Achebe's comeback

Chinua Achebe is back again. I read his `Things Fall Apart' and was tempted to read most of his work. To me, he remains the most moving of African authors. Next, I could name Maya Angelou.
I heard a well-read friend of mine comment on Achebe's work in a very casual way. His criticism was that Achebe is no different from Alice Walker or the likes in choice of his subject and that nothing about his novels was drastically different from the rest of African literature. I differed.
Subject matter could be similar in theme, in its literary milieu or context but then, that is what most African literature is all about. What sets him apart is the way he writes it. He makes it very very simple and that very simplicity touches you. He himself says he chose to write in English for the simple reason that he wanted to reach out to a larger audience. He was much criticised for having chosen English as a language for his literary work.
Achebe has now announced to write his first novel `Things Fall Apart' in Igbo, his native language.