Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart is the story of Okonkwo, a "strong man" in an African village whose life is lived in the warrior style, fueled by anger and confusion. His attitude is upheld within his tribe as one of a leader, but ultimately it leads him to the depths of despair - and all things do, literally and figuratively, fall apart.

This book was a little slow for me at first, and I found it difficult to keep track of all the names. The main character, Okonkwo, is represented in the third person, which makes it a little hard to relate to him. He was also a very unlikeable character; admonishing his sons for displaying "female" traits, and lamenting that his sensible daughter was not born a boy. As the story went on, however, I found myself captured by his story and the torment of the way he thought he should be, and the way he felt in his heart. His own personal struggle is magnified by the tribe's struggle to hold onto its culture in the face of the white man - missionaries who are "saving" the tribe by introducing Christianity.

I also enjoyed reading something in a writing style that was more fable-like. It's not a book I would have probably picked up on my own, but I'm glad for the read, as the book is widely recognized as premier work of African literature by an African writer, and is an interesting look into the history of missionaries in Africa.