Things Fall Apart
by Chinua Achebe
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Book Reviews of Things Fall Apart
Book Review: Great introduction to African literature
Summary: 5 Stars
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is a compelling character study set in a Nigerian village at the turn of the last century. The story chronicles the first encounters between the polytheistic Igbo people and Christian missionaries. Obligations to the gods, cultural taboos regarding twins, the disabled and death, and unanticipated pronouncements from oracular priests and priestesses all govern the tribe's communal decision-making. Strictly delineated roles for men, women and children and tribal titles granting tribe members privileges such as harvesting palm wine govern day-to-day life. Okonkwo, a young Igbo man hoping to better himself despite his shamefully indolent father, feels these pressures acutely but manages for the most part to push ahead in the tribal hierarchy without making waves. The tribe's routines are upset when a priest erects a chapel in the evil forest where twins and outcasts are sent to live apart from the villages. Predictably, things fall apart. As Oberieka, one of the Igbo elders, put it: "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."
One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was its depiction of Igbo tribal rites and the way the author used conversations between Igbo elders and the Christian missionaries to explain the interrelationships between the pantheon of Igbo gods and the tribe's animistic practices. I feel like I now have at least a concrete examples of how a polytheistic African religion weaves in and out of daily life. That is not to say that the specifics of that religion left me unmoved. At various points in the story, I longed for someone to step forward and put an end to the violence against women, the practice of leaving unwanted infants to die in the forest, and the senseless sacrifice of innocent children, but was disappointed. Another thing I did like about the book was its explosive ending. I felt it resolved all the major plot turns, without tumbling into a predictable, overly tidy end. The bitterly ironic comment that concludes the story was a graceful end note.
I would recommend this book to anyone wanting an interesting introduction to black African literature. In some ways, the book so closely mirrors a Greek tragedy that it's hard to forget you are reading a title common on high school world literature reading lists. On the other hand, it's an excellent read that can be enjoyed in just a few evenings and it's on those reading lists for a reason.
Book Review: Original and unique
Summary: 4 Stars
The historical fiction novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, is a story about life within one of Africa's many tribal groups. Achebe writes of his culture's rich heritage, and how it was affected by the coming of the Europeans imperialists. The title of the book sums up the theme very well, about how the African way of life was disrupted by European conquest, and eventually fell apart. His simple writing style makes the book easy to read, but his use of Ibo language and phrases makes it interesting and unique.Although Chinua Achebe's method of writing may have been very simple and bland at times, it was generally very effective. His knowledge of both Ibo and English language and literature is very apparent, and he manages to mix both very well into a wonderful story. His strong feelings against the imperialization of his home are widely expressed, but he manages to remain passive, with little real anger ever becoming obvious.
Achebe uses a very simple and `matter-of-fact' style of writing, which proves very effective in describing people, places, and objects. He is able to create vivid scenes in the reader's mind with few, if any, adjectives. Often, more time is spent on explaining someone's or something's importance in society, rather than what it looks, sounds, or feels like. Personal achievements also seemed to be held in regard, rather than personality depth of character. Okonkwo, the main character in the novel, is first introduced among his famous feats, such as his skill at wrestling, rather than with his appearance.
Throughout the novel, Achebe includes short phrases and words in his native language of Ibo. This adds an interesting cultural flavor to the story, and serves to create a more realistic setting. For example, contempt for weak males in the society was shown by their being called agbala, or woman. Also, words which have no English translation are written in Ibo, and then described to their roughly English equivalent. An obi, which was a circular hut, was one such word.
According to scholars who have read and studied Achebe's work, the novel is -- culturally and historically --very accurate. His explanation of social status are very thorough, and include everyone and everything: from the highest village elders to the the locusts that fly in only once every several years. The roles of men and women are made very clear: nothing in such an African society was ever out of its place. Unfortunately for all of us, European empires sought out the lands and riches of Africa, and the culture has been declining ever since.
Book Review: So awful!
Summary: 1 Stars
I read this book once in high school and then again for a college class in freshman year. I graduated college 2 years ago, but this book is so awful that I felt obligated to come back and review it.
First I will admit that there are positive points to the book- it has a very coherent structure and manages to go into a lot of detail about african culture without losing the plot on unrelated tangents.
But there is something so overwhelmingly negative about this book that none of the well done novelistic elements can overcome. Anyone with sense would be rooting for the imperialists by the end of this book. This is what everyone in my high school class did and most of the kids in my college class as well. Okonkwo and his tribe leaders basically believe in santimoniously violating everyone's human rights aside from powerful landowning males. The women are beaten, the children have few choices in how to live their lives, there is a caste of outcasts that is not allowed to better themselves and unwanted children are left to starve to death when there is absolutely nothing defective about them. This story chronicles how a) Okonkwo's gentle and music loving father was considered a failure in the culture while Okonkwo who is brutal and despotic is largely a success. b) Okonkwo's son's conversion to christianity is shown to be a sincere leaning that he develops after years of feeling guilty about what *he himself* sees as tribal barbarism- abandoning of twins etc. It was not something forced on him, it was something that he freely chose out of open minded ethical thought. When the western christians come, the outcasts are allowed to behave as normal respected people, superstitions about evil spirits in the forests are proven to be false and technology such as bicycles are introduced to the people.
