‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe: Africa's story did not begin with colonialism

What you need to know:

  • I first read this novel in high school as a literature requirement. My attention was on themes, symbolism, setting and figurative language. I simply wanted to pass my exams.
  • Reading it again as an adult felt like reading a different book. It is only now that I appreciate why Things Fall Apart is regarded as one of the most important novels ever written about Africa.