Things Fall Apart (1958)
by
Chinua Achebe
Book Read: May 2015
Note Written: 15 July 2015
'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe opened up a whole new world in front of me. A world which I had always thought of with a sense of worry. A world where the sustainable living practices and traditions (even though some consider them crude) are slowly turned upside down by colonialism and religion. The reason I despise such invasions are because the indigenous people of the place, the locals, suddenly become the 'villains' and the invaders, patronizing saints, who 'must' save them from their normal lives. The very fabric of the locals' existence is shattered and they are looked upon as if the deserve it and has no right to question anything. Religion is forced upon them in the name of 'civilizing' and so is foreign law practices and ways of justice. The invaders preach tolerance and doesn't act so. Things Fall Apart is the tragic story of an Ibo tribal leader Okonkwo, and the story hurts you inside. The same events are happening even now in many places of the world- in most places it has happened already, and there is no turning back now. Looking forward to read more of Achebe's works.
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