Since the emergence of Things Fall Apart in 1958, Chinua Achebe has come to be regarded by many as the ‘Godfather’ of modern African writing. Over 150 full length studies of his work have been published, together with many hundreds of scholarly articles.

This Reader’s Guide enables students to navigate the rich and bewildering field of Achebe criticism, setting out the key areas of critical debate, the most influential alternative approaches to his work and the controversies that have so often surrounded it. The Guide examines Achebe’s key novels - with the main focus on Things Fall Apart - and also discusses his less well-known short fiction. Including discussion of important Nigerian scholarship that is often inaccessible, this is an invaluable introduction to the work of one of Africa’s most important and popular writers.