Things Fall Apart: A Novel
“A true classic of world literature . . . A masterpiece that has inspired generations of writers in Nigeria, across Africa, and around the world.” —Barack Obama
“African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe.” —Toni Morrison
"A magical writer—one of the greates of the twentieth century." —Margaret Atwood
Named one of America's most-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read
Things Fall Apart is the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe's critically acclaimed African Trilogy. It is a classic narrative about Africa's cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial presence on the continent. Told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior of Umuofia in the late 1800s, Things Fall Apart explores one man's futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political andreligious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order.
With more than twenty million copies sold and translated into fifty-seven languages, Things Fall Apart provides one of the most illuminating and permanent monuments to African experience. Achebe does not only capture life in a pre-colonial African village, he conveys the tragedy of the loss of that world while broadening our understanding of our contemporary realities.
“African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe.” —Toni Morrison
"A magical writer—one of the greates of the twentieth century." —Margaret Atwood
Named one of America's most-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read
Things Fall Apart is the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe's critically acclaimed African Trilogy. It is a classic narrative about Africa's cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial presence on the continent. Told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior of Umuofia in the late 1800s, Things Fall Apart explores one man's futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political andreligious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order.
With more than twenty million copies sold and translated into fifty-seven languages, Things Fall Apart provides one of the most illuminating and permanent monuments to African experience. Achebe does not only capture life in a pre-colonial African village, he conveys the tragedy of the loss of that world while broadening our understanding of our contemporary realities.
BUY THE BOOK
Join a book club that is reading Things Fall Apart: A Novel!
Community Reviews
This is now the third time I have read *Things Fall Apart* and the second time I have taught it, and I enjoy it more every time I read it. Achebe’s use of foreshadowing and imagery throughout the text is absolutely masterful, and the ending is still as brutal the third time. Having read both *Heart of Darkness* and Achebe’s criticism of it, the allusions Achebe makes in *Things Fall Apart* to not only Conrad but other European authors are pointed and clear. It is so much better to read the book after reading these other works to be able to fully appreciate it.
My lingering questions are:
- What role did Achebe’s childhood with his missionary parents play in his depiction of the missionaries, especially the dichotomy between Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith?
My lingering thoughts/epiphanies are:
- At every point in the story when Okonkwo has a moment to grow, he remains the same. Achebe’s contrast between Okonkwo as a static character versus dynamic characters like Obierika or even Nwoye further emphasizes this point.
- The brevity of Chapter 25, the erasure of Okonkwo’s voice through the narration of the chapter from the District Commissioner’s perspective, and the final sentence all solidify the erasure of Igbo voices. By placing this at the end, after 24 chapters of rich storytelling and world building, Achebe makes his criticism of the Western literary canon very clear.
- I can’t get over how good Achebe’s use of foreshadowing is, especially in Part 2. Are you kidding me with this? After we know that Okonkwo has essentially already killed his ‘son’, Ikemefuna, in Chapter 7!!! Masterful.
- “I can tell you,” said Obierika. “Kill one of your sons for me.”
- “That will not be enough,” said Okonkwo.
- “Then kill yourself,” said Obierka.
Went beyond my expectations - I believe this is the best representation of intersectionality between blackness, colonialism, and masculinity!
I appreciate the reflections on masculinity and the storytelling is strong but i did struggle to get through it honestly
Always interesting to read an unlikeable protagonist (he beats women) and esp to watch them go through undue hardship as a result of his behavior and choices. This is a story about British colonization in Africa told from an interesting perspective.
An interesting story, an interesting plot and an interesting outlook on life from that period of time.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.