I absolutely HATED reading this book. I respect it as a very popular piece of literature, but in truth I spent more time sounding out all of the names in this then actually reading it!

It's rare to find a book that can be at once so severe and so touching. This is a fantastic and emotionally charged book of a view of Africa that is not always revealed to the world in such a way in suh honest color. While Achebe clearly cares for the culture, he is not afraid to hide what is true about it. The result is a deeply moving look into the way of people and how they relate themselves to the rest of world as it changes.

This is a transcendant book about the culture, mores, and primitively beautiful ways of a place and people most of us will never get a chance to experience first-hand. The prose is terse and close, but worlds of emotion -- agony, love and surprise -- shine through at every turn. Above all, perhaps, the story is wildly interesting.

I know this is the classic debate of all time when it comes to literature: Is it about beautifully written prose (THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE, incidentally, is a good example of this problem) or does it tell a compelling story? (yet the prose itself is not its strong point).

It seems that many works of fiction these days are of the former and unfortunately, not enough of the latter. I recently re-read this book along with another classic, JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN, after a discussion I had with a friend about this very subject. As a middle-aged person, I often look back at the books that made a difference in my life and much of the time, it's not about the author's writing style. Achebe's is a plain, straightforward style, but it's what he is conveying that is so striking about this story. (I am a bit miffed at the "English" teachers and the like who are downing this book!) Bottom line: I was left with a lasting impression that stayed with me. I can't say that many books do this today.

All I can say is pick up this read and decide for yourselves. Bottom line, this story is just as relevant today as it was so many years ago when it first appeared. These issues are universal and the world today is replete with similar conflicts. It's unfortunate to have to go back in time to find classic works of fiction, but sometimes there are exceptions. Check out--SIM0N LAZARUS, a word of mouth wonder more should know about.

This was the absolute WORST book I've ever read in my life. My English teacher made me read it over the summer and I hated it. It's this boring hard to understand book about this guy in Nigeria just livin' his life. Then he accedentally kills this kid and is sent into excile for seven years. These people come from Europe trying to make the people more civilized and become Christians. So this guy gets mad when he comes back from exile. While they were at a meeting trying to figure out what to do, a messenger comes and the guy gets mad and shoots him. Then he goes home and hangs himself. All of that happens in the three hundred pages. It was an awful book and I would not suggest it to anyone. I wish I could give it no stars. Yeah, it was that bad.

This is probably the worst book I've ever read. It's very difficult to follow and leaves out much which could explain to the uninitiate the point of the book. As someone who has read thousands of books (literally!), I found this one stilted and forced, unreadable, pointless, unpleasant, poor character development, etc. ad nauseum. The only reason I read it is that I couldn't believe my 8th grader when he said the teacher who assigned it said it was a bad book (and, yes, she assigned it anyway!). It is an excellent example of how not to write a book you want people to read. Avoid this one like the plague, unless you've read every other book on the face of the planet.

This is probably the worst book I've ever read. It's very difficult to follow and leaves out much which could explain to the uninitiate the point of the book. As someone who has read thousands of books (literally!), I found this one stilted and forced, unreadable, pointless, unpleasant, poor character development, etc. ad nauseum. The only reason I read it is that I couldn't believe my 8th grader when he said the teacher who assigned it said it was a bad book (and, yes, she assigned it anyway!). It is an excellent example of how not to write a book you want people to read. Avoid this one like the plague, unless you've read every other book on the face of the planet.

Chinua Achebe is an accomplished Nigerian writer. "Things Fall Apart" is reputed by Wikipedia to be the most widely read book in modern African literature and has made Achebe the most widely translated African writer of all time.

The book deals with the impact of a foreign culture (the British Empire expanding into Nigeria) on the traditional ways of life and tribal beliefs of the Ibo people of Nigeria. History tells us who inevitably won that "clash of civilisations".

