Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a landmark novel about a respected Igbo warrior, Okonkwo, in late 19th-century Nigeria, detailing his tragic downfall as traditional Igbo culture clashes and disintegrates under the forceful arrival of British colonialism and Christianity, exploring themes of masculinity, tradition vs. change, and the destructive impact of imperialism. The story follows Okonkwo's rigid pursuit of strength and status, his exile, and his ultimate despair as his world unravels, leading to his suicide, a profound cultural transgression.