Change and Traditions in Nigerian Novels in English

This book entitled Change and Traditions in Nigerian Novels in English (Selected works of Chinua Achebe and Ben Okri)is a work of research and extensive study. It deals with the Nigerian background and the emergence of Nigerian novels in English as a protest against the euro-centric writings on Nigeria in particular and Africa in general which misrepresented the native realities. This changed the stereotypes on Nigeria and the Nigerian writings in English brought the inner socio-cultural dynamics through the description of its traditions, culture, festivals etc. with its beauties and banalities. Thus, it began to be considered as the insiders’ views on Nigeria. This book negotiates with all the five novels of Chinua Achebe and the first eight novels of Ben Okri. The selection of these two novelists is due to the fact that they belong to two different generations in Nigerian history, one from the colonial period and the other after independence, and at the same time to map the changes in relation to Nigerian realities. In order to show how the socio-cultural background of these two writers have shaped their literary outlook, this book engages elaborately on their biographical development.