Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

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Things Fall Apart

(#1 - African Trilogy)

October 6, 2010 / 209 pages / Fiction

Things Fall Apart tells two intertwining stories, both centering on Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first, a powerful fable of the immemorial conflict between the individual and society, traces Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world. The second, as modern as the first is ancient, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo's world with the arrival of aggressive European missionaries. These perfectly harmonized twin dramas are informed by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Colonialism

Tradition

Foreign culture

Social disintegration

Africa

Masculinity

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Achebe's first novel is an easy read in terms of its style and presentation, but the content is heavy and one should not expect to be uplifted. The title really explains it all, and it quite poignantly and effectively describes a common view of the colonisation of Africa. While the book ends up being about the European dominance of Africa, the majority of the story shows us a culture that is rarely written about, and is done so in a compelling and down-to-earth manner.

Grade: B+ / jacksbeard / Sep 3, 2013

I don't really know how to evaluate this book, it was readable and interesting, but at times it felt like a series of vignettes more than a coherent story. I know that this book has a lot of critical acclaim, but I feel as if I missed so much of what was going on. The overarching story of Okonkwo working to become a success in the clan and then dealing with the trappings of being a leader, and the world changing around him was interesting, but I felt like I was only skimming the surface

Grade: C / smaz / Nov 24, 2016

One of my all time favorites

Grade: A+ / Trekkie1999 / Apr 21, 2018

jesus, that was boring.

Grade: C / atom warcock / Sep 4, 2013

African cultures are so often hard to sympathise with, they're seen as alien, barbaric. We're the District Commissioner in this story, who sees the need to pacify. We're the missionaries who seek to convert. It is shameful. So much has been lost for the sake of colonialism.

Grade: B / hudders

/ Mar 9, 2020

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