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Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy #1)

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 · rating details · 106,023 ratings · 4,824 reviews

Things Fall Apart tells two overlapping, intertwining stories, both of which center around Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first of these stories traces Okonkwo's fall from grace with the tribal world in which he lives, and in its classical purity of line and economical beauty it provides us with a powerful fable about the immemorial conflict betw...more

Paperback, 209 pages

Published April 21st 2009 by Anchor Canada (first published 1958)

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Apr 06, 2009 Madeline rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: assigned-reading, the-list, ugh

How To Criticize Things Fall Apart Without Sounding Like A Racist Imperialist:

1. Focus on the plot and how nothing very interesting really happens. Stress that it was only your opinion that nothing interesting happens, so that everyone realizes that you just can't identify with any of the events described, and this is your fault only.
2. Explain (gently and with examples) that bestowing daddy issues on a flawed protagonist is not a sufficient excuse for all of the character's flaws, and is a dev...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Keely rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, novel, reviewed, africa

Like the bloom of critically-successful Native American novels of the late seventies, this book does not come from an alien culture. It does not represent an original or alternative storytelling tradition. This is literature that has already been colonized. It has already moved from the oral to the written. Achebe wrote it in English, and gave it the form of the quintessential Western novel.

I don't mean to say that it fails to represent the African cultural experience, but in Achebe's book, it i...more

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May 03, 2013 Dina Nabil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Dina by: مريد البرغوثي

Shelves: pdf

فصل اول مبشر شجعنى...اسلوب سلس ,ترجمه جيده,جو عام للروايه مميز

فى النصف الاول من الروايه تستمع -بحق- بالجو العام للقصه اكثر من اى شئ يكون البطل الحقيقى هو الزمان و المكان و القبيله و العادات المدهشه لك و تلمع عينيك كطفل مندهش من كل شئ و حاجه حاجه هتبدأ تاخد على عادات القبيله الغريبه و كأنك بعالم مختلف له قواعده الخاصه و بالفعل ستستمتع فعلا بالروايه لكنك تتساءل عن سبب اسم الروايه فاين تتداعى الاشياء؟؟

و بينما تنسى السؤال فى جنبات القصه فيطل عليك الجزء الثانى و الثالث فى الروايه بالمقابل التام لسلا...more

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Sep 13, 2008 Skylar Burris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, general-fiction

I read this many years ago as a teenager, before it was as well known as it is today, and then I read it again in college. Readers often expect imperialism to be dealt with in black and white. Either the author desires to see native ways preserved and consequently views any imperial attempts as immoral and threatening, or he's a Kipling-style "white man's burden" devotee who believes non-European cultures ought to be improved by supervision from their European "superiors." Yet Things Fall Apart...more I read this many years ago as a teenager, before it was as well known as it is today, and then I read it again in college. Readers often expect imperialism to be dealt with in black and white. Either the author desires to see native ways preserved and consequently views any imperial attempts as immoral and threatening, or he's a Kipling-style "white man's burden" devotee who believes non-European cultures ought to be improved by supervision from their European "superiors." Yet Things Fall Apart is a novel that complicates both of those simplistic views. In it, a desire to preserve the native way of life coexists with an urge to admit improvements to it. A tension inevitably arises from the juxtaposition of these two goals. In Things Fall Apart, this tension courses through every page, and it is part of what makes the book so fascinating.

Achebe seems to despise the tendency to simplify complex human life. The events that occur in Things Fall Apart signify the destruction of an entire way of life, an obliteration of the ties that bind a people together. Yet it is not that Achebe unconditionally embraces the culture of the Ibo people. He makes the reader feel for Okonkwo's father, whose failure by Ibo standards is the source of Okonkwo's severity, and for his son, Nwoye, who does not fit into the strictly ordered masculine warrior society.

I appreciated, especially, Achebe's nuanced portrayl of both the positive and negative aspects of missionary activity. When the missionaries come to Nigeria, the church provides a haven for the discontent: for the woman who can not bear to leave her twins to die, for the outcasts who are shunned by the community, and for Nwoye, who can only fit into Ibo society by denying himself. I was moved by Achebe's depiction of how Christianity provides a place for the outcast: the hymn they sing about brothers "who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted [Nwoye's] young soul--the question of the twins crying in the bush and the question of Ikemefuna who was killed. He felt a relief within as the hymn poured into his parched soul."

