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Cover of A Man of the People by Chinua Achebe

A Man of the People

Chinua Achebe

  • 150 pages · about 3 hours
  • First published 1966
  • 40 editions
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1 About this book

A Man of the People is a novel by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe. Written as a satirical piece, A Man of the People follows the story told by Odili, a young and educated narrator, about his conflict with Chief Nanga, his former teacher, who enters a career in politics in an unnamed fictional 20th-century African country.

Odili represents the changing younger generation, while Nanga represents the traditional West African customs inspired by Achebe's native Nigeria. The book ends with a military coup, similar to the real-life coup organized by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Adewale Ademoyega, Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Captain Chris Anuforo, Major Donatus Okafor, and Major Humphrey Chukwuka.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Good for readers who want: satire and a short read.

  • Politicians
  • Nigeria
  • Satire
  • Politics and government

2 About Chinua Achebe

1930–2013

Chinua Achebe ( ; born Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as a central figure of modern African literature. His first novel and magnum opus, Things Fall Apart (1958), occupies a pivotal place in African literature and remains the most widely studied, translated, and read African novel.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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