Comments on 'Things Fall Apart'

'I found the book difficult to read but appreciate its importance for being the first book in English to describe the African way of life through the eyes of an African'
'I enjoyed reading about the rich culture that these villages of the Niger had'
'The only time I warmed to Okonkwo was when he supported his wife and showed concern for his daughter. His daughter had been taken from the village by the priestess as part of a cleansing process'
'The structure of the sentences in the first part of the book are quite different to those of the second. Does this reflect the culture of the village before and after the missionaries arrived?'
'The type of society portrayed in the book is not one I would like to have lived in'
'The question left in my mind at the end of the book was did Okonkwo commit suicide because he was a brave man or a coward'

Further Reading

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Recommended Reading

The Famished Road by Ben Okri
Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Set in the 1890's the early part of the book tells the storyy of life in Igboland before the coming of the white man. Things begin to change and fall apart with the arrival of the Christian missionaries. Igbo religion, customs and traditions are all threatened.
The central character in the book is Okonkwo a leader and great wrestler who accidently takes the life of one of his clansmen and is banished from the village. On his return some seven years later he finds that the tribe's beliefs and customs are being replaced by Christianity and tragically struggles to put a stop to it. Not a book I would normally read. At first I found it a little difficult but glad I stuck with it. Historically very informative.

Tony Riley