I found this interview of Achebe on Youtube talking about Things Fall Apart. The link is below. I love how in the beginning of the video, Achebe and the interviewer discss how Achebe did not chose to idealize his society, and he claims that he did not do this in order to make this fictional work have truth and meaning to it. Towards the end of the video, Achebe talks about how his Things Fall Apart has become so popular and read by people all over the world because it is relatable to everyone. He mentions that a college class in Korea read Things Fall Apart, and that they felt connected with Things Fall Apart since Korea had experienced Japan colonizing it. I think that Things Fall Apart is such a good book because there is so much truth and like Achebe mentioned, universality in it that everyone can appreciate. This reminded me of what we thought about when we read Candide. The whole debate that one does not need historical background to understand Candide shows how Voltaire reveals and shares universal issues that everyone can relate to and apply to their own experiences in life. I think this just shows how powerful the role of literature and fiction is, for in Candide and in Things Fall Apart, so may readers relate to the themes and issues no matter who they are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHF_w0gkyiI
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