My focus during college was on post-colonial literature, of which Achebe is considered one of the masters. I have fond memories of reading Achebe's work on two occasions during my undergraduate years and referring to it again in a comparison with Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to finish out my graduate work. Each time I read Things Fall Apart, I find something new that strikes me in a different way. The story centers on Okonkwo, one of the fiercest leaders and warriors of a Nigerian village, who finds himself being the only one in the tribe trying to fight the new British colonialists. His struggle is heart-wrenching and a poignant study on the effects of colonialism on the African world.
Achebe's influence on the literary world has been on display since his passing. Every major newspaper and news network has picked up the story and, I hope, a new set of people will decide to pick up Achebe's work. You can check out the New York Times article here and the NPR article here.
This quote from the New York Times article shows the importance of Achebe's work:
In many respects “Things Fall Apart” is the “To Kill A Mockingbird” of African literature: accessible but stinging, its layers peeling over the course of multiple readings.
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