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Plot Points

Read these lines in Things Fall Apart - I book I have struggled to get through despite many attempts over the years. It might be that there is a right time in a person's life to appreciate certain writing. I don't know if it is quote yet my time with this one

His life had been ruled by a great passion—to become one of the lords of the clan. That had been his life-spring. And he had all but achieved it. Then everything had been broken. He had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach, panting. Clearly his personal god or chi was not made for great things. A man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi. The saying of the elders was not true—that if a man said yea his chi also affirmed. Here was a man whose chi said nay despite his own affirmation.

The story-line started to make sense only after half way through the book. It was as if the words suddenly started to connect with familiar things in my own life experience. It is possible such connection could come about for another reader earlier in the book or even later. That would determine the quality of their reading experience and what they take away from the novel itself. That is no different from life itself - there is no way to know when the plot points of your own life will finally start to acquire a cohesive structure. 

This was a very difficult book to stay with for me. The language and the style of writing made it hard to follow the story itself. That is not unlike having someone raised in America read one of my favorite books of all time Godaan and appreciate why it is such a masterpiece. I am glad I finally got to the end though I wish I had enjoyed the experience more. 

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