Things Fall Apart Written in the late 1950s this book is the story of Okonkwo and his Ibo village in Nigeria at the turn of the 20th century. It is beautifully written and slowly draws the reader into the life and customs of this African community through stories that feel almost fable-like and become more narrative once the reader is firmly settled into the time and place.
In his introduction to this novel Kwame Anthony Appiah describes perfectly the power of this book:
"Not only does Achebe draw a compelling picture of life in one part of Iboland before the arrival of Christianity and colonialism; he manages to convey to all of us, Ibo or not, both the tragedy and the loss of that world and the possibilities created by the new situation. Achebe's rigorous accounting includes columns both for profit and for loss."
This is the first of Achebe's Africa trilogy which continues the story of Okonkwo's family in No Longer at Ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964). I plan to continue reading the trilogy.
This novel counts toward the Back to the Classics Challenge (as a classic by a BIPOC author) and towards the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.
I like reading books with a Nigerian setting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.