babyosisi:

Who reads those works
That is the question
How many has he sold ?
The amount he has sold is not documented, that shows you it not as significant as many other writers.
He is a smart man,yes but his works are not as popular going by book sales
None of his works are required texts not even in Nigeria
At the end of the day,it is all about the numbers

At the time Achebe published his memoirs,WS also wrote a book,who knows the title of Wole's book?
Many are just hearing of that book there from you

[size=18pt]
Musiwa aka becomerich churns out a thousand threads every blessed week,who reads and contributes in them [/size]
It is not by the amount of books dear

Ola Johnson: Spot the difference in baba in his 30s, 50s and 70s.

Ola Johnson: Spot the difference in baba in his 30s, 50s and 70s.

shymexx:

No, the only reason why people compare Achebe to Soyinka is because of his "Things Fall Apart" book that counteracted Joseph Conrad's racist "Heart of Darkness." He fed off that energy and truth be told, without that energy, I doubt Achebe belongs to the same class as WS in literature, in its purest form.

That's the truth and nothing but the truth!!

I'm out, yo!!

Neo-XVI:


SMH. Complete BS!!!

TFA had nothing to do with Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It wasn't until 1975 that Achebe's reply to Conrad's work titled "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness" was published whereas TFA was published in 1958, a whole 17 years before that.

People come here arguing about things they know nothing of and passing off a whole lot of misinformation. Damn shame.

Meanwhile there's potent tribalism all over this thread. Babyosisi has continually dealt you guys blow after hard blow, but had the magnanimity to concede that she reveres WS. I have yet to see the same magnanimity on the other side. You guys have refused to accept the judgement of peerless folks like Nadine Gordimer who labeled CA FATHER OF MODERN AFRICAN LITERATURE.

Don't let jealousy eat your young hearts away

One_Naira: oooh it's so sad reading this. I'm so disappointed. SMH. how the mighty has falling. it cannot be wole soyinka that said this, it just cannot be. SMH!!!! he's the only one from clan that we all can attest does not have petty jealousy and enviness for those that achieved more than him. such a shame, our opinion of him is so far from the truth. wole soyinka please noooo. say it is not so. reading this article, it's easy to see jealousy towards his colleague, it's sad too cause he never showed this envy when his colleague was alive. smh. wole soyinka give props when props is due. Chinua Achebe did not name himself "father of modern African literature", another African did and the entire world accepted it as fact. stop being jealous, noone is taking your achievement from you by calling CA that. The feat he was able to do was not an easy task. if it was, you, WS, would have achieved it as well and till this day you have not. CA is the number one Nigerian author recognized by others; chiamanda is getting there but even she haven't touched the greatness of CA. CA has single handily promoted other African writersdentified, including your own, without even saying a word. in my 11th grade, our literature book contained small sections of Chinua achebe's work and one of your poetry. At the end book, the authors identified what inspired them to include the works in their textbook. underneath your name and poetry, the author specifically mentioned it was CA works that sent them looking for other Nigerian authors to see if there is anyone worthy like CA.
CA things fall apart, fiction or not, is the only African book that we know that that've intrigued the world to seek and learn about African culture prior to colonization. SMH @WS. it's such a shame he fell this low. you can see the jealousy oozing off from the comment where he mentioned "CA is just a storyteller". what does he, WS, think he is? is he not just a story teller as well? all literature writes are story tellers. I pray to God, it is old age coming out. I pray that man is not being influenced negatively in that country. This is like the third time he's dissappointed me this year. I pray it's just old age.

Afam4eva:
The truth is that, the only reason why people try to compare Soyinka to Achebe is unconnected with the fact that Soyinka won the Nobel prize. Had he not won it, he would have just been regarded with the likes of Elechi Amadi, Cyprian Ekwensi, Ola Rotimit etc.

ajanaku2:


“The fact that Wole Soyinka was awarded the Nobel Prize does not make him the Asiwaju (Leader) of African literature” - Achebe

How about that for unbridled Jealousy!

babyosisi:

Prior to 1975,how many black men had received the Nobel prize in science or arts?
Answer that question please

BluIvy:

Hehehe! Igbos and their creative mouths, at first it was 15 now 50.

Source please or just mention one language that it was translated to except English which it was written in. Just one!

You people cannot continue claiming things with your mouth with no action to match that other wise you are history!

Crayola1:

Please someone should verify this quote

Or is Soyinka Jesus a man without biases.

Neo-XVI:


It doesn't need any google search, this one

For my Yoruba warlords, "Father" in this case, does not mean progenitor or pioneer. It's a sign of respect for the one whose singular talent, courage and art put mother Africa on the global map and REWROTE centuries-old perceptions about Africa in the minds of European and American intelligentsia.

Accept in and live long

Ola Johnson: This thread has been infested by those who know nothing but give titles to themselves. I mean those people that call themselves the Jews of Nigeria. Very soon they will make their son who led them to an ill prepared war in 1967 to 1970, 'Moses.' Moses indeed.

Ola Johnson:
You never read the interview. If you had you will know that WS quoted what you now doubt.

one.east1:




You people are ordinary chest beaters. Post the link on the bold. You guys are just the same include the so called Soyinka.

Am telling you that outside yorubaland nobody knows who is soyinka..you want to argue with me. Just type Achebe's name on google and type Soyinka's.

The only gift Soyinka gave to Nigeria is campus cultism, whereas Achebe's book has been translated into over 50 languages and counting because of wide reach all over the world.

ajanaku2:


“The fact that Wole Soyinka was awarded the Nobel Prize does not make him the Asiwaju (Leader) of African literature” - Achebe

How about that for unbridled Jealousy!

Ola Johnson:
You never read the interview. If you had you will know that WS quoted what you now doubt.

Crayola1:

Please someone should verify this quote

Or is Soyinka Jesus a man without biases.

Afam4eva:
It's the truth to you. As a matter of fact, i rate the likes of Ola Rotimi and Cyprian ekwensi ahead of Soyinka anyday. Whenever Soyinka is being talked about in the media, the only thing you hear is "Nobel winner". They never talk about his body of work. But we hear of Achebe's "Things fall apart", "Arrow of God" and "man of the people". They shouldn't even be compared cos they're not mates in anyway.

ajanaku2:

Ogbeni, nobody's saying Achebe's "Things fall apart" is not a good book and has not been translated into several languages....

As a matter of fact, that book is his only noteworthy book, the rest are just average...Should he be informally crowned as the "Father of modern African literature" just 'cos of one remarkable book?

Neo-XVI:


SMH. Complete BS!!!

TFA had nothing to do with Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It wasn't until 1975 that Achebe's reply to Conrad's work titled "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness" was published whereas TFA was published in 1958, a whole 17 years before that.

People come here arguing about things they know nothing of and passing off a whole lot of misinformation. Damn shame.

Meanwhile there's potent tribalism all over this thread. Babyosisi has continually dealt you guys blow after hard blow, but had the magnanimity to concede that she reveres WS. I have yet to see the same magnanimity on the other side. You guys have refused to accept the judgement of peerless folks like Nadine Gordimer who labeled CA FATHER OF MODERN AFRICAN LITERATURE.

Don't let jealousy eat your young hearts away

Ola Johnson:
You never read the interview. If you had you will know that WS quoted what you now doubt.

ajanaku2:

Ogbeni, nobody's saying Achebe's "Things fall apart" is not a good book and has not been translated into several languages....

As a matter of fact, that book is his only noteworthy book, the rest are just average...Should he be informally crowned as the "Father of modern African literature" just 'cos of one remarkable book?