Things Fall Apart - Colonialism and Flattening

Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1)

By: Chinua Achebe Published: 1958 209 Pages

Briefly, what is this book about?

The main character is Okonkwo, and saying that he’s complicated is to put it mildly. He’s desperately afraid of failure, which in his case means following in the footsteps of his father. On top of the complexity of Okonkwo there’s the additional complexity and richness of the Igbo culture: its customs, its gods, its method of delivering justice, etc. 

Into this rich and (for me) strange world, the Europeans arrive. Though not till around the 2/3rd mark. The consequences are perhaps not as bad as you might fear, but they’re bad enough.

Who should read this book?

I quite enjoyed the book, and it was certainly different from my normal fare. Also it reads quickly. Finally, it’s widely regarded as a modern classic. I’m not sure I have a good reason why you wouldn’t read this book. 

Specific thoughts: The flattening of colonialism