show this ignorance again, please.

You mentioned Achebe's unparalleled artistic skill. I just dey laugh. What is so special about writing simple English and using proverbs? I bet you have not read books from the crops of writers coming out today. They are doing justice to flowery languages better than Achebe ever hoped.

And for you to hint that Achebe was greater than even Tolstoy shows your baffling level of ignorance. Your only claim for Achebe's greatness is in the number of translations his Things Fall Apart has. Isn't that rather shallow?

You said Achebe was a revolutionary. Baba, you are pathetically ignorant

What did he revolutionize? African literature?

This is like calling Soyinka the father of African drama or Kunene the father of African poetry.

Or better still, like calling Mungo Park the father of the River Niger.

phekima:
Logical, her writings are beautifully nuanced with Igbo traditions. Forget Wole Soyinka; when it comes to telling a beautiful story, Prof doesn't really come close to any of 'em.

From the dawn of time, the Igbos have always been great storytellers, while the Yorubas on the other hand, extremely excellent poets.

I think you have said it all

Beauty in diversity...Everyone cannot be a storyteller, it will be quite boring nahh

BluntBoy:


A total show of ignorance

Even Achebe himself rejected the tag of "Father of modern African literature". These were his words:


"It's really a serious belief of mine that it's risky for anyone to lay claim to something as huge and important as African literature ... the contribution made down the ages. I don't want to be singled out as the one behind it because there were many of us – many, many of us,"
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/nov/12/achebe-rejects-father-modern-african-literature


You talk about Achebe's originality and I laugh because it is evident that you know nothing about literature and creativity generally. In case you don't know, originality is often applied to the creativity of artists, writers, and thinkers. For instance, Tuface gave us a lot of original songs over the years. Originality is not exclusive to Achebe. Don't show this ignorance again, please.

You mentioned Achebe's unparalleled artistic skill. I just dey laugh. What is so special about writing simple English and using proverbs? I bet you have not read books from the crops of writers coming out today. They are doing justice to flowery languages better than Achebe ever hoped.

And for you to hint that Achebe was greater than even Tolstoy shows your baffling level of ignorance. Your only claim for Achebe's greatness is in the number of translations his Things Fall Apart has. Isn't that rather shallow?

You said Achebe was a revolutionary. Baba, you are pathetically ignorant

What did he revolutionize? African literature?

This is like calling Soyinka the father of African drama or Kunene the father of African poetry.

Or better still, like calling Mungo Park the father of the River Niger.

What is so special about writing Simple English and using proverb?

It is special dear cos it entails creativity and foresight to write a good storyline.
Art is not easy as just writing English and proverbs

mhizsuzzy:


What is so special about writing Simple English and using proverb?

It is special dear cos it entails creativity and foresight to write a good storyline.
Art is not easy as just writing English and proverbs

You just jumped into the argument hence your conclusion

The person I quoted mentioned Achebe's unparalleled artistic skill . Perhaps, you can help me explain what that means?

I don't understand what is so exceptional about writing simple English and lacing it with proverbs? Before Achebe, there was Peter Abraham's Mine Boy which was written in simple and engaging English.

Many Igbo writers have almost the same style as Achebe. Even his contemporaries like Cyprian Ekwensi. So, I don't see what is exceptional about his style of writing.

phekima:


Not nonsense, my dear. Historically Practical. If you're well conversant with the literary space, you wouldn't be fussing so much.
You don't see much Yoruba novelists or fiction writers becoming popular for their fiction, but poets, yes yes. And poetry excellence is gently tilted towards the yorubas.
Here:
Novelists: Ben Okri, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, Cyprian Ekwensi, Elechi Amadi (inserting Soyinka into this list just looks odd.
Poets: Wole Soyinka, Niyi Osundare, Jimi Solanke, Adebayo Faleti, Christopher Okigbo (only igbo poet that can comfortably sit in this list)

Another interesting fact? The Brunel International Poetry prize is the highest of its kind in Africa. The 3 previous winners to have come from Nigeria and won the prize have all been Yorubas. The only Igbo co-won with another Yoruba poet.
Brunel Poetry Prize: Gbenga Adesina, Romeo Oriogun, Gbenga Adeoba (final throng).