Yet by providing an outlet for the discontent, the church begins to unravel the ties that bind the Ibo people together. Although the church gives dignity to the outcast and the misunderstood, the second missionary who comes fails to restrain his converts from injuring the dignity of other Ibos. Achebe makes us sympathize with Nwoye's dissatisfaction and acknowledges that Ibo culture was imperfect, but through Okonkwo he also shows us what was lost when the Ibos failed to preserve their culture from the onslaught of the Europeans. What was lost, Achebe has said elsewhere, was DIGNITY, "and it is this that they must now regain. The worst thing that can happen to any people is the loss of their dignity and self-respect. The writer's duty is to help them regain it by showing in human terms what happened to them." Achebe succeeds brilliantly. He painfully and tragically depicts the tragedy that can result when the only way of life a man has ever known begins to crumble. (less)

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Dec 13, 2011 Praj rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had said earlier in one of my former reviews, about how if a certain character is not overwhelmed by the plot-theme of a script and stands out on its own potency becoming more memorable than the story itself, the book is worth applauding and so is the author for its creation. When one reads Things Fall Apart, amongst its vast documentary of Igbo culture of the southeastern part of Nigeria; a man named Okonkwo shines not for his tragic fate but for the man he turned out to be due to his wither...more I had said earlier in one of my former reviews, about how if a certain character is not overwhelmed by the plot-theme of a script and stands out on its own potency becoming more memorable than the story itself, the book is worth applauding and so is the author for its creation. When one reads Things Fall Apart, amongst its vast documentary of Igbo culture of the southeastern part of Nigeria; a man named Okonkwo shines not for his tragic fate but for the man he turned out to be due to his withering circumstances. He was conceited, stubborn, ill-tempered, and ruthless, yet he took pride in the customary and social hierarchies of the powerful clan of Umuofia. He feared failure; a psychological diffidence nurtured through his father’s shortcomings. Okonkwo strived with hardcore determination to be the leader of the clan. He robustly stood tall like a tree , faced every crisis that came his way with obstinate wit, but sadly overlooked his own limitations and never learned to bend or turn like the grass to the changing winds and finally succumbed to the gust of harshness. My heart goes out to men like Okonkwo, whose personality represents numerous other men from various patriarchal societies; like my own for instance. Staunch patriarchs rarely accept changes for they have been rooted in their ancestral cultural mores and dread its disintegration with time. Okonkwo’s father died when he was young burdened with debt and mortification. Hence, he feared his own collapse and saw accomplishment and power as a sign of acceptance and dignity amongst the members of the clan. Okonkwo was the uncrowned prince of masculinity. As a patriarch he believed the molding of a true man was carved through use of brutal force and authoritarian services. Any vulnerability was a sign of effeminate demeanor and a shame to his manhood. It has always been a classic case of "my way or the highway" when dealing with the head of a certain family structure. The father or the grandfather whoever occupied the supreme position tends to be engulfed in his own obsessive hubris failing to show necessary restraint; ripping away the family piece by piece. It was no surprise when Okonkwo’s son Nwoye despised his father’s preaching and turned to Christianity for a serene existence. I have no sympathies for Okonkwo’s tragic ending for I strongly felt he deserved every bit of the death that came his way. I know I got a bit carried away with this character, but I saw shades of his personality that hit closer to home. A man who cannot change with time is a friendless traveler.

When my anger receded, after a while, questions arise as to whether it is easy for a human being who is deeply embedded in a certain way of life to accept drastic change at the risk of losing a critical part of his existence- his cultural identification? When I compare myself with past generations I wonder if my children will ever remember or follow the sediments of my ancestral culture that has barely found a way in my lifestyle. Colonization brings westernization; the advent of the “white” man on exotic foreign shores brings a modernists wave that practically wipes out the primary ethnicities of the land. Democratic amendments bring liberation banishing orthodoxy and atrocious superstitions. It is a definite wondrous prospect, I must say; nevertheless, it gradually washes away the crucial hierarchical cultural institutions terming it as a blot of vernacularism. I embraced westernization as a child through my schooling years, but my father still finds some of the libertine values humbug. It is then, I reflect on Okonkwo and his failure to accept the presence of British missionaries in his village and his belief in the calamitous penalties by the spread of Christianity.

