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A review by pangnaolin
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have to say that I truly adored this novel, and at the same time, it didn't stand out to me all that much— maybe because it's one of the first of many that told this story, and I've read many others. I wasn't too drawn into the imagery or storytelling, but I was also never bored— just sort of vaguely interested in leaning more. That said, I did really love what it had to say (and especially found that it got better near the end), so I'd absolutely recommend it.
To me, Things Fall Apart feels like it’s telling a fairly straightforward story on the surface— Okonkwo is a man of tradition, holding fast to the values and customs of his Igbo culture, even as the world around him begins to change. I guess it is straightforward in that regard, but I also feel that there's so much more to it.
Okonkwo, trying so hard not to become like his father, ends up creating a rigid identity for himself and his children. He’s constantly worried about appearing weak, and that insecurity drives almost all of his actions. He’s obsessed with showing strength, but it also makes him blind to the changes happening around him, and makes it harder for him to genuinely fight for his beliefs. In this way, the arrival of European colonizers in the latter half of the novel isn’t just an external conflict, but symbolic of the internal conflict that Okonkwo faces with himself— he can’t adapt, even for the sake of fighting colonization and the erasure of his culture, and it ends up being his undoing.
The way Achebe weaves in these themes of masculinity, power, and change feels timeless. It’s interesting how Okonkwo's struggle isn't just about the Europeans or colonialism but about how people respond to change in general. I think the real power of the novel comes from Achebe’s portrayal of Igbo society before colonization, though. He paints it with such depth and respect that you really feel the loss when it begins to fracture. You see the complexity of their traditions and beliefs, which makes the cultural shift and the arrival of the missionaries feel that much more devastating. We feel the erasure of their collective identity, and it becomes that much more tragic when Okonkwo, in his fight to preserve it, is left behind.
To me, Things Fall Apart feels like it’s telling a fairly straightforward story on the surface— Okonkwo is a man of tradition, holding fast to the values and customs of his Igbo culture, even as the world around him begins to change. I guess it is straightforward in that regard, but I also feel that there's so much more to it.
Okonkwo, trying so hard not to become like his father, ends up creating a rigid identity for himself and his children. He’s constantly worried about appearing weak, and that insecurity drives almost all of his actions. He’s obsessed with showing strength, but it also makes him blind to the changes happening around him, and makes it harder for him to genuinely fight for his beliefs. In this way, the arrival of European colonizers in the latter half of the novel isn’t just an external conflict, but symbolic of the internal conflict that Okonkwo faces with himself— he can’t adapt, even for the sake of fighting colonization and the erasure of his culture, and it ends up being his undoing.
The way Achebe weaves in these themes of masculinity, power, and change feels timeless. It’s interesting how Okonkwo's struggle isn't just about the Europeans or colonialism but about how people respond to change in general. I think the real power of the novel comes from Achebe’s portrayal of Igbo society before colonization, though. He paints it with such depth and respect that you really feel the loss when it begins to fracture. You see the complexity of their traditions and beliefs, which makes the cultural shift and the arrival of the missionaries feel that much more devastating. We feel the erasure of their collective identity, and it becomes that much more tragic when Okonkwo, in his fight to preserve it, is left behind.