Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

131 reviews

halogenl95's review against another edition

challenging sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book tells the story of Okonkwo’s life and the trauma he endured throughtout his life. It’s hard to describe what kind of story it is since it does not follow any formula. But one thing is for sure, it is a sad story. I kept hoping things will get better but it never really does, much like life. The progression of the story is also not towards a resolution. It simply details how things keep falling apart. 

Personally, I don’t think I would recommend it to friends because it’s not reflective enough to be worth the sadness nor enjoyable enough to read on the beach, which are the only 2 types of books that I read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Minor: Suicide

calamitywindpetal's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

muhjeed's review against another edition

fast-paced

• 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

5.0

So great and rich and has so much to pick out and latch on to despite being so short. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, and War

arborapollonis's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Murder, and Colonisation

Minor: Miscarriage

amayastar05's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War

jemappellecat's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Racism and Torture

nick13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• 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

This book gets a three star simply because it is a story that needs to be read. Other than that,

I liked how slow the first part is to contrast how fast colonialism took over Africa

and how amazing complicated the main character is. This is all to say that this story has the groundwork to be absolutely astounding, yet at no point was my interest peaked. This is due to instead of engrossing rge reader into the story, it instead keeps this standoffish narration akin to a nonfiction. And if this were a nonfiction it would've been amazing for what it is, but it's not which lead this story to just not have the same impact it should.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Minor: Slavery

sas_lk's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I don't even know where to start. The way Achebe wrote this novel was so clever, I get why it has become a classic.
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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation

Minor: Sexual content and Slavery

n1nareads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

i really wanted to love it more but i will blame it on the last book i read which was so different affecting my outlook
Also fuck missionaries 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Murder

yolie's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

A commanding book, and completely understandable why it is seen as a pioneer of the African literary scene.

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, and Colonisation

Moderate: Violence and Religious bigotry

Although slow paced, as the book goes on you begin to see why ‘Things Fall Apart’.