Thursday, August 4, 2011

Quickie Review: Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart is a dynamic novel that features pre-colonial Africa at the turn of the nineteenth century. As an anthropologists, its always interesting for me to see a culture represented by one of its people. We look at other cultures through the lense of our own and we often compare the culture rather than immersing ourselves in it. When we analyze a culture it is often in relation to our own. How they do things is criticized because it is not the way "we" do it. Being able to explore a culture as though you are a member is truly an amazing thing. Achebe really captures what it was like for African tribesmen during the turn of the nineteenth century when British colonizers were beginning to take over the area and convert the people to Christianity. It really puts our world and our lifestyle in perspective.

This is definitely an enriching read and will not disappoint.

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