In the book the destruction of a tribal community comes at the hands of well-meaning, but fundamentally arrogant, Christian missionaries, supported by the "civilising mission" of government officials.

Many of the old Ibo beliefs and customs (at least as described by Achebe) were violent and superstitious. The superstition should be no problem for any objective reader - after all, it is simply a different form of spiritual belief to that which most Western readers will be used to, no worse and no better than any of the major religions, just different.

Unfortunately for the Ibo, it was these very beliefs that the christian missionaries found repugnant - perhaps more so than the violence.

However, it is the violence of men towards one another and towards women and children that will appal most modern readers.

Of course, this is a work of fiction and the non-Nigerian reader has no hope of knowing how realistic is the traditional village culture portrayed. Nigerian readers will immediately be able to put it into the correct perspective.

Without any other cultural background or context, books like this in the hands of the unthinking reader can perpetuate stereotypes and even do harm. There is already too much ignorance of, and intolerance to, the customs of other people. One has only to think of today's general ignorance and stereotyping of Muslims - and the general ignorance and stereotyping of Russians during the Cold War.

Sadly, traditional customs and beliefs, even languages, are under increasing threat from the blandishments of the modern world. This is a pity. Most cultural beliefs have a valid place in the human community and are worthy of preservation, as an historical and anthropological record if nothing else. Many of the social and other problems that beset traditional peoples can be laid at the feet of the destruction of customs and beliefs.

The challenge is not only to protect traditional customs, but also to do so in ways that are consistent with preventing violence in those communities. It is difficult, for example, to make any case in favour of female circumcision.

On another level the book can be read as the human tragedy of the principal character, Okonkwo. To our eyes he is a flawed figure, but to his tribe he was an important man.

Achebe's style is very spare and the text is pared to the bone, with few adjectives and adverbs. Sentence constructions are very simple - but not naïve or unsophisticated. Hemingway and other famous writers used a similar style. I like it very much.

I found it helpful to read the Wikipedia entries after I had started the book. This gave me some background and made my reading a more meaningful exercise.

This book made me confront important matters: the clash of civilisations and comparative spiritual beliefs. "Things Fall Apart" is an important book and worth reading.

I was surprised and disappointed in some of the incredibly harsh reviews of this book. Since I've read a decent amount of African literature (not a vast amount), my first thoughts are that "Things Fall Apart" isn't superior to some of those novels. However, it is also important to realize this was a pre-cursor and likely an influence on many if not all of those more recent novels. One needs to think about the historical context and timeframe that this book was written in, the late 1950s. There had not been a large acceptance nor critical recognition of African literature in the Western world during that time, especially of literature from Africa. Achebe's novel had played a critical roled putting African literature on the world map.

The novel centers on one of the leaders of a Nigerian tribe, Okonkwo. Achebe divides the novel into three parts -- setting up tribal life and the Okonkwo's family, his exile to his mother's ancestral tribe and Okonkwo's return to his tribe. The other important theme underlying the story centers on the impact of colonialism, specifically Christianity, on African tribal life.

What "Things Fall Apart" provides us with is deeper knowledge of African tribal life, the customs and mores of a people and the affect of outside influences, in this case Western culture, on traditional tribal life. The book has an elegant simplicity to it, matching the picture Achebe paints of tribal life. While there are a few bits that move slowly, this is a short book and is worthy of a read for both the influence and impact it has had on African literature as well as the the knowledge of a different culture and people that many of us are unlikely to encounter during our life.

When I taught English 9 Honors, I would ask my students what they thought of the books we read. _Things Fall Apart_ always won the "worst book" award. They were right. This is one of the most overrated novels of the English language.

If Achebe had a B.S. detector, he might have been able to chisel this text down to an almost-bearable short story. Alas, he didn't, and this is what we have.

Okonkwo, the protagonist, is supposed to be tragic, but he's not. He's pathetic. He's utterly revolting, from beginning to end. The other characters aren't much better.