Achebe brings a complex mix of digression and misfortune that revolves around one man, his fate and the collapse within his tribal ethnicity. The anthropological image of the Igbo people and their civilization in the late 19th century, exhibits a democratic opulence of the Igbo people ingrained in tribal origins of African literature. Themes of religious convictions in the mysterious aura of the village Oracle, the hypocrisy and miscarriage in the justice structure during colonization and the commanding anxiety of free will are well meshed in depicting the Igbo world. Tribes and cultures either disintegrating or amalgamating into Western civilization bring an end to a strong ethnic era that once thrived and later waits patiently for its revival through generations. Languages and customs disappear with colonization making the world a uniformed global dais with treasures of ancient cultures hidden amongst its dark interiors. One man’s treasure is another man’s trash; tribal practices although termed as an archaic form of savagery, were valued institutions of traditions and justice to a few. Although, Chinua Achebe’s book tries to echo the related attitude, somehow it seems depressing and vacant at the closing stages of the book.
(less)

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Thom Dunn Praj wrote: "I loathed that scene while trying to comprehend with the preposterous notion of "proving one's masculinity"."

I want to shout to Okonkwo....more
Oct 20, 2011 10:53am

Leonard It is tough speak positively of Okonkwo, but something positive must be said for his reaction to the missionaries in defense of his culture. His mascu...more
Nov 08, 2011 08:19am

Feb 04, 2011 Malak Alrashed rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book absolutely falls under the category of "For Nigerians Only" because the writer takes you to a whole new world, a world of its own customs and I like that I love to read about other cultures and customs, but here in this book the writer doesn't introduce these customs properly before telling the story. For example: there's something mentioned in the book called The Holy Week which is clearly a sacred time when Nigerians are no longer allowed to fight or argue, but when exactly this week...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: literary-fiction, popular-fiction, fiction, novels, 2012-around-the-world, classics, historical-fiction

I found this a smooth, good read. Absorbing, well-paced, engrossing and not at all long--novella length. Sad to say, I don't as a rule expect good reads in those books upheld as modern classics, but this pulled me in. Someone who saw me reading it told me they found the style "Romper Room" and some reviews seem to echo that. I didn't feel that way. I'd call the style "spare"--which befits a writer who when asked which writers he admired and who influenced him named Hemingway along with Conrad an...more I found this a smooth, good read. Absorbing, well-paced, engrossing and not at all long--novella length. Sad to say, I don't as a rule expect good reads in those books upheld as modern classics, but this pulled me in. Someone who saw me reading it told me they found the style "Romper Room" and some reviews seem to echo that. I didn't feel that way. I'd call the style "spare"--which befits a writer who when asked which writers he admired and who influenced him named Hemingway along with Conrad and Graham Greene. And I loved how Achebe wove in folk tales and sayings and Ibo customs into the narrative. Things Fall Apart is considered a classic in African literature, and according to the introduction, Achebe wrote it to rehabilitate and counter what he called "the tarnished image of Africa," to give human dimension to the colonized.

The first part gives us a nuanced and detailed picture of life in a pre-colonial Ibo village during the late Victorian era. To Achebe's credit, he doesn't present that life as idyllic and his central character, Okonkwu, who embodies the tribal values, is deeply flawed. Okonkwu equates manliness with violence, and has used violence on his own family. In an interview after the text, Achebe said his "sympathies were not entirely with Okonkwu." Achebe presents the ills that the colonists brought to the traditional village society--the division between families, the imposition of foreign rule, the corruption and brutality endemic in the system which even destroys an entire village in reprisal for the death of one white missionary.

But Achebe also depicts what attracted people to the Christian missionaries beyond the schools and the hospitals, the trade. Among the first and most fervent converts are Oknokwu's own son Nwoye, bitter that his father killed his childhood friend who had tried to flee his fate as a human sacrifice, a pregnant woman who had lost several children because of the practice of twin infanticide, and two people from a taboo caste who find their first respect and equal treatment among the Christians. Frankly--and I know this is as un-PC as un-PC can be--but given Achebe's depiction of the brutal, superstitious, misogynist tribal culture, I was finding it very hard to see its destruction as tragic. Although, given all the different iterations I've seen and read of the "Dances With Wolves" motif, I did appreciate Achebe's willingness to show the unattractive side of a traditional culture.

