Things Fall Apart: A Novel

At 180 pages, Things Fall Apart possesses the requisite brevity to urge a reader along. And, thank goodness for this, for had I not been sure I would finish the book in one day, I might well have let it sit for longer. Achebe's opening chapters are childlike in their simplicity. A sing-song narrative meanders from one social event to another with no clear direction perceptible. Indeed, the ostensible insignificance of it all remains unchallenged for nearly two-thirds of the book. It is then, however, that the protagonist Okonkwo is banished from his village for an accidental transgression. It is during this absense that European missionaries come to call. And things, with alacrity, begin to fall apart.

As the social cohesion of the Ibo dissolves, I recognized the artfulness of Achebe's approach. Though Ibo customs could be violent and harshly uncompromising, the author deftly portrays the comfort and security that timeless tradition brings. The threshold event encountered, the sing-song narrative quickly transforms into a tragic account of confrontation and loss. The abrupt transition from seclusion to exposure is the hinge on which the book swings. Deceptively powerful, Things Fall Apart is a quick read that will leave the reader far more reflective than initially presumed. 5 stars.

We had to read this for high school (I think it was grade 10, which would make it a ridiculously long time ago), but I loved this book from the first time I picked it up. A richly descriptive story of tribal conflict and the arrival of the white man in traditional non-Christian Africa. Although we, in the modern world, may deride Okonkwo for denouncing progress and advancement, he is a very sympathetic character whose ideals and traditions one must respect deeply. This is a beautiful tragedy of coming of age, in a sense, for the African tribesman, and should be mandatory reading. It's a fantastic book, and you won't regret picking it up.

This story lingers long after the African names and details have faded. Man in a time of change, a novel of timeless dimension. Its easy text belies the unfolded complexities of rights and wrongs, of God and gods, and value systems at odds with each other.

I had to read this for my high school advanced English class. I regret ever having picked it up. I feel very lucky that my brain was not fried after reading The-book-that-should-not-be-named. In short, if you want to read a bizarre book about African people and yams, then read this book. If not, go read something else.

While the story itself is useful in giving a student the right mindset for African studies, the story itself lacks much of the marvel of other historically-based books. While the book is pointed towards lower-classmen in high school, the true audience should be college, where adults can completely analyze and idnetify the key points and emotions of the story.