The plot starts nowhere and ends in the same place. Sure, there's an obvious structure to the novel, but it doesn't matter. Not much happens. The characters are lifeless, the plot is lifeless, and the prose is lifeless. I know, Achebe crafted the prose to be what it is-- but that doesn't make it any good.

It amazes me that this book is placed alongside (or above, if you listen to some people) works such as _Moby Dick_, _The Great Gatsby_, _Ulysses_, _The Sun Also Rises_, and _The Sound and the Fury_. The truth is, last month's issue of _Bop_ has more value than _Things Fall Apart_.

I read this book in College in one of the courses I took to obtain my degree in his history. Each of us were required to read the book an write an essay. I don't think there were many people who liked the novel.
The book is an easy read. It's simply written. The book follows stories Okonkwo and some of his family members before and after British colonization. I would recommend it to help gain the understanding of customs, religious beliefs, etc. You can also see the direct effects of appearance of the British, something that such details are not usually spoken about. For its historic content I give it the three stars.
However, the book attempts to get the reader to sympathize with an extremely cruel man without a second thought. I personally do not like that. I understand it is supposed to be a different culture and it's not easy for an outsider to understand. It's stupid to pretend what he does is okay because it's part of his culture. Okonkwo is actually shown to be crossing the line in his own culture many times.
Also, the novel, in my opinion, ended too abruptly. There seemed to not be any sort of strong plot in the novel. All one seems to get from the novel is that the British seemed mess everything up. I personally thing there should have been more of a plot and perhaps more detail on the cultural since.

This novel gives a great example of the conflicts between the western and African culture and the reasons for the European domination. The first 2/3 of the novel does drag on. A lot of the names given to African rituals and traditions can at times be hard to understand and pronounce. However, for those looking for a quick read with an important underlying message, this story is for you.

Things Fall Apart is Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe's first novel. It deals with Nigerian tribal life before and during white colonialism, with particular attention to how tribal culture and white colonial culture come into conflict when white people move in and attempt to convert the natives to Christianity.

Things Fall Apart is slow-paced. There is no plot to speak of here beyond antihero Okonkwo's ambitions, and the cultural conflict does not begin until the last quarter of the book. In the meantime, Achebe explores tribal culture in depth, with attention to tradition, religion, ritual, and family structure.

Achebe's writing is rather simple (often praised as "deceptively simple"), and sometimes repetitive. Achebe is a better storyteller than he is a writer, as his protagonist is well-rounded and his supporting characters are sufficiently well-rounded, even though the novel drags at times

On the whole, Things Fall Apart is now overrated, but it is still a solid rebuttal to those who glorify white colonialism, as well as an exploration of Nigerian tribal culture.

RECOMMENDED

This is an extraordinary book in its ability to narrate both a story of cultural dissonance and an overarching tale about the human condition. Achebe's novel broaches the subject of morality, but demonstrates that even the concept of "evil" is subject to a cultural interpretive context.

Okonkwo, the book's tragic hero, is an emblem of tradition, but also represents how tradition can be subject to the inner turmoil of the human soul. While the Ibo people must face the threat of European missionaries, Okonkwo must confront the threat of his own misplaced hubris. Achebe is a sympathetic voice, but is unafraid to reveal the flaws of his characters as a commentary upon our own imperfect existence.

This is probably one of the best introductions to African fiction, precisely because the story does not limit itself to the African context. The author's investigation of tragedy is pragmatic, yet emotionally stimulating without being romanticized. It is a book that will help the western reader more easily understand not only Nigerian tribal culture, but the power of ideas and their institutions.

Ironically, I had picked up Things Fall Apart from the local library just before it happened to be assigned to me for a history class. I suppose I had good, if accidental, foresight. As others have said, Things Fall Apart is a relatively short novel told in a straightforward yet elegant manner. The voice works well for this particular narrative, much of which focuses on the customs and rites of the Ibo people in the village in which the protagonist, Okonkwo, lives.

