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iffer 's review for:
Things Fall Apart
by Chinua Achebe
Although I appreciate the impact of this novel, especially in the context that it is one of the first "contemporary African" novels, I can't say that I enjoyed, felt moved by, or learned much from it reading it at this time in history/this time in my life.
I fully acknowledge that one of the reasons Things Fall Apart did not feel earth-shattering to me was that it was part of the foundation on which other contemporary African novels which I have found more compelling, personally, were based. As someone who is a product of modern society, I also frequently found myself rolling my eyes at what would now be termed Okonkwo's toxic masculinity. Although I wouldn't necessarily have preferred a "noble savage" viewpoint, I did find it interesting that Chinua Achebe seemed to portray Igbo culture superstitious, and white missionaries as a compassionate alternative for the future. At least in my reading experience, Chinua Achebe's language and tone are dispassionate to the point that I wasn't interested in the fates of the characters, villages, or even the continent. If I had known that this was going to feel like such a dry read to me, I might have preferred a more comprehensive nonfiction book on the topic.
I fully acknowledge that one of the reasons Things Fall Apart did not feel earth-shattering to me was that it was part of the foundation on which other contemporary African novels which I have found more compelling, personally, were based. As someone who is a product of modern society, I also frequently found myself rolling my eyes at what would now be termed Okonkwo's toxic masculinity. Although I wouldn't necessarily have preferred a "noble savage" viewpoint, I did find it interesting that Chinua Achebe seemed to portray Igbo culture superstitious, and white missionaries as a compassionate alternative for the future. At least in my reading experience, Chinua Achebe's language and tone are dispassionate to the point that I wasn't interested in the fates of the characters, villages, or even the continent. If I had known that this was going to feel like such a dry read to me, I might have preferred a more comprehensive nonfiction book on the topic.