Quotable: Chinua Achebe

From Achebe’s second novel, A Man of the People:

Max began by accusing the outgoing government of all kinds of swindling and corruption. As he gave instance after instance of how some of our leaders who were ash-mouthed paupers five years ago had become near-millionaires under our very eyes, many in the audience laughed. But it was the laughter of resignation to misfortune.”

The book was published in 1966.

(Photo credit: Frank May)