Book #1 of 1001 is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. First published back in the late 1950's, the novel is an account of the colonization of the heartland of southern Nigeria by Britain in the late nineteenth century and its effects on the society of the native inhabitants. Specifically, the novel is the tale of Okwonko, a respected member of an Igbo village who has achieved a high place in his society, but loses everything over a period of time due to accident, his personal failings, and finally his inability to cope with the changes that come along with British colonization. This is not a novel that I likely would have ever picked up on my own, but I found it absorbing from beginning to end. Achebe paints a well-realized picture of the local life and customs of Okwonko and his friends and relatives, both the good and bad of it. While the village of the novel is not a place I personally would want to live in, it nevertheless comes to life vividly as a snapshot of a way of life that has been forever lost. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. Okwonko himself is a sympathetic individual who has worked hard to be well thought-of by his peers and looked up to and respected by his family. Unfortunately, his need and desire to rise to the top of society results in his own downfall. Despite his shortcomings, the humanity of Okwonko goes a long way towards making this a memorable read.
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