Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

16 reviews

bites_of_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Things Fall Apart is fiction but truly read like nonfiction at times, in a good way. I felt like all the characters were real and that made me feel even more for them as the story went on. Okonkwo is a complex character, a strong-willed man, proud of his heritage, and willing to do anything to protect all he cares about. The ending saddened me deeply, I have no words for that but I will say that it will stay with me for a long time.

I highly recommend, do take care and check content warnings though, not an easy read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Suicide, War, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Grief, and Emotional abuse

clare072's review against another edition

emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Child death, Death, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence

Minor: Gun violence, Alcohol, Confinement, Abandonment, Infertility, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Emotional abuse

gabriella_'s review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This book has a lot of casual sexism but aside from that, the writing style was gripping, the plot points interesting, the plot progression heartbreaking, and it was a real page-turner.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse

eleek0609's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and War

nkmustdie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Xenophobia, War, Deportation, Gun violence, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Rape, Suicide, Bullying, Confinement, Pregnancy, Racism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Violence

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

Minor: Sexual content and Slavery

mpbookreviews's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Child death, Colonisation, Suicide, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Abandonment, Violence, and Child abuse

mmiirrpp's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative

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

5.0

I recommend also reading Achebe's essay "Africa's Tarnished Name" to get more context on his motivations behind writing this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Colonisation, Death, Racism, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Child death

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Miscarriage and Grief

ajcanread's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, Colonisation, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, and Hate crime

alexandra_skl's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Really deep exploration of the impact of colonization. Heartbreaking but an important read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Suicide, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Sexism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Racism