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Quote by Chinua Achebe

“If I write novels in a country in which most citizens are illiterate, who then is my community?”

Quote by Chinua Achebe

Book:Hopes and impediments: selected essays

Work

Hopes and impediments: selected essays

This book is a compilation of essays that delve into the concepts of hope and the challenges that individuals and societies face. The essays likely cover a range of topics, including personal growth, societal issues, and philosophical musings, offering insights into the human condition and the pursuit of betterment. more

Author

Nigerian novelist, poet, literary critic, widely regarded as one of the greatest African writers of the 20th century. Chinua Achebe is known for his profound insights into colonialism and African culture, with works such as 'Things Fall Apart' and 'Arrow of God'. more

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“Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked.”

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Book:Hopes and impediments: selected essays

Source: Hopes and impediments: selected essays

“I am against people reaping where they have not sown. But we have a saying that if you want to eat a toad you should look for a fat and juicy one.”

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Book:No Longer at Ease

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“A coward may cover the ground with his words but when the time comes to fight he runs away.”

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Book:Hopes and impediments: selected essays

Source: Hopes and impediments: selected essays

“This is not pessimism but rather casting a cold eye on things. It is only one man's story, and I think that things will go better, but difficulties exist and nothing is served by hiding them under a poetic veil or under a lyricism of the past. I am against slogans.”

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Book:Conversations with Chinua Achebe

Source: Conversations with Chinua Achebe

“A kinsman in trouble had to be saved, not blamed; anger against a brother was felt in the flesh, not in the bone.”

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Book:No Longer at Ease

Source: No Longer at Ease

“My books have done extremely well, I know. But I don't honestly feel much different from when I began to write. I still think we have a long way to go. I suppose my name means more in Nigeria today than it did five years ago. But I feel the job that literature should do in our community has not even started. It's not yet part of the life of the nation. We are still at the beginning. It's a big beginning, because now we are catching the next generation in the schools. When I was their age, I had nothing to read that had any relevance to my own environment.”

Source: Conversations with Chinua Achebe