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abmochapman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Things Fall Apart remains a literary masterpiece almost three decades since its release. At first slow and meandering, offering a survey of Igbo culture prior to the devastation of British forces, this novel shows just how quickly and suddenly a people can be made to fall apart when faced with colonial rule and violence.
Graphic: Genocide, Misogyny, Murder, Animal death, Colonisation, Racism, War, Slavery, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Child death, and Violence
eleek0609's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and War
themissyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had to sit with this one a while because i knew i loved the first half (5/5) but wasn’t sure how i felt about the second. A big narrative shift happens. Most of the plot of the first half happens in the course of a couple of weeks or months at most. The second half covers ~10 years and the time skips and exposition is such that we lose contact with characters and their relationships which does mirror the effect of colonialism on the community. I get *why* in that sense, but parts of the second half felt rushed and maybe underdeveloped where the first half was SO illustrative and intimate. So I didnt enjoy the second half as much. I took my time, annotated, took notes on the first half but made almost no marks in the second, if that tells you anything. I’d still reccomend, its a quick read just definitely mot your Why Colonialism is Bad 101 bc thats not what the book is going for.
Moderate: Violence, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Colonisation, Murder, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, War, Religious bigotry, and Homophobia
nkmustdie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Xenophobia, War, Deportation, Gun violence, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Rape, Suicide, Bullying, Confinement, Pregnancy, Racism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Violence
calamitywindpetal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder, Violence, Suicide, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, and Death
amayastar05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Sexism, Violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, War, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Murder, and Child death
jemappellecat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicide, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Murder, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, and Child death
Moderate: Torture and Racism
nick13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Child death, Racism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Miscarriage, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Infidelity
Minor: Slavery
sas_lk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
First, the character of Okonkwo is so well written - you can truly feel his desperate need to prove himself, and you can truly feel the trauma that causes him to act and think the way he does.
The way Achebe slowly built up the dread, until it is all you feel, was so well done. And then, knowing Africa's history, you feel the pain of what happens next so powerfully.
I could write a booklong review about it, but I don't think I could do it justice. Incredible novel.
Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Miscarriage, Grief, Racism, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Death, Murder, Child death, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content and Slavery
yolie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Things Fall Apart - whether through inaction or due to the actions of others. This book albeit slow paced, introduces you to a Nigerian community not yet influenced by Christianity and this it follows strict traditional African spirituality and practises. It chronicles a society so rich in culture and identity and its eventual collapse due to the arrival of evangelists.
The book takes a really long time to hit its stride, and despite it being a short novel, it often feels longer than it was.
While newer fiction and writers can be praised for their (better) command of language and storytelling, Chinua Achebe achieved a feat no other African writer had done at the time and this book - in the context that it came out in - is remarkable.
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Sexism, Child death, Slavery, Colonisation, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Violence
Although slow paced, as the book goes on you begin to see why ‘Things Fall Apart’.