What I find most impressive about Things Fall Apart is the way it renders all perspectives; the book doesn't seem to glorify or demonize any one culture, and it really doesn't pick sides. The book deals with an Ibo tribe as well as a group of European imperialists, and it would be easy to depict one faction as being pure and noble and the other as evil or backwards. However, Things Fall Apart takes the high road by illustrating the complex continuum of both: Yes, the Ibo people have some practices which might seem "savage" to our modern Western mindsets, but they also have strong senses of morality and righteousness and Achebe depicts this admirably. Likewise, yes, some of the European imperialists seem cruel and dismissive of the Ibo people, but others of them genuinely seem to be motivated by the interest of evangelizing and doing what they believe to be right and noble.

While the book itself may seem like a simplistic tale, there are deep, complex issues at work here--issues that lead to questions with no easy answers which Achebe, for his part, does not attempt to supply. That's just as well. Sometimes a book need only ask the questions and allow readers to come to their own conclusions. So what is Things Fall Apart about? Well, ostensibly, the book can be divided into two halves. The first half centres on the life of a man named Okonkwo, his wives, his children, and the practices of his tribe. Some readers will complain, and have complained, that the lack of focused, singular plot in the first half of the novel is a problem. I disagree. I don't believe that all works of fiction are required to have one singular, specific plot route and I believe it was Achebe's intent to set the stage for what happens in the second part of the novel. In the first half of the novel, the readers get acquainted with Okonkwo and the Ibo people.

Meanwhile, the second half of Things Fall Apart focuses on Okonkwo's exile and his return from exile. For seven years, he has to leave his village and return to his mother's village (I won't say why here, so as not to spoil the detail for prospective readers), and when he comes back, he finds that European imperialism has drastically altered his own village, Umuofia. This leads to the novel's main conflict. Achebe renders the culture clash in a very intriguing manner, one which left me unsure of how I felt about the various events that unfolded. Because the earlier chapters showed the Ibo culture in such detail, considerable sympathy is placed on them, but a Western reader will also be inclined to agree with some of the Western views (not all, I should hope). For example, in Ibo culture, twins are considered evil, so they're left out in the forest to die. However, when the Europeans arrive, they begin saving twins. Who is right? Is it right to trample on another culture if it means satisfying what your culture considers the greater good? Like I said, this novel asks some difficult questions, and there are no easy answers.

Okonkwo is not a typical protagonist. He does not show compassion to others. He can be downright cruel, and he beats his wives and sons when they displease him. Yet, Okonkwo has reasons for what he does (not that it necessarily makes him right, but it does make his perspective understandable); he is upholding what he believes to be an ideal of Strength. In his own mind, he's a hero. And Okonkwo is not totally a monster; indeed, there are times when a hint of human feeling seeps through. I found his wives and children similarly compelling, but painted in brush strokes, such that much of their lives and personalities are not shown. What is shown is enough to whet your appetite for more.

I docked this novel one star, and I made this decision for two reasons. The first is because I believe the transition between the book's two halves is somewhat unshaky. I understand the need for a transition, but I think Achebe could've handled it somewhat more gracefully. As it is, I feel he plowed through and forced Okonkwo to leave under fairly flimsy and dubious, abrupt circumstances. The second reason I took off a star is because towards the end, the book stops being so evenhanded, and some of the missionaries turn Evil. At least, this is how I perceived it. What one of the Europeans says at the end of the novel seems almost like a caricature; read it and you'll see what I mean. Before, I thought Achebe was doing such an admirable job of showing the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, but in the end, "things fall apart".

Even so, the book is good and thought-provoking. I recommend it. It's a fast read. Although it is not a happy novel, I never at any point found it oppressingly, suffocatingly depressing. Perhaps the lovely yet simple prose helped to keep the events of the novel from being too overwhelmingly unhappy. Everything transpires as if in a song or a dream. I disagree with reviewers who say that Achebe portrayed the Ibo people as "savages". If you saw that in the novel, I think it's because you are analyzing them with your own values. I didn't see that Achebe intended that at all. I did not feel that Achebe passed value judgments on the Ibo people, and for the most part, he restrained his judgments of the European imperialists as well.

