Composed in English and published in 1958, two years before Nigeria declared independence, Things Fall Apart was the first African novel to attain a wide international readership. It is a short, sparely told tale that nevertheless embraces themes of enormous import: fate and will, the determining influences of familial inheritance, the consequences and consolations of custom, the legacy of colonialism. It also illuminates the personal and political crises provoked by the failure of individuals and societies to grow while maintaining their identities in the face of change. And while the novel is steeped in Achebe’s native Igbo culture and alert to the conflicts inherent in the historical moment it depicts, its action seems to unfold on a universal stage; it is as rich in human substance as Greek tragedy, and just as mysteriously powerful in its effect.
This is an absolutely haunting book that has stuck with me ever since I read it. I can never hear the phrase "things fall apart" now without experiencing a sinking feeling in my stomach because of the poignant melancholy the book elicited from me. I really felt as if I had been there in Okonkwo's village.
I read this book for a literature course at university many years ago. I remember it was one of the few books chosen for the course that I genuinely loved.
Seeing this book, I needed it in hand again. I retrieved it from my shelves and held it, trying to remember it, remember something other than I liked it. Yes, but why? Maybe 1000 Books is important not just for inspiring a To Read List, but a To REread List. TFA is certainly added to that. And that tells me something about it even if I forget everything else!
As a Novice reader I can't go into great detail about the book or the historic period, but it is definitely worth a read. As much as the story focuses on a Nigerian setting and the influence Christianity had on the country I find the character of Okonkwo to be brutal but an honest depiction of a man trying to prove himself as the ideal model of his generation. In my eyes this book is not only about the struggles of a rapidly developing African society, but it also has a lot to say about human nature and our fears of change and progress.
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