As an African
literary aficionado and enthusiast one cannot but marvel at the proficiency and
prolific nature of Eurocentric writers - not that it stops them from garnering
heavy flak from readers and critics!
Like now I have just read one of Jack Higgins almost 100 novels, titled Cold Harbour. Can one conceive of an African author writing even 20 books or novels?? Yes a handful exist- a couple of Kenyan writers like Meja Mwangi, and David Maillu; Kalu Okpi, and Cyprian Ekwensi of Nigeria, Asare Konadu of Ghana...but such writers are thin on the ground.
The literary trajectory of J Higgins is very impressive having been writing international bestsellers and thrillers for over 30 years. He specialises in espionage, war novels and the like, and his books have sold in millions
Okay so it shows that the Eurocentric world has always valued literacy and literature since the days of Charles Dickens for one. But there are so many illustrious writers in Europe and America that one ends up stumped, in essence. But back to Higgins and this work.
Here he has created some memorable characters, male and female. Craig Osbourne a savvy American agent, for one, and of course the intriguing woman, Genevieve Trevaunce. Yes the story dates back decades ago to the times of the Nazis, which again reminds us of how the western world accretes countless creative writing weaved around their history.
The author does write well despite a rather jaded sceptical western readership. I loved passages like, "Death stared up at them, a skeleton with a scythe mowing not corn, but corpses..." Well Mr Higgins has been a legend for many decades anyway...
Like now I have just read one of Jack Higgins almost 100 novels, titled Cold Harbour. Can one conceive of an African author writing even 20 books or novels?? Yes a handful exist- a couple of Kenyan writers like Meja Mwangi, and David Maillu; Kalu Okpi, and Cyprian Ekwensi of Nigeria, Asare Konadu of Ghana...but such writers are thin on the ground.
The literary trajectory of J Higgins is very impressive having been writing international bestsellers and thrillers for over 30 years. He specialises in espionage, war novels and the like, and his books have sold in millions
Okay so it shows that the Eurocentric world has always valued literacy and literature since the days of Charles Dickens for one. But there are so many illustrious writers in Europe and America that one ends up stumped, in essence. But back to Higgins and this work.
Here he has created some memorable characters, male and female. Craig Osbourne a savvy American agent, for one, and of course the intriguing woman, Genevieve Trevaunce. Yes the story dates back decades ago to the times of the Nazis, which again reminds us of how the western world accretes countless creative writing weaved around their history.
The author does write well despite a rather jaded sceptical western readership. I loved passages like, "Death stared up at them, a skeleton with a scythe mowing not corn, but corpses..." Well Mr Higgins has been a legend for many decades anyway...
- Henry Ozogula
Quite interesting. We can always learn from the best eh...
ReplyDeleteQuite interesting. We can always learn from the best eh...
ReplyDelete