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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was the most boring book I've ever read and if it weren't for school I'd have never picked it up. I wish I could take back those 6 hours I spent reading it. Ugh.
I really liked how many layers this story had. This is a really good example of writing that does a lot of showing, not telling. As a reader you could pull apart each layer of the way a character was presented - for example, what the main character, Okonkwo thought about his own motivations, vs. what the author wrote about Okonkwo's motivations and choices, vs. how you as the reader view Okonkwo's motivations and choices. Besides that, the method of storytelling really worked for me. I liked the conversational style and the folktales, proverbs, and idioms that were inserted into the prose.
In terms of the overall plot, it did a good job of depicting the effect of white colonization on an existing society, which has of course happened many times in history in many different places. Pre-colonial Nigerian life was by no means depicted as a utopia by the author so I didn't feel like he was trying to argue that everything was perfect before the white people arrived, but ultimately this story was told from the perspective of the colonized people. The slow unraveling of Okonkwo, as well as his home, was riveting and complicated.
I never studied this book in school but after doing a little bit of research, this was one of the first stories told from that perspective (and in response to Euro-centric books like Heart of Darkness).
In terms of the overall plot, it did a good job of depicting the effect of white colonization on an existing society, which has of course happened many times in history in many different places. Pre-colonial Nigerian life was by no means depicted as a utopia by the author so I didn't feel like he was trying to argue that everything was perfect before the white people arrived, but ultimately this story was told from the perspective of the colonized people. The slow unraveling of Okonkwo, as well as his home, was riveting and complicated.
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 never studied this book in school but after doing a little bit of research, this was one of the first stories told from that perspective (and in response to Euro-centric books like Heart of Darkness).
Heldere en onopgesmukte roman over een niet bepaald sympathieke vader in een Nigeriaans dorp ergens in de negentiende eeuw(?). Bevat ongeromantiseerde beschrijvingen van het dorpsleven toen en de eerste kennismaking met de koloniale machten. Door de neutrale stijl erg krachtig.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
In my copy, the back of the book review compares Things Fall Apart with a Greek tragedy and I would have to agree. We are presented with archetypal characters that must follow a pre-determined path with stoic resignation, even when the path leads to tragedy and death. I look forward to reading other books by Mr. Achebe, who mastered the art of translating situations related to his native Nigeria for an universal audience.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed this as such but I'm glad I read it. The main character is not a hero by any means, and I'm not even sure how the author intends me to feel about him; he's certainly not painted very sympathetically but nor is he an out-and-out villain, even when he's doing things that are frankly appalling. The story of his decline and destruction tells us something about the clash of two cultures. What exactly does it tell us? Oh, don't ask me, I'm a computer geek, not a literary critic but the experience was more jarring and unsettling than most books you're likely to read on the bestseller lists.
I had a hard time getting through the book. I didn't feel excited about the characters, the plot seemed underwhelming, and the writing, rather bland.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes