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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: Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation, and War
lilahs_literacy_corner'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
4.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse
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: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
ashleymg99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I can’t recommend the Crash Course video on this book enough- after reading it, it enhanced my understanding of text and provided a lot of additional context, that I will summarize below:
Chinua Achebe was uniquely positioned to tell this story because of his background. With a father who was an evangelical Christian and extended family that was part of traditional Igbo culture - he offers a criticism of European colonialism that neither demonizes nor exhalts either culture. It’s a wonderful first-hand account of the customs of the Igbo people, and an amazing edition to my read the world challenge!
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Colonisation
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: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, and War
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: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
hanfaulder's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The narrative follows Okonkwo, a prominent tribal man. He is characterised at the beginning of the story as being the greatest wrestler in all the surrounding villages, and as a warrior, evidenced by the five decapitated heads hanging in his compound. To Okonkwo, who was a weak child with a father who he considered the source of all weakness, his identity as someone "self-made" and strong is the backbone of the story. Even if these qualities ultimately lead to Okonkwo's downfall; they are important signifiers within our protagonists worldview for masculinity and control. The book focuses pretty closely on Okonkwo's perspective - from rising to the hight of the clan's power, into his exile and his ultimate tragedy. Achebe is even-handed in his storytelling: we can see both how and why Okonkwo does what he does. This does not, however, make him a sympathetic character, or even a likeable one, and for me this meant that some of the emotional impact didn't hit quite as hard. The ending, however, did surprise me and leave me a little teary-eyed.
(Light spoilers ahead)
Things Fall Apart is ultimately a story about identity: both wrestling with one's own identity within tradition and community - Okonkwo sees his son Nwoye as weak and effeminate, resembling Okonkwo's own disappointing father, and his treatment of Nwoye ultimately leads to him abandoning his father's beliefs for the White Man's Religion, which Okonkwo considers 'the prospect of anhiliation' - as well as the effect that English Evangelical Missionaries and The Church had upon the peoples of Nigeria. The colonialism in the final half of the book mirrors the narrative of fathers and sons. First of Okonkwo and his relationship to his father and the kind of unhealthy masculinity which it creates within him, and then how Okonkwo is a lacking father in turn to his adopted son Ikemefuna and his eldest son Nwoye.
Furthermore, this comparison is even more apparent when considering the portrayal of women in the book: Ezinma's mother swearing to 'rush into the cave to defend [Ezinma] against all the gods in the world' and resolving to 'die with her', or when Okonkwo is exiled and flees to his motherland, his uncle says that 'when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother's hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good... but when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you'. The women take on a role that is both looked-down upon by our protagonist, Okonkwo, for being less than, but which is also the only source of comfort, safety and love provided in the book. Ikemefuna thinks of his mother's songs when he is lead away from the village, scared, before he is killed by Okonkwo who 'was afraid of being thought weak'; and at the same time Nwoye cries in his mother's hut, unable to do anything. I could honestly pull-apart the layers of this deceptively short novel for hours.
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Blood, Murder, and Colonisation
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, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
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: 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
- 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: Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism and Torture