I finally read the book everyone's been talking about for decades.
You ever feel like there's this one book that follows you around quietly? Not in a creepy way, just always there. On school reading list, on lists of "African books you must read", in conversations where someone gasps "Wait, you've never read Things Fall Apart?"
Yup. That's been me for years.
I've always known about Things Fall Apart. The title alone has been stuck in my head for years. I think I even used it in a school essay once, without every opening the actual book (don't come for me, please 😅). People spoke of Chinua Achebe like he was this literary giant and honestly, he is. But still, I just.... never got around it. Until a few weeks ago.
I finally decided to read it. And honestly? I wasn't prepared
Source
The book takes place in a pre-colonial Nigeria and follows the story of Okonkwo, a man trying to build his name and legacy in a world where being strong is everything. And he's strong, yes -but painfully so. He's terrified of being seen as weak, like his father, so much that it kinda rules every choice he makes. It's so powerful and painful to witness. You're watching a man fighting against change, fight against softness, fight even himself sometimes-and you just know, deep down, it won't end well.
I didn't expect to be pulled in the way I did. The way Achebe tells the story is.... raw, honest and surprisingly gentle at times. His writing doesn't scream for attention, it just sits there and let you feel everything. There were pages I had to reread because of how casually he drops something heavy, like "this village doesn't exist anymore" or the "the white man came and...." and you just sit there, realising that whole lives and culture are being wiped out while you blink
And let's talk about culture for a second. I've read a lot of books from African authors in the last year or two, but this one? This one is different. It's deeply igbo, unapologetically so. The proverbs, the folktales, the ceremonies -it's like being welcomed into a world you didn't know you were missing. But at the same time, Achebe doesn't pretend everything in that world was perfect. He shows it all, both the pride and the problems, that's what I appreciated the most. There's no preaching, just storytelling 📚📚
And I won't lie -Okonkwo made me angry more times than I can count. He was harsh, even cruel at times, especially to the people closest to him. But as the story unfolded and as colonialism started creeping into his world, I began to understanding why he held on tightly to what he knew. He wasn't just a man stuck in his ways, he was a man afraid of losing his place, his identity, his honor in a world that was crumbling beneath his feet.
I think what really broke me was how familiar it all felt. Not just the setting or the culture, but the loss. That feeling of watching something precious fall apart, slowly and being helpless to stop it. It hit hard.
If you're expecting a big dramatic ending or flashy dialogue, this book isn't that. It's quiet, it lingers. It leaves a taste in your mouth and you keep rolling it around, trying to figure out what it is exactly you're feeling. And even now, after finishing it, I still don't know if I've fully processed it. I just know that I'm glad I finally read it.
So if you're like me -someone who kept saying "someday" about Things Fall Apart, let this be your sign. Just pick it up. Let it speak to you in its own quiet, devasting way
I didn't think I'd feel so much for a book written in 1958. But Achebe knew what he was doing, he gave voice to a world that deserved to be seen. And he did it in a way that still resonates, even today.
So yeah, no star ratings or anything fancy from me. I'll just say: I get it now. And I'm glad I finally read it 🌟⭐️
Thanks for reading 📚 ♥️