Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsEvolving dictatorship
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2013
I found the story an intriguing one as it gave the views of different persons associated with government officials. I liked the word play and the interactions with the 'common' citizen. It is always interesting to note the ways in which respect is shown in stories about African life. I liked the introduction of the dialect even though there were times I did not fully understand it but could get the idea of what it was about. I had fun trying to speak it out loud! The ending of the story was unpredictable for me but I could see why it evolved to the inevitable events. If you are intrigued by how external influences affect the government of third world countries, this is a good read. It begs the question, Can developing countries escape the corruption and greed that cause the people to suffer?
What was also interesting was the divergent paths of three friends who now had different views of life and how they should interact with it. As in reality, power ultimately corrupted one and lead to his downfall sadly taking the other two along with him. The analogy to 3 green bottles from the ditty was profound. Another great novel by Chinua Achebe.