Part I is amazing. After that, I think the book is a little bit dated, but still worth reading.

I wanted to spoon my eyes out every time I turned a page. "No more!" I cried. "No more!" It made the things in my brain fall apart...but then I was on acid. I saw yams for twelve straight hours. I thought I was a yam. I stripped down naked and called myself Ikemefuna, I thought my roommate was Okonkwo coming to kill me. I banished myself to the linen closet which I thought was the evil forest. Except I couldn't fit my three wives in there with me, so I beat them and sent them to the neighbors house their motherland.

This book was required reading material in a sophomore-level college literature course that I had to get the Dean's approval to take because of my Freshman status. It was thought provoking; yet didn't drive me to the means to the end. I understood the socio-economic breakdown as well as the fact that there was a factor of pride versus the inevitable versus the fact that no family clan that had known this honorable man would assist him in his time of need. I found it compelling; yet similar to one of many of the Greek and other tragedies except it was written by an African-American in a very well thought-out, well written and easy to follow structured piece of literature. The story line I did not like, but I purchased the book to always remind me that I could always have it worse. LLO'C

My wife & I both read it. We were planning on discussing it following my finishing it, but decided it hadn't impressed either one of us enough to be worth the effort.

While the first part held my interest more than the last part, I asked myself many times whether to just put into the trade pile unfinished.

I was at first pleased to find a book that was written by an African, as well as one that discusses African traditions and customs. Not only that, it has also garnered enormous acclaim and praise from critics. However, after finishing Things Fall Apart and mulling it over in my mind, I now feel let down by author Chinua Achebe. While I managed to learn much about the culture of West Africa, particularly the traditions of the Igbo people in modern day Nigeria, as well as the effects of British imperialism, I was not enthralled by the sharp transitions, harsh and simple minded characters, and lack of a well developed story.

With a title ironically derived from a European poem (The Second Coming by W.B. Yeats), Things Fall Apart chronicles the adult life and exploits of Okonkwo, a member of the Igbo tribe who rose from humble beginnings to become a simultaneously respected and feared farmer and warrior. Okonkwo's fervent adherence to tribal customs of manliness and his tendency to conform stem from his desire to retain all that he worked hard for and now holds. To ensure that his legacy will live on, Okonkwo instills these values in his eldest son Nwoye by any means possible, even through abuse and alienation. The first major part of the story is an exhibition and explanation of various tribal customs, and describes Okonkwo's role in the special events and daily occurrences of life. Extremely detailed accounts of tribal processes in practically all aspects of life, from cooking to farming to law are given by Achebe. These descriptions are interesting to readers like me who have never been able to acquire much information about African culture, yet I was not able to relate or even sympathize with any of the characters. Okonkwo is the protagonist, but is a misogynist and narrow minded savage who is only able to command the respect and admiration of those around him through fear and violence. Other characters are either colorless and do not possess personalities that appeal to readers. Extremely simple language makes the novel far too easy to read, and makes the themes of the novel too obvious for readers.

What I despised most about this book was its sudden transition from relative calm to swift and destructive action following Okonkwo's accidental shooting of another tribe member. Okonkwo is punished by being exiled from his village and sent to live in his mother's village for seven years. Upon his return, Okonkwo finds his world turned upside down by the British settlers and their lifestyles, which contradict all of his values that he cannot compromise on, leading to his suicide. It is this overly quick change from an exposition of sorts to an actual plot that completely derails the reader and damages the novel. I feel that this novel fails to provide an adequate link between the two stages of the story, and that the two parts should have been completely separated into two different books. Only the second half the novel seems to have any actual plot, which proceeds too rapidly and without much explanation of the facts. The novel ends with an anticlimax, just as much of the book itself is sobering and disappointing, but this conclusion suits the story well and provides an appropriate ending situation for a novel on imperialism.

