by Chinua Achebe
With a title that bleak, I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying that this story contains its fair share of misery. It tells the tale of Onkokwo, champion wrestler of an Ibo village in Nigeria, ambitious and cruel, obsessed with his own social standing and virility.
Life in the village is simple, governed by tradition and superstition and Okonkwo, considered to be wealthy with his three wives and barns overflowing with yams, is perfectly satisfied. Yet nothing lasts forever; the arrival of missionaries spells doom for this proud warrior.
Written with a simplicity that belies its depth, and with many proverbs throughout that add colour and authenticity, Achebe conveys the devious psychological effects of colonialism in particular and the fragility of the human condition in general.
The style and the subject blend together to bring out the emotions of both the characters and the reader, giving this book has a true poetic feel.
Definitely worth a look!
The Man Who Came to Rent 