Things Fall Apart
Debut novel by Chinua Achebe, milestone in African literature.
Chinua Achebe's first novel, *Things Fall Apart*, was released in 1958 while he was employed at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. The book, published in London by Heinemann on June 17 of that year, is set in colonial Nigeria and follows Okonkwo, a powerful leader of the fictional Igbo clan of Umuofia who resists both colonialism and the arrival of early Christianity. Its title comes from a line in W. B. Yeats's 1919 poem "The Second Coming." Widely considered a landmark in African literature, the novel was both critically and popularly successful upon release and has since been translated into more than fifty languages. It also appeared on *Time* magazine's list of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. The story has been adapted multiple times, including a 1961 radio drama by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation titled *Okonkwo* and a 1971 film featuring Princess Elizabeth of Tooro.
The plot centers on Okonkwo, a renowned wrestling champion, warrior, and prosperous family man in Umuofia. He is determined to be the opposite of his father Unoka, a lazy debtor who neglected his family and preferred drinking and playing the flute. From a young age, Okonkwo works tirelessly to build his own wealth and reputation, but his obsession with masculine strength and discipline leads him to frequently beat his wives and children. The village elders choose Okonkwo to care for Ikemefuna, a boy given as a peace settlement after his father killed a woman from Umuofia. Over three years, the boy comes to see Okonkwo as a second father. When the oracle decrees that Ikemefuna must die, the elder Ezeudu warns Okonkwo not to participate, but Okonkwo kills the boy himself to avoid appearing weak. Haunted by guilt and nightmares, Okonkwo later accidentally kills Ezeudu's son when his gun misfires at the elder's funeral. As punishment, he and his family are exiled for seven years to his mother's village, Mbanta.
During his exile, Okonkwo learns that white men have arrived in Umuofia, bringing Christianity. The number of converts grows, and a colonial government is established. Okonkwo's son Nwoye becomes curious about the missionaries and, after a final beating from his father, leaves to join them, guided by the Igbo missionary Mr. Kiaga. In his last year of exile, Okonkwo arranges for his friend Obierika to sell his yams and build him new huts for his return. He also hosts a large feast for his mother's relatives. Back in Umuofia, Okonkwo finds the village transformed. When a Christian convert unmasks an elder embodying an ancestral spirit, the villagers retaliate by destroying the local church. In response, the District Commissioner arrests Okonkwo and other leaders, demanding a fine of two hundred bags of cowries. Despite orders for respectful treatment, the native court messengers humiliate the prisoners, shaving their heads, beating them, and denying them food and water, while also extorting an extra fifty bags of cowries. Outraged, the people of Umuofia gather to decide their response. Okonkwo, a warrior who values tradition, argues for war. When the white government's messengers try to break up the meeting, Okonkwo beheads the lead messenger. But the crowd lets the others escape and refuses to fight. Realizing his people will not defend themselves, Okonkwo later hangs himself. Among the Igbo, suicide is a grave taboo, tarnishing his reputation. The District Commissioner, finding Okonkwo's body, muses that his death would make an interesting chapter for his planned book, *The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger*.
Achebe began writing the manuscript while working at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation after graduating from the University of Ibadan in 1953 and teaching in Oba, Anambra State. He chose to write in English because he found the existing written Igbo language, a blend of dialects, too artificial. In 1957, he cut the second and third parts of his manuscript, keeping only Okonkwo's story, and restructured the book with new paragraphs and chapters. He spotted an advertisement in *The Spectator* and mailed his handwritten manuscript to a typing agency in London. After sending the required £22 fee via British postal order, he heard nothing for months. Eventually, a colleague named Angela Beattie, who was about to leave for London, helped him retrieve the manuscript.
