Anchor Books, 209 pages, 1959
One funny consequence of my awful procrastination on the 50-book challenge is that to clean up, I ended up reading lots of short but wonderful books that I would never have otherwise gotten around to. Somewhere I had gotten the idea that this book was highbrow, difficult, and maybe a little male-focused (which I tend to find tedious), but it was just the opposite.
Things Fall Apart is a portrait of Ibo tribal life at the end of the 19th century, and Achebe's plain, rhythmic writing style gives it the power of myth. Although parts of the culture portrayed in the book (such as the custom of leaving twins to die in the forest, or the murder of Okonkwo's adopted son, Ikemefuna, on the order of the village oracle) will seem brutal to modern readers no matter what, it's a far cry from Heart of Darkness*, which Achebe was in part responding to and refuting when he wrote his novel. The top review on Amazon says that Achebe gives the wild, "savage" drumbeats in Heart of Darkness a story and a context, which I think is the main function of the novel--the average American has a backwards view of Africa and its people, but Achebe gives us an intimate look at the customs, traditions, personalities, and daily life in one Ibo village. It's also an interesting look at power and how it affects social change--Okonkwo, the village strong man, upholds customs he finds repellent because he is afraid of appearing weak, while those at the bottom of the social food chain who have nothing to lose are the ones who most readily join the Christian missionaries when they come and eventually upset the balance of tribal life.
*Heart of Darkness was saved from earning the title of worst book I was required to read in high school only due to the presence of Lord of the Flies. Dear Folsom Cordova Unified School District, get with the fucking program. Throwing in The Joy Luck Club and calling it a day does not a female minority perspective make.
No comments:
Post a Comment