There you have the basis.

Thanks for the schooling.

BluntBoy:


What is this one gibbering about?

You people should always have the decency to shut up when you have goofed.

You didn't remember that you had your life to make when you were peddling beer parlor gossips about why Achebe didn't get a Nobel prize abi? It was when I schooled your ignorant ass that you suddenly remembered. What a clown

. If not the the love i have about making people like you sound more stupid and irritating i wouldn't even be typing, hunkle kontinue "schooling" me and i will kontinue making you a bad teacher. Next thing now he will say i'm stupid, and for the record i don't go to bear whatever.

BluntBoy:


He writes garbage

Your level of ignorance is staggering

You don't expect everyone to be dumb as you. He writes garbage from my own viewpoint. No amount of your whining can change how I view his write-ups.

1Dray:


You don't expect everyone to be dumb as you. He writes garbage from my own viewpoint. No amount of your whining can change how I view his write-ups.

The clown is here again.

So, now, it is your viewpoint? Well, if you had written that it was your viewpoint, no one would have tried to school you. Next time, always warn people that a certain statement is your viewpoint.

germaphobe:
. If not the the love i have about making people like you sound more stupid and irritating i wouldn't even be typing, hunkle kontinue "schooling" me and i will kontinue making you a bad teacher. Next thing now he will say i'm stupid, and for the record i don't go to bear whatever.

You sounded stupid when you tried to give a reason for Achebe getting snubbed by the Nobel committee. You claimed that Soyinka was given because he was some asslicker sort of. I mean, how stupid can one get?

In this age of the internet, you still peddle such ignorance around? And to even make it worse, you also lack the decency to just keep mute. Instead you want to continue typing instead of feeling ashamed for making such a terrible blunder.

BluntBoy:


The clown is here again.

So, now, it is your viewpoint? Well, if you had written that it was your viewpoint, no one would have tried to school you. Next time, always warn people that a certain statement is your viewpoint.

He writes garbage, that a obvious fact. If you don't like this obvious fact advise him to go back and learn how to write or you can as well go hang yourself, you dimwit!

1Dray:


He writes garbage, that a obvious fact. If you don't like this obvious fact advise him to go back and learn how to write or you can as well go hang yourself, you dimwit!

Before, it was your viewpoint, now it is a fact.

Bro, you are demented

BluntBoy:


Before, it was your viewpoint, now it is a fact.

Bro, you are demented

It's obvious you ain't willing to give him that advise. The other option is still available, kindly go hang yourself, you dimwitted fellow!

1Dray:


It's obvious you ain't willing to give him that advise. The other option is still available, kindly go hang yourself, you dimwitted fellow!

Give who advise? A man whose achievements your fathers cannot replicate half of.

Aside the Nobel prize, Wole Soyinka still has more awards than Achebe, and yet he writes trash. Doesn't that speak of your lack of something important to decipher grand writing?

There's too much madness in here. People getting emotional because one particular writer was not mentioned as an inspiration by CNA?

People going as far as calling her a tribalist because of that?

Madness, I say.

Geddifock!

BluntBoy:


Give who advise? A man whose achievements your fathers cannot replicate half of.

Aside the Nobel prize, Wole Soyinka still has more awards than Achebe, and yet he writes trash. Doesn't that speak of your lack of something important to decipher grand writing?

That his achievements cannot be replicated by half by your entire generation doesn't mean it's so with everyone. Speak for yourself, you little ass dimwit. Don't you have anything doing than whiling away your time on Nairaland and littering the whole place with lame and garbage lines?

BluntBoy:




You sounded stupid when you tried to give a reason for Achebe getting snubbed by the Nobel committee. You claimed that Soyinka was given because he was some asslicker sort of. I mean, how stupid can one get?

In this age of the internet, you still peddle such ignorance around? And to even make it worse, you also lack the decency to just keep mute. Instead you want to continue typing instead of feeling ashamed for making such a terrible blunder.

. Hunkle if i keep quite you won't continue the lecture, seriously i'm loving this, but just know that i'm actually stupid and not sounding like it.(in a whirsper)lecture me more.

germaphobe:
. Hunkle if i keep quite you won't continue the lecture, seriously i'm loving this, but just know that i'm actually stupid and not sounding like it.(in a whirsper)lecture me more.

