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paola_mobileread's review against another edition
4.0
This book grew on me - it took me some time to tune in to the style of narration, but after that is plain sailing. The feeling I got is that the story develops at the same psychological pace as event in the life of the main character, Okonkwo: there is a sense in which the first twentytwo chapters set the scene for the last three, where a whirlwind turns everybody's life upside down at an unexpected pace.
The last chapter, indeed the last three pages are almost shocking, and the ultimate message of this book comes really forcefully through them: the dissolution of everything, the devastating force of the colonizing force.
When it comes to colonialism, Achebe is extremely effective in conveying a lot in a single sentence:
There is so much in that "one of the messengers" and "quite unnecessarily": we don't need to know who the messenger is, it's just an underling, but he can wield power on the other men.
A powerful book.
The last chapter, indeed the last three pages are almost shocking, and the ultimate message of this book comes really forcefully through them: the dissolution of everything, the devastating force of the colonizing force.
When it comes to colonialism, Achebe is extremely effective in conveying a lot in a single sentence:
Spoiler
Obierika, who had been gazing steadily at his friend's dangling body, turned suddenly to the District Commissioner and said ferociously: “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself and now he will be buried like a dog...” He could not say any more. His voice trembled and choked his words.
“Shut up!” shouted one of the messengers, quite unnecessarily.
There is so much in that "one of the messengers" and "quite unnecessarily": we don't need to know who the messenger is, it's just an underling, but he can wield power on the other men.
A powerful book.
emeraldgarnet's review against another edition
3.0
Previously I had studied some of Achebe's poetry at school and enjoyed it. This book continued in much the same vein.
Things Fall Apart introduced me to a new perspective (life for a people pre-contact with colonialists).
Things Fall Apart introduced me to a new perspective (life for a people pre-contact with colonialists).
creana's review against another edition
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
crissybls's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
“The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
That ending gave the book a lot of effect..hit me right in the face and left me reeling.
That ending gave the book a lot of effect..hit me right in the face and left me reeling.
dnandrews797's review against another edition
2.0
I was severely underwhelmed by this book that many people consider a classic or foundational literature. While some of the cultural norms and depictions of daily life were interesting as vignettes, the whole book felt like more of a situation than a story with no real overarching narrative structure. I also disliked the main character Okonkwo intensely and found him completely unsympathetic because of his character. It seemed every other page he was either beating his wife, threatening to beat his wife, spoiling for a fight, or criticizing his existing children. He typifies the type of misogynistic and violent men that are too often glorified as heroes in literature.
The main conflict of the christians missionaries changing tribal society also didn’t enter the story until well over the halfway mark and felt rushed in fully explaining how deeply this changed tribal culture and the emotional impact on the people.
Overall, if the purpose of the book was to make me angry at the missionaries for corrupting African society, it failed. Both the missionaries had good (mr brown) and bad (James smith) among their ranks and in their value and understanding of another culture, but African society also had good and bad people and practices that made the whole novel feel more like watching two flawed ideologies battling each other for control of a population more so that the emotional lost of identity and cultural transformation I had assumed it was going to be going in.
The main conflict of the christians missionaries changing tribal society also didn’t enter the story until well over the halfway mark and felt rushed in fully explaining how deeply this changed tribal culture and the emotional impact on the people.
Overall, if the purpose of the book was to make me angry at the missionaries for corrupting African society, it failed. Both the missionaries had good (mr brown) and bad (James smith) among their ranks and in their value and understanding of another culture, but African society also had good and bad people and practices that made the whole novel feel more like watching two flawed ideologies battling each other for control of a population more so that the emotional lost of identity and cultural transformation I had assumed it was going to be going in.
ha_001's review against another edition
5.0
such a informative and educating text that gives a certain perspective of african culture before being touched by the colonizer and during the colonizer and the after effect of colonialism
talitha_k's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow, what’ a read.
Okonkwo was enslaved by his own warped sense of masculinity, that he often confused it with brutality.