At the same time Oknokwu's friend Obierika says "the white man... has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart." And just as Oknokwu upheld that old center, when it falls apart he does too. And whatever ambivalence I might have felt for his fate and the values he stood for, few contemporary readers can read that last paragraph from the point of view of the white colonizing District Commissioner without disquiet or miss Achebe's sharp and bitter irony.(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Mr. Brammer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

The first three-quarters of Things Fall Apart is immersed in the clan culture of eastern Nigeria (we don't actually learn the specific setting - the events of the novel can presumably be transferred to any sub-Saharan pre- and post-colonial setting). The society that Achebe describes can be brutally violent and superstitious, and the protagonist, or anti-hero, Okonkwo is so single-minded and angry that it's difficult to sympathize with him. I think that Achebe chose to show the clan society with...more

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Nov 24, 2008 booklady rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to booklady by: Skylar

Shelves: 2008, adventure, classic, fiction, literature, historical-fiction, worth-reading-over-and-over

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” is from Yeats's poem "The Second Coming". Fifty years after Chinua Achebe wrote this deceptively simple Nigerian tragedy, Things Fall Apart has never been out of print. It's hailed as Africa's best known work of literature and I can easily see why.

At the heart of the story is a strong man, Okonkwo, with an overwhelming need to prove himself--to himself and his tribe; he must overcome the bad reputation of his drunkard ne'er-do-well father. Although Oko...more

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Jun 20, 2010 marie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book has a lot of local color. It shows an Africa (Nigeria) before the colonizers arrived.

Achebe's style is episodic, and there is almost no introspection in the main character, Okonkwo. It's like an English movie with a lot of African expressions thrown in. The narrative has many folk tales and proverbs and uses many African words. There's a literary term when you use the exact sound of something ---a bird call, an animal howling ---there's a lot of that here.

It's a fascinating glimpse of...more This book has a lot of local color. It shows an Africa (Nigeria) before the colonizers arrived.

Achebe's style is episodic, and there is almost no introspection in the main character, Okonkwo. It's like an English movie with a lot of African expressions thrown in. The narrative has many folk tales and proverbs and uses many African words. There's a literary term when you use the exact sound of something ---a bird call, an animal howling ---there's a lot of that here.

It's a fascinating glimpse of another culture that I suspect is all but gone.

Okonkwo strives to be as different as he can from his lazy, debt-ridden father, and he succeeds. He works extremely hard to be wealthy and to be a respected elder of his village. However, in the struggle to show that he was tough and macho, he makes mistakes, the biggest one a horrific fratricide. Another tragedy then strikes his whole family, and when he overcomes it life as he knows it has changed forever.

When I read a good book, it stays with me for days, and this one made me think sadly of what the Philippines could have been like before the Spaniards came and condemned the way of life of our ancestors. So it is a book that awakens and opens eyes.

It is not great writing for me because it's effect on me is mostly visual (which gives you an idea of the critic that I am) , but it is an important book nevertheless. It tackles an issue more earthshaking than say, Portnoy's complaint, and so I'm approaching it not from an art for art's sake point of view, but from a marxist one (I guess).

Who is to say which culture is better, which God the authentic one? Are Muslims and Hindus destined for hell simply because they do not worship the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary? Is religion merely a tool for colonization? Is there really no true God and life ends as we know it here, and the only reason we worship a god still is because the thought that life ends here on earth and injustice can never be corrected (among others) and there is no use being good is just too horrible to contemplate?

(Note: But what about confirmed miracles?)

And if the kingdom of jesus is near at hand, why is it that 2000 years later, there is still so much evil and suffering on earth? How near is "near'?(less)

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May 09, 2012 M.L. Rudolph rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

1959. Love it or hate it, Achebe's tale of a flawed tribal patriarch is a powerful and important contribution to twentieth century literature.

Think back to 1959. Liberation from colonial masters had not yet swept the African continent when this book appeared, but the pressures were building. The US civil rights movement had not yet erupted, but the forces were in motion. Communism and capitalism were fighting a pitched battle for control of hearts and minds, for bodies and land, around the world...more

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May 29, 2011 Melisa Mariani rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books, cultural, koleksiku-ind

Dapet pinjeman dari dosen sastra. Penasaran karena belum pernah baca sastra Afrika sebelumnya... ;)

Update 30 Mei 2011:

Buku itu ajaib! Kalau saya pernah menyebut buku sebagai mesin waktu yang bisa membawa pembaca ke masa lalu maupun masa depan, buku yang saya review saat ini mempunyai fungsi seperti “pintu ajaib” nya Doraemon. Ya, jika sebelumnya saya jalan-jalan ke Venezia, kali ini saya dibawa ke Benua Hitam, Afrika. Tepatnya Nigeria yang menjadi setting cerita novel Things Fall Apart karya Chi...more

