Chinua Achebe is considered the father of modern African literature, the writer who “opened the magic casements of African fiction.” The African Trilogy–comprised of Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, and No Longer at Ease–is his magnum opus. In these masterly novels, Achebe brilliantly imagines the lives of three generations of an African community as their world is upended by the forces of … is upended by the forces of colonialism from the first arrival of the British to the waning days of empire.
The trilogy opens with the groundbreaking Things Fall Apart, the tale of Okonkwo, a hero in his village, whose clashes with missionaries–coupled with his own tragic pride–lead to his fall from grace. Arrow of God takes up the ongoing conflict between continuity and change as Ezeulu, the headstrong chief priest, finds his authority is under threat from rivals and colonial functionaries. But he believes himself to be untouchable and is determined to lead his people, even if it is towards their own destruction. Finally, in No Longer at Ease, Okonkwo’s grandson, educated in England, returns to a civil-service job in Lagos, only to see his morality erode as he clings to his membership in the ruling elite.
Drawing on the traditional Igbo tales of Achebe’s youth, The African Trilogy is a literary landmark, a mythic and universal tale of modern Africa. As Toni Morrison wrote, “African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe. For passion, intellect and crystalline prose, he is unsurpassed.”
more
Things fall apart is the best thing I’ve ever read – I believe the best thing I am ever likely to read. It illustrates the disintegration of its protagonist, Okonkwo and his village. Building up to a painful crescendo. It’s hard to believe that this was China Achebe’s first novel – thank god he wrote it.
Things Fall Apart: 4 stars (read 2/23/21-4/10/21)
I’m thrown back to high school and college, where this was THE book we needed to read during English class. For me, I was eager to avoid this book after so many times studying it. Not because it’s bad, no, definitely not that. In fact, it’s really, really, really well-written. I don’t like stories where the protagonist rises, and the plot focus is on the fall. I prefer the fall to happen first and then focus on the rise. Anyway, this is my first time reading this in at least 5 years, though most likely way longer.
I had a better experience reading this than I did when I was in school. Maybe it was just that time has passed, or that I’ve grown a bit. It’s still not my favorite book, but the writing is exceptional. I find myself absolutely loving Achebe’s writing style. It feels so straightforward as if I’m sitting and listening to the narrator tell the story.
Arrow of God: 3 stars (read 4/10/21-6/26/21)
Unlike Things Fall Apart, I never read either Arrow of God or No Longer At Ease before.
While the quality of the writing is still good, I didn’t really enjoy this book. I could never quite get invested in Ezeulu’s story. Maybe it was because I took too many long breaks while reading this rather than reading it in one or two sittings. It could also be that this is how I felt when I read TFA for the first time, but it’s been so many years that I’ve forgotten what my initial reaction was like. Either way, if I ever do reread this, it’ll be a long time from now.
No Longer At Ease: 3 stars (read 6/26/21-7/4/21)
I really liked how this book started at the end of the plot, with Obi Okonkwo getting arrested. That’s actually one of my favorite ways to start a story. Starting at the end and then going back to find out how the main character got there. I find it eases the stress because you already know what will happen while still keeping a bit of the tension up. That being said, I wasn’t a fan of this book. The writing quality was still; I just didn’t care about Obi or his struggles. Or, I guess, I cared but there reached a point where I wanted the arrest to happen sooner. I wanted the story to be over.
I have read only the 2nd book but it was absolutely a stunning way of world building. A must read!
A view of a world we do not know well enough.