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ellie_bronte's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not gonna lie this book was a tad boring to read, but learning about an entirely different culture is what kept me going. It's interesting how Chinua Achebe wrote the book in an old fashioned English prose, marrying the two cultures he was a part of instead of having a preference. I tried not to question the Igbo culture as I read the first part, keeping an open mind to what they thought was normal. I just rolled with it, easy to do since I love the fantasy genre.
The gradual transition from Igbo culture to Christianity was written really well. The Igbo people just accept these random newcomers because they didn't take them seriously, and thought they weren't a threat (How would you feel if someone kept talking to you about their buttocks?). And one of my favorite parts was the head guy of the tribe and one of the missionaries are exchanging religious ideas. They keep missing each other, unable to comprehend each other's customs or Gods. I also loved how Achebe showed the changing of the times, how customs are dropped due to being outdated or obsolete, such as no longer fearing the Evil Forest since no harm came to the inhabiting missionaries. It's sad to see a culture get wiped out, but Achebe writes it in a way to make the reader feel bad, but not really blame anyone. There were good people and questionable people on both sides, such as the Reverends of Christianity, and Okonkwo and his tribes' people. It's not anti anything, it's just conveying a story and it's happenings. And I didn't mind the lack of explanations toward certain customs such as Peace Week since the goal of the story wasn't to explain customs, but to explain Okonkwo's inner turmoil. Just a little boring is all, but great otherwise!
The gradual transition from Igbo culture to Christianity was written really well. The Igbo people just accept these random newcomers because they didn't take them seriously, and thought they weren't a threat (How would you feel if someone kept talking to you about their buttocks?). And one of my favorite parts was the head guy of the tribe and one of the missionaries are exchanging religious ideas. They keep missing each other, unable to comprehend each other's customs or Gods. I also loved how Achebe showed the changing of the times, how customs are dropped due to being outdated or obsolete, such as no longer fearing the Evil Forest since no harm came to the inhabiting missionaries. It's sad to see a culture get wiped out, but Achebe writes it in a way to make the reader feel bad, but not really blame anyone. There were good people and questionable people on both sides, such as the Reverends of Christianity, and Okonkwo and his tribes' people. It's not anti anything, it's just conveying a story and it's happenings. And I didn't mind the lack of explanations toward certain customs such as Peace Week since the goal of the story wasn't to explain customs, but to explain Okonkwo's inner turmoil. Just a little boring is all, but great otherwise!
juliette_d_03's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kealia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
mags549's review against another edition
3.0
Read it for school.
While it's never going to be one of my favorites, it's better than Heart of Darkness by far in my opinion...
While it's never going to be one of my favorites, it's better than Heart of Darkness by far in my opinion...
iqlofty's review
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage, and Slavery
talentedmisfit's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rogermckenzie's review against another edition
5.0
A superbly crafted story that simply comes alive off the page. The pictures painted by this massively gifted writer make you feel that you are in the village and sitting with the elders on their goat skins. Great book that I highly recommend.
che_guevara's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5