Assessment of The African Trilogy

In November and December of last year I read the African Trilogy: Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart has been one of my favorite books since I first read it. Much to my embarrassment and delight I never knew it was part of a series. While neither of the two quite matched the first, both No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God were fantastic works. Here are my humble GoodReads reviews.

Things Fall Apart

This is among the ranks of my favorite books. Firstly, the writing in it is sublime. Its economy and pace just highlight the tragic elements of the story. Secondly, it touches on a favorite subject of mine - the blending of cultures that occurs in the Christianization of the world. I cannot recommend this book enough. I have read it numerous times but have not read the other books in the series. I am however, about to remedy that.

No Longer at Ease

While this isn't quite as good as Things Fall Apart, it is only slightly less great of a read. Achebe's storytelling and prose are truly remarkable. And its bitterness and sadness is palpable; yet, the work is enjoyable to read. You feel for Obi Okonkwo more than you feel for his grandfather in the previous novel, which makes his tragedy all the more heart wrenching. I can't wait to start the third book in this series.

Arrow of God

While not as good as the other two in this trilogy, Arrow of God does not disappoint in its tragic story. I love stories, fictional or otherwise, of the coming together of two cultures and the aftermath it brings. The ending of this book however is so sudden it's almost as jarring to the reader as it was to Ezeulu.

What makes these books so great is that you can read them individually or as part of a series. Achebe is a masterful storyteller and the crafting of these books is truly remarkable. They are tragic and of course, sad. But, it isn't just a tragic and sad event following a tragic and sad event. Achebe paints a portrait of humanity that is true to life and even in the most tragic of lives, there is some elements of success, humor and positivity. I would truly recommend all three of these into a must-read list.