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Aug 26, 2009 K.D. Oliveros rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 23, 2008 Chin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: advisory-10-2007-2008

During the time period of 1967 to 1970 the Nigerian Civil War when Nigeria gain its independence, Achebe reflected back on his personal disappointment of this event. Although, this time should be a proud moment, his friend, Christopher Okigbo was killed during the Nigerian Civil War.
While this issue, this inspires him to write his first novel, Things Fall Apart in 1958. He portrayed the protagonist Okonkwo as a powerful leader in the Igbo society. He doesn’t have much trouble with his wife no...more

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Feb 20, 2008 Pa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought “Things Fall Apart” and was excited and eager to read it knowing that (1) it has sold millions and millions of copies since its debut in 1958, (2) has since stood as a symbol of a crown achievement of African literature, and (3) has sort of turned Chinua Achebe into a Hemingway of Africa. But as life has taught us many times before: great expectations come with greater disappointments. While “Things Fall Apart” never quite fell apart it never really took off either. But I should be more...more

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Feb 11, 2008 Robert Beveridge rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished, owned-and-gave-away

This is another classic example of "what in the world are you thinking assigning this to high school kids?" It's a pretty durned fine book, and there is much therein upon which to reflect, but I'm guessing the adolescent and recently-postadolescent crowd is going to feel a book like this is being rammed down their throats. And they're probably right.

Thankfully, I'm a year or so too old to have been assigned this in school, and I picked up a copy vaguely remembering classmates below me had had to...more This is another classic example of "what in the world are you thinking assigning this to high school kids?" It's a pretty durned fine book, and there is much therein upon which to reflect, but I'm guessing the adolescent and recently-postadolescent crowd is going to feel a book like this is being rammed down their throats. And they're probably right.

Thankfully, I'm a year or so too old to have been assigned this in school, and I picked up a copy vaguely remembering classmates below me had had to read it. Perhaps my lack of memory about much of my high school and college days is a good thing, because I went into this novel without any preconceptions. I also went into it having read a few books from Heinemann's African Writers Series over the past few months, so I have something of a grasp on what African novelists were doing in the late fifties. (Not a bad idea, actually, since the "storytelling" nature of such tales can be jarring to someone who's used to modern American lit-- for example, your typical high school student.) All this being the case, Things Fall Apart, considered by many western critics to be the premier work of African literature of this century, may be quite deserving of its laurels.

Okonkwo is a tribal elder in Umuofia, a large village in southern Nigeria. He's the very essence of a self-made man, having inherited nothing from his father. Of course, events can't just go on day to day as we want them to, and a series of stumbling blocks face Okonkwo after he is given the care of a teenager the village has taken as a spoil of war.

The book is compared to classical Greek tragedy, and there are certainly elements of it here. However (remembering recent reading in Abel), to cast this as a true Greek tragedy would force a reading that says the tribal gods sent Christian missionaries to Umuofia in order to punish Okonkwo for various transgressions. I'm about halfway to accepting that this is what Achebe was after, actually. Otherwise, one is forced to read this in kind of the same way as the old joke whose punchine is "Job, something about you just sporks me off."

One way or the other, the writing is fluid, easy, and captivating, and the storytelling style is one I've always been drawn to (as opposed to the missionaries-- one white person, at the very end of the book, thinks to himself that one of the most annoying things about the tribe is their "superfluity"). I liked this one, surely more than my schoolmates who were assigned it. Those of you who were, and hated it, might want to try cleansing your palates with something by, say, Cyprian Ekwensi, or a different, lesser-known book by Achebe (A Man of the People would be a good start). Then tackle this one again. It's worth it. (less)

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Jun 15, 2012 Roy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been meaning to get around to this book for years. It did not disappoint. Things Fall Apart is the story of an African man named Okonkwo. He is an important man in his tribe and lives the way he understands a man's life is meant to be lived. To compensate for the weaknesses of his father his main purpose is to demonstrate strength. In order to achieve a greater degree of success he figures he must be more ambitious, aggressive, and domineering. And this is what he pulls off. So long as hi...more

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Jan 27, 2008 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Achebe's acclaimed novel explores what happens when two cultures collide. In this case, western colonialism under the veil of Christianity confronting an animistic tribal system in a rural village in Nigeria. The result is a fascinating exploration of how one man, Okonkwo, who has invested his whole life into attaining a position of authority within the tribe, finds his whole world forever altered and his quest for achievement meaningless in this new Africa.

