REVIEW: Things Fall Apart (China Achebe)

Book: Things Fall Apart

Author: Chinua Achebe

My rating: 3.5/5.

Premise: Okonkwo is the greatest wrestler and warrior alive, and his fame spreads throughout West Africa. But when he accidentally kills a clansman, things begin to fall apart. Then Okonkwo returns from exile to find missionaries and colonial governors have arrived in the village. With his world thrown radically off-balance he can only hurtle towards tragedy. 

[⚠️CW: domestic abuse, rape, infanticide, racism]

I found this book really interesting. There is a lot about West African culture, which I don't know much about, so I found it educational. Whilst there were some aspects that personally I find abhorant (the treatment of women, mutilating dead children), this book taught me to respect other people's culture and beliefs. When the white men start appearing, the conflicts in culture start arising as both the clan and the missionaries refuse to accept the other. I found it interesting reading about the western culture from a clansman's point of view. It gave more of an insight into the atrocities of colonialism - we read "facts" in textbooks and museums but this helped develop my understanding further. The final paragraph of the book really captures the arrogance and dismissive nature of colonialism. A poignant and educational read.