Book Review - Chike and The River

Who remembers this book of magical tale of boundaries, bravery, and growth, by Chinua Achebe, one of the world’s most beloved and admired storytellers.



Chinua Achebe's ‘Chike and the River’ reads with the directness of a folk tale, even though it's set in the modern world. It was originally published in South Africa by Cambridge University Press in 1966 eight years after the author's landmark novel ‘Things Fall Apart,’it is the first of his four children's books, the story of a boy named Chike who yearns to cross the Niger River, for no other reason than to see what's on the other side.

In this book, a young reader gains more understanding about the Niger River, gets a closer look into the African culture and relates with Chike as though they are siblings. The book was written elegantly and simply, as befits a book for children, and the tale perfectly blends fable with adventure.

Chike, an 11-year-old boy growing up in Umuofia (the same village as in Things Fall Apart), is sent to live with his uncle in a house in a large town, where there are so many strangers, his uncle’s servant tells him, ‘sometimes a man died in one room and his neighbor in the next room would be playing his gramophone.’ But Chike must adapt to all sorts of modern, urban experiences.

Before he leaves for the city, his mother (head of a single-parent household that includes two sisters and Chike) gives him the same advice given by parents around the world especially African parents about how to be safe and being careful around people.




The fact that he misses her greatly in the beginning, but eventually gets lost in the ways of his new environment, gives more credence and reality to the transitions in his life, from small village to big city and from a young boy to a young man.

Chike’s burgeoning excitement about living in a city is dampened by the reality of having countless numbers of families packed into every room and only two latrines in their yard for fifty people. He also feels a greater sense of isolation with folks not knowing their neighbors. On the other hand, he greatly revels in more sights, activities, and many new friends at school.




Once he gets settled in his new school and develops a friendship with another student named Samuel (known as S.M.O.G), the notorious S.M.O.G. becomes a particularly good friend and a constant bad influence. Chike becomes increasingly fascinated with the ferries crossing the Niger River to Asaba and is determined to raise enough money to pay for his crossing.



The ferry ride is six-pence one way and this is beyond his means. The adventure begins as he figures a way to make the money, once in Asaba, Chike is disappointed by how unimpressive the town is. But when he decides he has seen enough, he finds that he has missed the last ferry back to Onitsha. With no place to stay, Chike takes refuge in the back of a lorry.



The lorry turns out to belong to a gang of thieves. Chike overhears the thieves make arrangements with a night watchman and then load their lorry with stolen goods. Chike avoids discovery, and in the morning when he awakes, "He was amazed by what he saw. A man tied to a mango tree."


If you no longer remember how Chike became a Hero,

Find out!!

Enjoy the rest of the Day…







NEXT; THINGS FALL APART

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