Wellington Street Readers

Our thanks to Robin for resourcing a fascinating discussion on Chinua Achebe’s landmark novel; one of the very first works of fiction recognized as “post-colonial” literature.

The book is set in many university courses and was familiar to several readers; as is so often the case what is fascinating about re-reading a book 15 or 20 years later is that we as readers are different people this time around, with belief systems that have moved on - and this necessarily re-shapes our reactions to a novel rich in moral implications.

Or not! Some of us appeared to be as set in our beliefs now as we were then, and argued well for the immutable nature of the book’s strengths and weaknesses.

And still others expressed an appreciation for some of the subtle subversions at play in the novel, with the figure of the story’s female “shaman” coming in for particularly close scrutiny.

A very intriguing talk.