I once mentioned to someone that this book was on the top 100 list, to which they replied "That makes sense, it's the quintessential African literature novel. I read it in high school." After reading it, I think this is a slightly sophomoric view of the novel. Although the subject matter is clearly based in Achebe's experiences in his home country of Nigeria, the themes of loss, grief, and resistance to change are ones that speak across borders and, I think, define the book as much more than "quintessential African literature".
In the book, we follow the life of Okonkwo, a clan leader in a small town in Nigeria. The novel works to explore Okonkwo's personal history, as well as the customs and traditions of his clan. SPOILER ALERT: In the end, we see Okonkwo and his clan struggle to come to terms with imperialist missionaries that come to inhabit the town near the end of the novel.
After reading the book, I was interested to find out more about the author, Chinua Achebe. I found that he is on another "Top 100" list published by The Guardian for his work of non-fiction: An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". Once I'm through with our book challenge, I want to pick up that book because I also found Heart of Darkness to be incredibly racist (one of the many reasons I hated the book and am dreading having to read more by Conrad). It seems, though, that Joseph Conrad deserves his place on our top 100 list for his sheer influence, though, as he sparked writing by Achebe, and was also mentioned in The World According to Garp as Garp's favorite author (what does this say about Garp and Irving?)
GRADE SHEET:
Pacing: A-
Protagonist's Likability: C (I love his wives, though)
Satisfying Ending: B
Ability to Spark Text-to-Text Connections: A
Quick Read Points: a million
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