Opening Worlds : Short Stories from Different Cultures

by Chinua Achebe, Bessie Head, Nadine Gordimer

Book by NO AUTHOR

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, School

105 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Works, including the novel Things Fall Apart (1958), of Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe describe traditional African life in conflict with colonial rule and westernization.

This poet and critic served as professor at Brown University. People best know and most widely read his first book in modern African literature.

Christian parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria reared Achebe, who excelled at school and won a scholarship for undergraduate studies. World religions and traditional African cultures fascinated him, who began stories as a university student. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian broadcasting service and quickly moved to the metropolis of Lagos. He gained worldwide attention in the late 1950s; his later novels include No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Achebe defended the use of English, a "language of colonizers," in African literature. In 1975, controversy focused on his lecture An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" for its criticism of Joseph Conrad as "a bloody racist."

When the region of Biafra broke away from Nigeria in 1967, Achebe, a devoted supporter of independence, served as ambassador for the people of the new nation. The war ravaged the populace, and as starvation and violence took its toll, he appealed to the people of Europe and the Americas for aid. When the Nigerian government retook the region in 1970, he involved in political parties but witnessed the corruption and elitism that duly frustration him, who quickly resigned. He lived in the United States for several years in the 1970s, and after a car accident left him partially disabled, he returned to the United States in 1990.

Novels of Achebe focus on the traditions of Igbo society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of values during and after the colonial era. His style relied heavily on the Igbo oral tradition, and combines straightforward narration with representations of folk stories, proverbs, and oratory. He also published a number of short stories, children's books, and essay collections. He served as the David and Marianna Fisher university professor of Africana studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

ollowing a brief illness, Achebe died.

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Dead Men's Path' was a thoughtful convergence of old traditions and stream-road modernism. It reminded me of some of the villages I visited while I was in St Lucia, as a matter of fact. 'Snapshots of a Wedding' left a colder impression. I didn't dislike the story but my skin crawled at the portrayal of feminine and martial responsibility. Culture clash, I think. 'The Train from Rhodesia' had some brilliant imagery in it and I empathised with the young woman's reaction to her husband bartering the lion for her at a reduced price. The emotion she emits in the scene was raw and honest and was an almost perfect example of show, not tell. 'The Gold-Legged Frog' was morbid and not at all my cup of tea. It shouldn't have amused me but I liked the line about using his wife as a blanket. 'Two Kinds' made practically no impression on me at all, unfortunately. I had to read the story again to remember what it was about. 'The Tall Woman and Her Short Husband' reminded me of one of the past lives in Susan Barker's 'The Incarnations' but I preferred Barker's exploration of the context and her characterisation. 'The Pieces of Silver' grasped my attention from the onset - I'm interested in almost anything with a school setting as it relates to what I want to do as a career, and it's always fascinating to see how things are done differently in other cultures and countries and how things have changed. This was a heartfelt story with a feel-good twist at the end. One of my favourite from the anthology. 'The Red Ball' was tragically sad, in that the young boy cannot understand fully the sacrifices his father has made and is making for him and the young boy's father can't understand his son. Classic case of misconception in literature but at least it doesn't end too unhappily. 'The Young Couple' was my second favourite tale in the collection. It held a trace of melancholy and regret throughout but the tone and writing style struck a chord with me. I'd glad read more of this story, if it existed, or more of the author's other works. 'Leela's Friend' was thought-provoking and posed some interesting moral dilemmas about stereotypes and assumptions. 'Games at Twilight' made me physically uncomfortable, just because I could imagine hiding in that dismal, dank shed for hours on end and finally emerging, only to see that I have been forgotten by my play mates. The way Ravi is made startlingly aware of his insignificance sent chills down my spine. This was my third favourite story. 'The Winter Oak' had some lush setting but it fell flat after 'Games at Twilight'. Overall this anthology had some enjoyable stories but mostly they'll skate over my head and fail to leave a distinct impression. It was nice, however, to immerse myself in brief extracts from other cultures. I'll have to hunt up some more for reading diversity.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the majority of the short stories in this book. It was interesting to read about the different cultures. I will read further work from some of the authors based on these short stories:
Yuri Nagibin, Nadine Gordimer, Khamsing Srinawk, Feng Ji-cai, Ismith Khan, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and R.K. Narayan.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I have had this book from my secondary school years and never really wanted to read it. I did so just so I could say I tried and actually really enjoyed these fun stories. They are from around the world and learning a little about other cultures from these stories is a brilliant thing. In the end I really enjoyed them - that will teach me for judging a book before I give it a chance.

[James Woodall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very diverse set of stories, which I guess is the point.
The best was Games at Twilight, which was captivating and extremely poignant. A perfect example of how the short story genre should be used. Others were remarkably dull.

[kripsoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking stories from around the world. Very interesting reading for all age