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A review by jocelyn_n
The African Trilogy: Things Fall Apart; Arrow of God; No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
medium-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
4.0
Things Fall Apart: 4 stars (read 2/23/21-4/10/21)
I'm thrown back to high school and college, where this was THE book we needed to read during English class. For me, I was eager to avoid this book after so many times studying it. Not because it's bad, no, definitely not that. In fact, it's really, really, really well-written. I don't like stories where the protagonist rises, and the plot focus is on the fall. I prefer the fall to happen first and then focus on the rise. Anyway, this is my first time reading this in at least 5 years, though most likely way longer.
I had a better experience reading this than I did when I was in school. Maybe it was just that time has passed, or that I've grown a bit. It's still not my favorite book, but the writing is exceptional. I find myself absolutely loving Achebe's writing style. It feels so straightforward as if I'm sitting and listening to the narrator tell the story.
Arrow of God: 3 stars (read 4/10/21-6/26/21)
Unlike Things Fall Apart, I never read either Arrow of God or No Longer At Ease before.
While the quality of the writing is still good, I didn't really enjoy this book. I could never quite get invested in Ezeulu's story. Maybe it was because I took too many long breaks while reading this rather than reading it in one or two sittings. It could also be that this is how I felt when I read TFA for the first time, but it's been so many years that I've forgotten what my initial reaction was like. Either way, if I ever do reread this, it'll be a long time from now.
No Longer At Ease: 3 stars (read 6/26/21-7/4/21)
I really liked how this book started at the end of the plot, with Obi Okonkwo getting arrested. That's actually one of my favorite ways to start a story. Starting at the end and then going back to find out how the main character got there. I find it eases the stress because you already know what will happen while still keeping a bit of the tension up. That being said, I wasn't a fan of this book. The writing quality was still; I just didn't care about Obi or his struggles. Or, I guess, I cared but there reached a point where I wanted the arrest to happen sooner. I wanted the story to be over.
I'm thrown back to high school and college, where this was THE book we needed to read during English class. For me, I was eager to avoid this book after so many times studying it. Not because it's bad, no, definitely not that. In fact, it's really, really, really well-written. I don't like stories where the protagonist rises, and the plot focus is on the fall. I prefer the fall to happen first and then focus on the rise. Anyway, this is my first time reading this in at least 5 years, though most likely way longer.
I had a better experience reading this than I did when I was in school. Maybe it was just that time has passed, or that I've grown a bit. It's still not my favorite book, but the writing is exceptional. I find myself absolutely loving Achebe's writing style. It feels so straightforward as if I'm sitting and listening to the narrator tell the story.
Arrow of God: 3 stars (read 4/10/21-6/26/21)
Unlike Things Fall Apart, I never read either Arrow of God or No Longer At Ease before.
While the quality of the writing is still good, I didn't really enjoy this book. I could never quite get invested in Ezeulu's story. Maybe it was because I took too many long breaks while reading this rather than reading it in one or two sittings. It could also be that this is how I felt when I read TFA for the first time, but it's been so many years that I've forgotten what my initial reaction was like. Either way, if I ever do reread this, it'll be a long time from now.
No Longer At Ease: 3 stars (read 6/26/21-7/4/21)
I really liked how this book started at the end of the plot, with Obi Okonkwo getting arrested. That's actually one of my favorite ways to start a story. Starting at the end and then going back to find out how the main character got there. I find it eases the stress because you already know what will happen while still keeping a bit of the tension up. That being said, I wasn't a fan of this book. The writing quality was still; I just didn't care about Obi or his struggles. Or, I guess, I cared but there reached a point where I wanted the arrest to happen sooner. I wanted the story to be over.