Okonkwo is not a man who embraces cha...more Achebe's acclaimed novel explores what happens when two cultures collide. In this case, western colonialism under the veil of Christianity confronting an animistic tribal system in a rural village in Nigeria. The result is a fascinating exploration of how one man, Okonkwo, who has invested his whole life into attaining a position of authority within the tribe, finds his whole world forever altered and his quest for achievement meaningless in this new Africa.

Okonkwo is not a man who embraces change. His whole life he has struggled against a legacy of failure and shame left to him by his father. Unoka, his father, was a lazy man known for the "weakness of his machete" throughout the tribe. Okonkwo in contrast, clings to hard work and almost an obsessive drive to achieve success that is fueled by his hatred for his father. As a result, he lacks compassion and shows little joy or pleasure revealed in the "manly" expectations he forces on his sensitive son, Nwoye and the beatings he inflicts on his three dutiful wives. There is nothing worse in Okonkwo's world than being called a "woman".

Achebe's talent reveals itself in his ability to create complex, multi-dimensional characters. Okonkwo is hard and brutal. He even participates in the murder of a young boy, Ikemefuna, in spite of the fact that he has grown fond of the boy. But Okonkwo must be admired for rising from nothing and the wisdom he shows in his farming of his yams. In spite of his gruff appearance he waits all night by the cave, waiting for Chielo to return his daughter, whom he loves.

Achebe's treatment of the church and of the the animistic religion practiced by the tribe also shows a complexity that forces the reader to acknowledge good qualities in both cultures, while also seeing the atrocities and injustices that both systems seem to promote. The tribe is more than willing to mutilate the bodies of infants and leave healthy twins in the Evil Forest to die. Those who are sick are often seen as having offended the earth goddess and are therefore tied to trees and left to slowly die, painful miserable deaths. Yet the tribe also strives to avoid bloodshed with other tribes. Ikemefuna is sacrificed only to reduce the likelihood of a more violent war with Mbaino where many other lives might be lost.

Christianity under the first missionary is compassionate. It seeks to destroy the superstitious beliefs that led to the needless deaths of infants, the cruel treatment toward outcasts, and the embracing of women. But under Christianity, we also see the arrival of a brutal colonialism that puts one tribe member against the other, fuels the injust enslavement and humiliation of tribal leaders and the corruption of government officials.

Okonkwo struggles with the adjustment to this new world. His struggle represents the struggle of Africa under colonialism and the inability of the tribal system to survive in the "New Africa".(less)

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Jul 16, 2007 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This has been on my list for a while. I enjoyed the economy of style and Achebe's choice of a decidedly unlikable protagonist, which was brave and made for a powerful rendering of a fascinating period of history. Chinua made a clever decision not to fall prey to the temptation to embrace a phony dichotomy - Africa good - Europe bad. He tells the story of the missionary and colonial movement in Nigeria in an unflinchingly dispassionate way. Okonkwo is an anti-hero, proud, cruel, misanthrope, and...more

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Nov 18, 2008 Sabrina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was incredible and a great page-turner. It has relevance to a real tribe in Nigeria. Okonkwo, the protagonist of this novel, really brought the defintion of standing up for what you believe in. No matter how much his own people embraced the white man's culture, he stook to his beleifs. Okonkwo refused to show fear, for he feared becoming his father. I definitely recommend this book to anyone to anyone who enjoys history and controversy.

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Jul 05, 2011 Elspeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Actually, this book made me miserable, which was partially the intent, so to characterize it as something "I really like" feels a bit odd. But the story has really stuck with me for over a decade, even small details resurface, which can only lead me to the trite conclusion that the story was "powerful" because I'm certainly not recalling it as a pleasant memory, nor was it shockingly scarring. (Although, it obviously upset a variety of cultural norms that I'd previously taken for granted.) Wheth...more Actually, this book made me miserable, which was partially the intent, so to characterize it as something "I really like" feels a bit odd. But the story has really stuck with me for over a decade, even small details resurface, which can only lead me to the trite conclusion that the story was "powerful" because I'm certainly not recalling it as a pleasant memory, nor was it shockingly scarring. (Although, it obviously upset a variety of cultural norms that I'd previously taken for granted.) Whether or not it was the intent of the author, what became clear to me from the juxtaposition of British Imperialism and the native culture (and my tolerance mixed with occasional horror at both) is that changing any culture will not change the number of problems a given society has, only the type. This is because the "problem" is not law or custom but people being individuals, which is actually one of the greatest strengths of any species. By virtue of enabling one set of values to thrive, a society will always have problems finding an acceptable outlet for people endowed with a proclivity for the opposite set; switch the values and you only switch the problems. I know this seems glaringly obvious, but at the time I read this story, it gave me a much higher tolerance for governmental foibles and "backwards" cultural norms in my own backyard, and an understanding of why even really great ideas won't work out right when it comes to governing humans--although, not so great a tolerance that I've stopped voting , writing disgruntled letters, or making ill-considered generalizations in public.

