I vow I will get these book reviews posted. It's not a question of dropping off a cliff literary-wise after a bang-up start to 2012, but my A author and D author are not eliciting cheers from the mountain top.
First, some comments on Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This is a simple story, almost an allegory, of tribal life in Africa before the white missionaries arrive and the impact they have on native religion and community once they do. The story focuses on Okonkwo a prosperous yam farmer, his three wives and their children. It begins with a bit of history about Okonkwo's lazy father who was in debt to most of the tribal elders and who would rather play music than work in the fields. In direct opposition to his father's example, Okonkwo decides to be an ambitious hard-working man. His ambition has an underside of anger and intolerance: he is abusive to family members and twice finds his impulses have threatened his entire village. The first time, he accidentally kills a young man and is exiled to his mother's village for seven years. By the time he returns home, the missionaries have established a church and school and attracted several converts including his eldest son.
His second crime is much more intentional. He decapitates a white governmental official, completely ignoring the temperance urged by other tribal leaders, and committing suicide as a result of his shame.
I have found it difficult to get into African literature, be it as "pop" as the number one ladies detective agency series or David Eggers' What is the What. It seems to be a literature still coming to terms with history, war and identity -- themes common enough in other cultures' stories but without context or understanding on my part.
And maybe it's because I am on a streak of so-so books and nothing is appealing to me. This is hardly going to make anyone want to read the other reviews I will shortly post. Sorry, go on to Corelli if you want to hear something glowing.
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