- published
- 17 June 1958
- author
- Chinua Achebe
- nationality
- Nigerian
- genre
- Novel
- known_for
- Portraying Igbo culture and the impact of colonialism
Lore & Background
Things Fall Apart was written while Achebe worked at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. After graduating from the University of Ibadan in 1953, Achebe became a teacher before working at the NBC the following year. During his stay at NBC, he started writing the manuscript. In 1957, he removed the second and third parts of the manuscript, leaving only the story of Okonkwo. He restructured the book and added new paragraphs and chapters. Achebe saw an advertisement in The Spectator and sent copies of his handwritten manuscript to a typing agency in London by ordinary mail. After sending the requested fee of £22, he heard nothing for months. His colleague Angela Beattie retrieved the dust-covered manuscripts from the agency when she went to London, and sent one typed copy to Achebe in Lagos. Several publishing houses rejected the typescript, giving the reason that fiction by African writers possessed no financial potential. The typescript was eventually taken to the office of William Heinemann, where it came to the attention of Alan Hill. The manuscript was published as Things Fall Apart in hardback on 17 June 1958 with around 2000 print copies. It achieved instant acclaim in the British national press. The novel's title was taken from a verse of "The Second Coming", a 1919 poem by Irish poet W. B. Yeats. It was later followed by No Longer at Ease in 1960 and Arrow of God in 1964, which together make up the "African trilogy".
Reader's Guide
Things Fall Apart is regarded as a milestone in Anglophone African literature, and for the perception of African literature in the West. It is studied widely in Africa, Europe, and North America, where it has been the subject of secondary and tertiary analytical works. It has been translated into over 50 languages. Before the publication of Things Fall Apart, most novels about Africa were written by Europeans and portrayed Africans as savages in need of Western enlightenment. However, the novel paved the way for representations of African culture not created by outsiders; the novel influenced other African writers to write about the social, historical, and cultural aspects of modern Africa. The novel was listed on Time's "100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005". On 5 November 2019, BBC listed the novel on its list of the 100 most influential novels. It was also listed by Britannica as one of the 12 "Greatest Books Ever Written". In 2024, the novel was recognised as one of the 50 Most Influential Books of All Time by the Open Education Data Base (OEDB). The novel has had several adaptations, including Okonkwo, a 1961 radio drama by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation and Things Fall Apart, a 1971 film which starred Princess Elizabeth of Tooro.
Did You Know?
- The novel's title was taken from a verse of "The Second Coming", a 1919 poem by Irish poet W. B. Yeats.
- Achebe's colleague Angela Beattie retrieved the dust-covered manuscript from a corner of a London typing agency after he had heard nothing for months.
- Several publishing houses rejected the typescript, giving the reason that fiction by African writers possessed no financial potential.
- The novel was first published in hardback on 17 June 1958 with around 2000 print copies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Things Fall Apart and when was it first published?
Things Fall Apart is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first released in London by Heinemann on 17 June 1958. Achebe was working at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation at the time he completed the book.
Who is the protagonist of Things Fall Apart?
The novel centers on Okonkwo, a respected and forceful leader within the fictional Igbo village of Umuofia. He is defined by his fierce resistance to both British colonial rule and the spread of Christianity among his people.
Where does the title 'Things Fall Apart' come from?
Achebe borrowed the phrase from a line in W. B. Yeats' 1919 poem 'The Second Coming.' It evokes the sense of a once-ordered world unraveling, which mirrors the disintegration of Igbo society under colonial pressure.
What is Things Fall Apart about in broad terms?
Set in pre-colonial and early-colonial Nigeria, the novel traces the life of Okonkwo and his community as British administrators and missionaries gradually dismantle traditional Igbo governance, religion, and social structures. It is essentially a story about cultural collision and the loss of an indigenous way of life.
Why is Things Fall Apart considered a landmark in world literature?
It is widely regarded as a defining work of African literature because it presents Igbo culture from an insider's perspective rather than through a European lens. The novel challenged the dominant colonial narratives of its era and helped establish a new voice for African writers on the global stage.
More in Literary Works 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record