Also, for some reason I've measured my net worth in yams ever since. I regularly consider how many yams I could conceivably buy if I liquidated my assets, settled my debts, and found a yam silo (do they even make yam silos?) advertising a reasonable price per pound even though I have no intention whatsoever of converting my worldly possessions to yams. These pointless mental calisthenics make me feel better--go figure. *That* should really be the selling point: "Read this book and the next time you're feeling poor, purchasing $3 of yams at the grocery store will drastically increase your sense of well-being and perceived financial stability." Any trained accountant could attain horror and despair by tallying the number of yams on my grocery bills versus the number of yams I actually eat. This was probably the author's truest intent and most cherished hope for readers of this novel: liberation from the soul-less and unsleeping machinations of a traditional diversified fiat-currency investment by conversion to a portfolio dominated by sweet-potato fries.

At least, that's what I got from it.(less)

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May 06, 2011 rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: do-not-own, 2011, from-library, nice-surprise, love-the-cover, africa

I remember this book from high school English as the one my classmates would all pick from selected reading lists because it was short, then whine about that choice a few weeks later because it was "boring."

I'm just going to say it: this book should not be taught in schools.

Not because it's not worthy of being taught, but because the story is "slow," in that there are big stretches where not a lot happens. You don't appreciate idleness as a teenager, in the same way that you don't appreciate r...more I remember this book from high school English as the one my classmates would all pick from selected reading lists because it was short, then whine about that choice a few weeks later because it was "boring."

I'm just going to say it: this book should not be taught in schools.

Not because it's not worthy of being taught, but because the story is "slow," in that there are big stretches where not a lot happens. You don't appreciate idleness as a teenager, in the same way that you don't appreciate roasted broccoli as compared to delivery pizza, or the would-be paramour who is not physically your ideal but is a good person. Both the broccoli and the boy will seem amazing to you one day, but not yet. That is how I feel about Things Fall Apart. And I am so glad it was not ruined for me with a surly attempt at reading ten years ago to color my view.

The book, for those who haven't read it, is basically a fable set in the modern Nigerian village of Umuofia. Achebe's main character, Okonkwo, is both straight hero and anti-hero. He beats his wives, has too much pride, and is disgusted by men, including his father, who don't share his ambition. Come the end of the book, he also stands ground against the Christian missionaries who come into his village to "civilize" its people. He is a man with deep flaws, but also a man who can give heroics when necessary. He is an interesting character, but not a likeable one.

As you can see -- with the missionaries and the beating of wives -- this is a book that is very easily politicized. It is Food for Discussion for an intro liberal arts sort of education, and I can only imagine the discussion in those classes now: the possible ascription of Okonkwo's character/beliefs/actions to African culture in general, the insipidly worded moral relativism and lack thereof. This is why people get bored with studying this book! I am not conservative, but I don't want to dissect why the mission of these Christians is wrong or why Okonkwo's treatment of his wives is bad. (Duh, of course they are.) I just want the primary function of my reading this book to be discovering the texture of its humanity and reveling in Achebe's storytelling, not necessarily anthropological judgment.

Things Fall Apart lends itself to political conversation, but for me, it's best read for the experience of this one man Okonkwo's life as it is without discussion buzzwords in mind. When you read it this way, the rich detail of the story makes it tough to put down. And Achebe's messages come across clearly -- if not loudly. (less)

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Dec 14, 2010 Alyssa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Apr 16, 2013 Murat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly, this is the first novel I've read by Chinua Achebe and I must admit that I am extremely affected by his writing. Definitely, he is one of the most talented writers all around the world.
Plot-in-plot, story-in-story.... The technique makes you totally absorbed in the story and makes you create a vivid picture what is happenign exactly in the village of Umuofia. Apart from that, the inner world of the main character Okonkwo and what he has been through during his childhood and their mutu...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Amy by: Oprah lol