How far, bro?

Why are we even fighting sef? Make we end the matter.

Peace.

1Dray:


That his achievements cannot be replicated by half by your entire generation doesn't mean it's so with everyone. Speak for yourself, you little ass dimwit. Don't you have anything doing than whiling away your time on Nairaland and littering the whole place with lame and garbage lines?

You asked me to advise a man who has the most coveted award in literature concerning his style of writing. He also has the highest title anyone can get in the academic field. So, what advise regarding literature can you, a village rat, give to such a literary giant?

BluntBoy:




You asked me to advise a man who has the most coveted award in literature concerning his style of writing. He also has the highest title anyone can get in the academic field. So, what advise regarding literature can you, a village rat, give to such a literary giant?

Don't you imp have anything doing with your time other than littering Nairaland with you lame garbage lines? Please go find something and do for yourself. Your parents won't be feeding you forever.

PearlStreet:


Bro, that's the sad truth.

That's how most Igbos see other Nigerians. Igbos and others.

Chinua Achebe carried this same bitterness in him and that's why he wrote the last piece of trash he wrote. In fact, GEJ was so pissed that he didn't give Chinua Achebe a state burial and Chinua was buried like a dog.

Do you know that till today, as eternally stupid as it sounds, most Igbos still blame Soyinka for not allowing Chinua Achebe win a Nobel.

One was arguing with me last year that Achebe didn't win a Nobel cos he supported Biafra. I had to remind him the Soyinka supported Biafra and in fact, was jailed for supporting Biafra. As at when Soyinka was jailed for Biafra, Chinua Achebe was travelling around the world, sleeping with college girls in America.

Chumamanda is just a chip off the old block: clannish, tribalistic, bitter and frustrated feminist.

Soyinka did not really support Biafra he was against the war

PearlStreet:


Bro, that's the sad truth.

That's how most Igbos see other Nigerians. Igbos and others.

Chinua Achebe carried this same bitterness in him and that's why he wrote the last piece of trash he wrote. In fact, GEJ was so pissed that he didn't give Chinua Achebe a state burial and Chinua was buried like a dog.

Do you know that till today, as eternally stupid as it sounds, most Igbos still blame Soyinka for not allowing Chinua Achebe win a Nobel.

One was arguing with me last year that Achebe didn't win a Nobel cos he supported Biafra. I had to remind him the Soyinka supported Biafra and in fact, was jailed for supporting Biafra. As at when Soyinka was jailed for Biafra, Chinua Achebe was travelling around the world, sleeping with college girls in America.

Chumamanda is just a chip off the old block: clannish, tribalistic, bitter and frustrated feminist.

But your post reeks of bitterness though, lol
Good morning, think nice and happy, and everything will be all right
By the way, Google search Achebe’s Response to Conrad’s In the Heart of Darkness
Read it, read around it.
Once you do, it will become crystal clear to you why Achebe did not win a Nobel Prize
As a matter of fact, it is totally okay that he didn’t
How could he have?
Achebe is a Boss

grandstar:
One reason for his not winning a Nobel Prize was he had no recent writing to gauge him on for sometime.

That might have been an after effect of the war which might have left him feeling depressed and traumatised! Poor fellow

He wasn't against the country but despised the corruption riddled political class and the rot they left behind

One of his poems sums it all:

"The sinister grin of Africa's idiot kings
Who oversee in obscene palaces of gold the butchery of their own people"

Good morning
While I surmise that you are speaking kindly about Achebe, I also kind of know you are wrong about him and his no Nobel
Please Google search for Joseph Conrad and his In the Heart of Darkness (the reviews , criticisms, summary, etc. you may read the whole award winning book if you have time, but not necessary, this)
Then search for Achebe’s Response to Conrad’s In the Heart of Darkness, (read it, in totality (not long, and besides it’s great written work from a book god) the reviews, the criticisms, etc and see why he never got, was never going to get any award)
You will have learned a bit of how the world works, and be super proud of Achebe . Trust me, what he has is more than a Nobel, what he has is “ofo” which is everything. He spoke for the soul of Africa and got slammed and we are happy about it, cos he told our truth
Cheers