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A real tour de force; but a plain tale simply told. Achebe illustrates and explains rather than judges and provides a moving and very human story of change and disintegration. Set in Nigeria in the nineteenth century it tells the story of Okonkwo and his family and community. He is a man tied to his culture and tradition and fighting to be different to his father. He is strong and proud and unable to show his feelings. His courage and rashness get him into trouble with his community and traditio
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The way the two stories unfold - first with Okonkwo rising then falling in status in his clan and the second showing the clan system starting to crumble is so well done. Ekwefi really touched me as I read about her children's death and her fear for her one living daughter.
All the references to foo-foo brought back memories of my trip to Togo.
"How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion ...more
All the references to foo-foo brought back memories of my trip to Togo.
"How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion ...more
★★★½
Fascinating for its depiction of late-19th century Ibo culture, and, in the last quarter of the book, that culture's contact with British colonialism. But Achebe as writer does much more telling here than showing, which kept me from getting as engaged in the story and characters as I wanted to -- they were *many* interesting scenes and conflicts that I wish had been given more concrete, expanded looks. This was not a problem for me at all in Achebe's excellent Anthills of the Savannah, so I ...more
Fascinating for its depiction of late-19th century Ibo culture, and, in the last quarter of the book, that culture's contact with British colonialism. But Achebe as writer does much more telling here than showing, which kept me from getting as engaged in the story and characters as I wanted to -- they were *many* interesting scenes and conflicts that I wish had been given more concrete, expanded looks. This was not a problem for me at all in Achebe's excellent Anthills of the Savannah, so I ...more
Mar 01, 2010
Juniper
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
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books-i-own,
literature
Aug 25, 2010
Elizabeth Stultz
added it
Jun 03, 2011
Mark
marked it as to-read
Aug 04, 2013
Mosca
marked it as tbr
Jan 27, 2014
Jim
marked it as to-read