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Mar 03, 2009 Jocelyn Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was good, but some things felt strange and inserted just for the author's purposes. Like inserting a rant; well, not exactly that since Chinua obviously doesn't rant besides about racism and ethnocentricism. It really did teach me about Ibo culture 'no hands barred,' at least, I think that's what you'd say. The characters were great. There were only two truly dislikeable characters, the later preist and the man who wanted to kill the snake. Perhaps it's because Chinua is part of both cultures...more

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Joje I think of cowboys as a certain hero that is put forth to be both sensitive to the culture he belongs to and following that culture's honor code, but...more
Mar 05, 2009 11:20pm

Jocelyn Lee I guess I just view Okonkwo differently than you, that, and cowboys. Though that 'jumping steps' thing does sound like Okonkwo a bit.
Did Claude go thr...more
Mar 06, 2009 11:03pm

Apr 02, 2009 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, africa

I really love this book. It never gets old, even though I've taught it a few times now. The teens, however, are so resistant to it at first because the characters' names are difficult to pronounce, and they find it challenging to keep track of Okonkwo's many wives and children. The other day, though, I was reading an excerpt from it aloud in class, and I caught a teen boy loving it.

This particular teen, who is not such a fan of reading, made a comment under his breath about how he liked the sto...more

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Dec 30, 2008 H rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know if it is my western requirements or the book that is flawed, but I found this book sometimes maddening in the way it would introduce a story and then just abandon it. The most irritating to me was the story of Ezinma going to see the god in the cave. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CAVE????? It just drives me crazy that we never got to hear what the girl saw/felt/heard on that night. Why was that story introduced and then never resolved? Like I said, maybe to people from a less western culture...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

My God, this book is depressing. If you ever need an example of how colonialists and missionaries can destroy a native village, this is Exhibit A. The first part of the book follows Okonkwo, who grows up to be a strong leader in his clan in Nigeria, but several events change his course. The stories are beautifully told and are filled with descriptive imagery, but Okonkwo is such a stubborn man and he bullies everyone around him that it is impossible to like the character. The final part of the b...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Flesheating D-Ray rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my new favorite book because within five minutes, a person's reaction will tell me how defensive they are about being considered racist, whether or not they've been accused that minute.
This is an excellent way to identify racists, for fun and profit.

Seriously, covering it in class has been like, "Fielding Racists 101" and "How to Sound Over-Defensive When Talking About How African People Are Actually More Violent, No Totally" class.

One guy actually said there was literally no parallel or...more

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About Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe was a novelist, poet, professor at Brown University and critic. He is best known for his first novel, Things Fall Apart (1958), which is the most widely read book in modern African literature.

Raised by Christian parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria, Achebe excelled at school and won a scholarship for undergraduate studies. He became fascinated with world religion...more Chinua Achebe was a novelist, poet, professor at Brown University and critic. He is best known for his first novel, Things Fall Apart (1958), which is the most widely read book in modern African literature.

Raised by Christian parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria, Achebe excelled at school and won a scholarship for undergraduate studies. He became fascinated with world religions and traditional African cultures, and began writing stories as a university student. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service and soon moved to the metropolis of Lagos. He gained worldwide attention for Things Fall Apart in the late 1950s; his later novels include No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Achebe writes his novels in English and has defended the use of English, a "language of colonizers", in African literature. In 1975, his lecture An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" became the focus of controversy, for its criticism of Joseph Conrad as "a bloody racist".

When the region of Biafra broke away from Nigeria in 1967, Achebe became a devoted supporter of Biafran independence and served as ambassador for the people of the new nation. The war ravaged the populace, and as starvation and violence took its toll, he appealed to the people of Europe and the Americas for aid. When the Nigerian government retook the region in 1970, he involved himself in political parties but soon resigned due to frustration over the corruption and elitism he witnessed. He lived in the United States for several years in the 1970s, and returned to the U.S. in 1990 after a car accident left him partially disabled.

Achebe's novels focus on the traditions of Igbo society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of values during and after the colonial era. His style relies heavily on the Igbo oral tradition, and combines straightforward narration with representations of folk stories, proverbs, and oratory. He has also published a number of short stories, children's books, and essay collections. He is currently the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

Achebe died at age 82 following a brief illness.(less)

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Quotes from Things Fall Apart

“The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” — 97 people liked it

“There is no story that is not true, [...] The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.” — 56 people liked it

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Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy #1)

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