Ngozi Okeke wakes Chinua Achebe with her Review of Things Fall Apart

The African Trilogy: Part 1; Things Fall Apart, 1958, by Chinua Achebe ***** This is the third time I have read this book and it felt like the first time. Click here to read my previous review. As I earlier told someone, I did not know that Things Fall Apart was part of a  trilogy until I met a friend who asked me if I had read the second and third part of the story, I looked at her jaw-dropping and eye-popping while I replied no. I could not imagine how this very well-known book written by a renowned author from my hometown could be part of a trilogy without my knowledge. I investigated a bit and voilà! It was true. People who knew my love for Chinua Achebe, gave me the remaining part of the novel as gift and I will forever be grateful for it nevertheless, I can't start reading them without reading Things fall Apart again, hence I read it for the third time. Almost everyone has read this very well acclaimed novel that narrates the famous story of the consequence of the British colony on the Igbo people (Eastern Nigeria), these people here represent thousands of other ethnic groups in Africa because this story could have been about any African tribe (or ethnic group) anyway. This widely read novel today all over the world is a great insight into the life of the Igbos before  and at the beginning of the colonial rule. It narrates the story of Okonkwo who is determined to be everything his weak and "lazy" father was not which was fame, huge, wide, loud, hot tempered, successful  and more. Because in his culture then a man with all those qualities is considered to be a prestigious man. He puts his tradition first   "The law of the land must be obeyed"   and reproached anybody who would have doubt about the custom of his land, even though it included the throwing away of twins in the forest, killing human beings of other clans in the name of sacrifice, forbidding a man with an ozo title to climb a palm tree, etc. This story was focused on (not only)  Okonkwo's every day life, the way he interacted with his family, his friends and other members of his clan. One day, during a funeral ceremony, he accidentally committed a crime, whereupon he had to spend seven years in exile, during which, the white man established a new practice in his village that, in most cases treated them as inferior. At the end of his banishment, Okonkwo wanted to regain his status among his clansmen  and most of all he wanted to get rid of  the white man and his new tradition. Did he succeed? This book is nearest my heart because, it tells the story of my culture (my people) in an eye opening way. It thoroughly explained our way of life then and, it was a helpful insight into the early influence of the British Colony on the Igbos. Many quotes and conversation in this book  drew my attention but, I can't quote them all, the following conversation made me burst into laughter. 'The world is larg',said Okonkwo. 'I have even heard that in some tribes a man's children belong to his wives and her family' That cannot be true said Machi. 'You might as well say that the woman lies on top of the man when they are making the children'. There is no need to say that, this is a highly recommended book to everyone. Click here to read part two of the Trilogy.