Idealism is for the young. It's sad that the system eventually swallows up this idealism. ( )

Read 'Things Fall Apart' first - it gives you an essential grounding in the history and culture of Igbo society in pre-colonial times, so that when you read about the social mores of post-war Nigeria it all makes a lot more sense. A young Nigerian is sent to England to study with a loan paid for by his village; on his return he takes a government job and has to start paying off his debt. However, the government job doesn't pay as well as everyone thinks, and there are other costs of living that nobody ever considered - the cost of running a car, of having a girlfriend, of paying income tax...

Like Orwell's 'Keep The Aspidistra Flying' this is a tragedy of finances as a man is overwhelmed and undone by the obligations placed upon him by the simple economics of living. A fine novel. ( )

Not as good as "Things Fall Apart" but nearly so. In some ways more subtle than the first novel, but also trapped in early 60's. Not as universal as "Things" and does not hold up as well. ( )

Sequal to Things Fall Apart. Obi Okonkwo, grandson to Okonkwo, returns to Nigera after four years of education in England. Finding a job within the government, he finds himself in between two worlds, the traditions of his people clashing with the expectations of an evolving society. An excellent book showing that as Africans become more accepting of the changes brought by the West, they are still caught within the beliefs of their ancestors. ( )