“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria)

Review

Members of the Book Club enjoyed the book immensely. They felt great sympathy for the main character, Okonkwo, who grapples with his determination not to be like his weak father. Some readers felt they could relate to this desire to be the opposite of a despised parent and the danger this obsession represents. They liked the language and the style of writing which allowed the story to flow effortlessly along. They found the novel well constructed, introducing us first to the different scenes of village life and customs, before the arrival of the white missionaries and the destruction of a way of life. Most readers found the last paragraph of the book an excellent coup de grace whereby the author deftly sums up colonialism, though one reader disagreed feeling that the story stood well alone without this final touch. The book averaged an 8.8 out of 10.

Synopsis

One of Africa’s 100 Best Books of the 20th Century
Okonkwo is the greatest warrior alive in West Africa and he is one of the most powerful men in his clan. But he also has a fiery temper. Determined not to be like his father, he refuses to show weakness to anyone… Read more

Nicola’s Book Club reading lists

Season 6 – “World Classics (the past is masculine)” (Sep 2007 – Jan 2008)

“A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole (U.S.)
“Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia)
“The Woman in the Dunes” by Kobo Abe (Japan)
“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria)
“The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov (Russia) *

Season 7 – “Future World Classics (the future is feminine)” (Feb – Jun 2008)

“How Many Miles to Babylon?” by Jennifer Johnston (Ireland)
“Second-Class Citizen” by Buchi Emecheta (Nigeria)
“Eva Luna” by Isabel Allende (Chile)
“Clear Light of Day” by Anita Desai (India)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood (Canada) *

* The book club favourite
In italics, Nicola’s Coup de Cœur 

“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” – Italo Calvino

The past is masculine;
The future is feminine;
And the present is a
blending together of both.
– Nicola