6 Little known facts about 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe

Did you Know:

1. Non-Africans think Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is probably the most authentic narrative ever written about life in Nigeria at the turn of the twentieth century.

2. Although the novel was first published in 1958 two years before Nigeria achieved its independence. Millions of copies have been sold around the world in its many translations. The novel has been adapted for productions on the stage, on the radio, and on television.

3. The novel takes its title from a verse in the poem "The Second Coming" by W. B. Yeats

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4. When Things Fall Apart was first published, Achebe announced that one of his purposes was to present a complex, dynamic society to a Western audience who perceived African society as primitive, simple, and backward.

5. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's made a tribute to this book in her short story collection, 'The thing around your neck'.

6. In The New York Times, there was a quote from Kwame Anthony Appiah about the book saying: “It would be impossible to say how ‘Things Fall Apart’ influenced African writing ... It would be like asking how Shakespeare influenced English writers or Pushkin influenced Russians.”

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6. The main character Okonkwo's name implies male pride and stubbornness.

And for those who are complaining about Okonkwo's character in the book, here is a little advice from Chinua Achebe himself:

“If you don't like someone's story, write your own.”