Sorry folks- the imperialists are the good guys in this book. Things fall apart in Okonkwo's culture, but good riddance to such barbarism anyways! All this book shows is a detailed explanation of how imperialists brought progress and humanity to Nigerian savages.
The thing is, it is possible to paint a culture with all its flaws and bigotries and still build sympathy for it. Pearl S Buck really makes one feel for the main character's attachment to his land and his ambitions in the good earth even though he also is a prideful sexist classist man. Achebe does not in any way build sympathy for the main character or his culture and the majority of readers in HS or college will feel that way as well.
Book Review: The unwinding of a man's dreams
Summary: 5 Stars
A story about the tragic loss of a proud man and his culture. In the beginning of the book, Mr Achebe provides a narrative of the cultural practices and norms in this Nigerian society. These characters are not necessarily painted with a sympathetic brush and many of their cultural practices seem to be arbitrary, capricious and harmful. What is amazing about the first part of the book is realizing how variable the fabric of different cultures can be and wondering how certain cultural practices came to be accepted as obvious. The characters themselves often wonder at the reasons behind these practices but they are seen as being as fixed as the African soil where their feet tread. Regardless of your sympathies, the reader can't help but get fully absorbed in the communities involved and mourn the loss of a once proud man Okwonko. Okwonko is a man who is wholly invested in tribal life. His life's ambition is to be accepted in to the culture as a well-respected man. He buys in to the rules and thinks he has a lucid path to success. This is no different than the person who seeks power and prestige in any society. Rules and customs are laid down and there are many folks who make it their life's goal to be successful in that society. Tragically Okwonoko is denied his long sought after success two times. He is first banished from his village by accidentally breaking one of the rigid, somewhat arbitrary, unquestioning rules he has so much faith in. When he has finally climbed his way back in to the society, he finds that things have changed as white christian missionaries have infiltrated his clan. The clash of these civilizations is illuminated in the differences between their courts and a humorous discussion of monotheism vs polytheism. These missionaries are treated sympathetically by the author when they end the practice of abandoning twins and banishing castes of people to the fringe of society. They are treated less sympathetically in the description of their mock courts which ultimately causes the final tragedy to unravel. It is this final denial of Okwonko's dreams that is the most tragic because he has lost faith in the tribal society he was once so proud of. He is left a shell of a man whose dreams and vision of the world and his place in it have evaporated. When his tribemates are unwilling to fight for their way of life in the teeth of encroaching missionaries with a vastly different way of doing things, he has no other choice but to end his life.Book Review: Clashing of Cultures: An Individual's Rise and Fall
Summary: 3 Stars
While this novel is not a "page turner", the latter part of the book and the significance of the ending are both testaments to the cherished beliefs of cultures. Okonkwo, the book's main protagonist, is determined to stray from the lifestyle and eventual degradation that his fathered suffered in life due to laziness and debt. He is an African tribe man who is hard-hearted and stern towards his family because he wants to become something great in life (although some may view him as a chavanist). The tribe's rituals are followed with grave tradition, and Okonkwo seeks for ways to better his personal status (although not a literal translation, one's fate is referred to as "chi", meaning "personal God.")
The story is divided into 3 major sections. The first section deals with mainly Okonkwo's family and tribal background; we get a first hand look at their beliefs in marriage and status of tribal leaders. The 2nd part shifts into Okonkwo's removal from his village, and his eventual progression back into his society. Finally, the most compelling part of the tale, the third section highlights Okonkwo's orientation back into his village as well as his and other tribes' encounters with the new community which has brought Christianity into the region; subsequently, there is a clash of power between African religion and culture and the Christian believers.
Several points may make this book less than appealing.
One of the more exasperating aspects of reading this type of novel is getting acclimated to the Ibo vocabulary and expressions (although in this version, there is a glossary included in the back index). There are relatively trite topics included, such as a chapter on the process of harvesting yams, but my belief is that these chapters are mainly to get the reader accustomed to the values and background of African tribal life. It is necessary to read this book with a certain degree of respect for different cultures and the rituals they share.
Although it moved a little too slow at the beginning, the eventual story of Okonkwo's rise and fall becomes more intriguing as the reader moves on. Not only is Achebe's novel a commentary on the ills of clashing religions and cultures, but the reverence placed on position and status in individual tribal communities. This is an excellent read for those who want to get a sense of tribal life or religion in African cultures. For those who just want a leisurely read, it may take some patience getting into this novel.