People often think colonialism was a quick sweep cruelty, but the violence came later. As seen in the book, it starts as a parasitic infection, that slowly erodes the clan from within, shattering the foundations of what made them a people in the first place. Leaving a bed of doubt, in which to sow new seeds.
for a man who claimed to value his tribes customs, he often went against them:
- the iron fist treatment of his wives and children, that lead to him almost kill his wife.
- he killed his friends son, during a sacred time
- he hung himself, to be later buried as a dog.
Despite being a great man, the nature of his demise could be argued to be worse than his father’s. The man he spent his whole life hating.
Okonkwo was enslaved by his own warped sense of masculinity, that he often confused it with brutality.
People often think colonialism was a quick sweep cruelty, but the violence came later. As seen in the book, it starts as a parasitic infection, that slowly erodes the clan from within, shattering the foundations of what made them a people in the first place. Leaving a bed of doubt, in which to sow new seeds.
- the iron fist treatment of his wives and children, that lead to him almost kill his wife.
- he killed his friends son, during a sacred time
- he hung himself, to be later buried as a dog.
Despite being a great man, the nature of his demise could be argued to be worse than his father’s. The man he spent his whole life hating.
styxis's review against another edition
3.0
The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.
I only read Things Fall Apart for a seminar and wouldn't have chosen it based on my personal interests, as this is not a book I would typically read.
I am not a fan of Achebe's writing style and there was sadly no clear plot going on that managed to keep me interested. The last few pages were very powerful, but otherwise it was just an average book with an average story. What I did like though, is that it introduced me to the Igbo culture with its customs and traditions, which succeeded in piquing my interest for a bit.
I completely understand why this is regarded as a classic and why it is such an important part of postcolonial literature, but it sadly didn't do much for me in terms of enjoyment.
I only read Things Fall Apart for a seminar and wouldn't have chosen it based on my personal interests, as this is not a book I would typically read.
I am not a fan of Achebe's writing style and there was sadly no clear plot going on that managed to keep me interested. The last few pages were very powerful, but otherwise it was just an average book with an average story. What I did like though, is that it introduced me to the Igbo culture with its customs and traditions, which succeeded in piquing my interest for a bit.
I completely understand why this is regarded as a classic and why it is such an important part of postcolonial literature, but it sadly didn't do much for me in terms of enjoyment.
mitskacir's review against another edition
4.0
Mostly what I knew about this book going in was that it used to be required by my high school but they'd changed the curriculum by the time I got there because students complained it was just about yams.
Yes, the beginning had a lot of yams, and I did think this would be a challenging book for high schoolers since it doesn't have the same narrative structure as most western books and doesn't have a gripping plotline. So I'm glad I read it as an adult, although I think I would get a lot more out of it examining it in an academic setting. Even having a brief discussion about it with my partner who did read it in high school gave me a much greater appreciation for it.
The ending shocked me with its startling events and abrupt change in perspective. It really reframes how you think about the rest of the book, in a similar way that The Importance of Being Earnest did for me (although certainly with a different tone). I also reflected a lot on my judgments, reactions, feelings, and loyalties throughout the book and how they shifted from Okonkwo to the colonizers. It made me think about what outsiders would judge harshly in my own culture, and how righting perceived wrongs can perpetuate further wrongs if done without understanding and humility.
Yes, the beginning had a lot of yams, and I did think this would be a challenging book for high schoolers since it doesn't have the same narrative structure as most western books and doesn't have a gripping plotline. So I'm glad I read it as an adult, although I think I would get a lot more out of it examining it in an academic setting. Even having a brief discussion about it with my partner who did read it in high school gave me a much greater appreciation for it.
The ending shocked me with its startling events and abrupt change in perspective. It really reframes how you think about the rest of the book, in a similar way that The Importance of Being Earnest did for me (although certainly with a different tone). I also reflected a lot on my judgments, reactions, feelings, and loyalties throughout the book and how they shifted from Okonkwo to the colonizers. It made me think about what outsiders would judge harshly in my own culture, and how righting perceived wrongs can perpetuate further wrongs if done without understanding and humility.
bynanners's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5