Things Fall Apart
Open Library readers: 3.93 / 5 from 95 ratings. Separate from ratings here.Catalogue checked 2026-10-02.
Things Fall Apart is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the arrival of Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the archetypal modern African novel in English, and one of the first to receive global critical acclaim. It is a staple book in schools throughout Africa and is widely read and studied in English-speaking countries around the world. The novel was first published in the UK in 1962 by William Heinemann Ltd, and became the first work published in Heinemann's African Writers Series.
The novel follows the life of Okonkwo, an Igbo ("Ibo" in the novel) man and local…
Read the full description
Things Fall Apart is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the arrival of Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the archetypal modern African novel in English, and one of the first to receive global critical acclaim. It is a staple book in schools throughout Africa and is widely read and studied in English-speaking countries around the world. The novel was first published in the UK in 1962 by William Heinemann Ltd, and became the first work published in Heinemann's African Writers Series.
The novel follows the life of Okonkwo, an Igbo ("Ibo" in the novel) man and local…
Things Fall Apart is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the arrival of Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the archetypal modern African novel in English, and one of the first to receive global critical acclaim. It is a staple book in schools throughout Africa and is widely read and studied in English-speaking countries around the world. The novel was first published in the UK in 1962 by William Heinemann Ltd, and became the first work published in Heinemann's African Writers Series.
The novel follows the life of Okonkwo, an Igbo ("Ibo" in the novel) man and local wrestling champion in the fictional Nigerian clan of Umuofia. The work is split into three parts, with the first describing his family, personal history, and the customs and society of the Igbo, and the second and third sections introducing the influence of European colonialism and Christian missionaries on Okonkwo, his family, and the wider Igbo community.
Things Fall Apart was followed by a sequel, No Longer at Ease (1960), originally written as the second part of a larger work along with Arrow of God (1964). Achebe states that his two later novels A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987), while not featuring Okonkwo's descendants, are spiritual successors to the previous novels in chronicling African history.
Your rating & review
Rate this book
Unrated
Ratings & reviews
No ratings here yet. Read it? Leave your mark in the margin.
Editions
Gathering editions from Open Library…
Something tucked inside your copy?
A pressed flower, a ticket stub, an inscription on the flyleaf. Photograph it for Found in Books.
Send your copy travelling
Print a numbered bookplate, pass the book on, and follow where it goes next.
About Things Fall Apart
A few practical answers before choosing a copy.
Bibliographic source: Open Library- Who wrote Things Fall Apart?
Things Fall Apart is by Chinua Achebe. The catalogue records its first publication in 1958. A later edition may have a different publication date on its copyright page.
- How long is Things Fall Apart?
The catalogue records 192 pages for a representative edition. Pagination varies with the publisher, format, type size and translation, so check the edition you intend to read.
