Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe, 1958
A great Igbo wrestler builds his life against his father's shame, while old gods and new missionaries pull his world apart.
Chinua Achebe
Achebe wrote the novel in English after reading colonial fiction that treated Africa as a backdrop; he wanted to show Igbo life from the inside, in its own proverbs and rhythms.
Feels like dread, death and freedom.
In this village, strength is a language everyone speaks. But the strongest man is also the most fearful.
The drums beat and the flutes sang and the spectators held their breath. Amalinze was a wily craftsman, but Okonkwo was as slippery as a fish in water. Every nerve and every muscle stood out on their arms, on their backs and their thighs, and one almost heard them stretching to breaking point. In the end, Okonkwo threw the Cat. Books by Chinua Achebe
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