#1: Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
fiction, (c)1958 , 206pp
rating: *****

When I was going through high school, there was an upheaval in the California english curriculum. There was a back lash against the traditional reading lists packed with traditional classics (all written by dead old white men) and the introduction of a curriculum packed with contemporary literature punctuated by the occasional Shakespearean play. Thus while I never read Great Expectations or Heart of Darkness, I did read The Handmaid's Tale (by Margaret Atwood), Woman Warrior (by Maxine Hong Kingston) and Beloved (by Toni Morrison). Surprisingly, Things Fall Apart fell between the cracks and became a casualty of a fluctuating curriculum, despite its being written by a Nigerian man. Therefore, this is my first time reading this very interesting novel.

Things Fall Apart is mainly about Okonkwo, one of the leaders of the Umuafia tribe that is part of the Ibo culture in Nigeria. Okonkwo is a classic hero with a tragic flaw - his desire to be unlike his father. So, while he has the admirable traits of being a self-made man who works hard for his life, he also rules his family with a proverbial heavy hand. The first two thirds of the book show an unflinching picture of what tribal life is like. While there is a great emphasis put on the role of traditions and family, there is also a realistic portrayal of the more violent side of tribal life. The last third of the book deals with the arrival of the colonialists and how they change the traditional tribal life. Okonkwo gets caught in the middle of a shifting world and his tragic flaw ultimately leads to his tragic end.

This book is told in a very spare style, more like a fable than a story. However, the spare style is still sufficient to paint a rich picture of Ibo tribal life. This book is also an excellent commentary on the problems and pitfalls with colonialism in Africa and how even good deeds can be undone by religious zealotry. A really good read, and I'm quite sure I would have enjoyed it in high school as well.