The amount of description of objects and scenes in this novel was remarkably vivid, as well as its explanation of tribal culture. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was that it provided interesting accounts of tribe life and the effects of imperialism on Africa. These qualities, however, pale in comparison to the bland and poorly structured story that Achebe has created, and the unappealing and cold characters that populate the novel. Critics have referred to Things Fall Apart as the quintessential African novel. This novel, however, has given me a poor image of African literature, and deserves to be read only by those who have the time required for progressing through its simpe language and unappealing plot.

This book has been sitting on my shelf as a TBR read for so long that I can't remember where or when I got it. But I'm glad I finally read it. I enjoyed reading about the traditions and customs as they were (not sugar coated to present a better image). To me, the story showed strengths and bonds of a people and how it can be broken by outside influences. I also saw a story of a man feeling one way within, yet displaying something else totally different, and fearing that his real feelings may be found out and he would be considered weak. That's something that can be transposed to any culture. Overall, this is tremendous read that kept me engaged the whole time.

Things Fall Apart, by noted author Chinua Achebe, is the fictional story of a family living in a small village, weathering and tolerating clan and religious traditions, until the coming of the British, who bring their own set of "clan" and religious traditions.

It's also a misogynistic tale full of anger and violence.

Achebe develops a story that has, as its key insult, to be called a woman. The reader is reminded of this over and over:

"That was why he had called him a woman. Okonkwo knew how to kill a man's spirit" (p. 26).

"No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man" (p. 53).

"If any one of you prefers to be a woman, let him follow Nwoye now while I am alive so that I can curse him" (p. 172).

"He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women" (p. 183).

There is an interesting story here, but the stories of the women are not just hidden and untold, but they are ground into kola nut paste. Frankly, Achebe is either not interested, or not able, to incorporate a female perspective in this tale. It is an ancient male fantasy of control and dominion. Beat the wife who is late with dinner. But she still exists 24/7. How can she be invisible?

The answer, I believe, lies in the location (Africa) and Achebe's creative period for this book (it was first published in 1959). If written today, it would be a different story. But the misogyny is still key. This is a story written by one who didn't understand women, even in 1959.

I wonder about its attraction today. Are we to pity the poor, "uncivilized" Africans? Are we to accept the deletion of women as significant in a community?

So... interesting, but irritating. Well-written, but brutal enough to lack "classic" status. This is not Africa, and even in the past, Africa was a big enough place that this tale didn't "speak" for all clans, tribes, and nations.

On the back cover, the promotional material states "Uniquely and richly African, at the same time it reveals Achebe's keen awareness of the human qualities common to men of all times and places." I don't think so.

I read Things Fall Apart as part of a survey course on African History. The writing style is simplistic but elegant, and Achebe's ability to craft a story is magnificent. I found it very difficult to put down, and will be reading it again soon.

Native of Nigeria, Africa, Chinua Achebe wrote his own masterpiece fictional novel entitled "Things Fall Apart," which took place in his own country during the 19th century. Achebe has used his own background of an African village to create an interesting story that gives unique perspective of the African life and culture. The book is broken into three parts which describe the main character, Okonkwo, and the lifestyle in his village, the arrival of the missionaries and their actions toward the villagers, and the last year of Okonkwo's life.

The first part of "Things Fall Apart" expresses the lifestyle of the African culture in the village of Umuofia where the main character, Okonkwo, had lived. This first part consists of thirteen chapters that reveal the life in Umuofia, the wives and children of Okonkwo, the life and death of Ikemefuna, and the beginning of Okonkwo's exile. The second part of this book focuses on the life of the exile in Mbanta, the village of Okonkwo's mother. It consists of six chapters which reveal Okonkwo and his family living with his mother's kinsmen in Mbanta, the visits from Obierika, the arrival of the missionaries, the conversion of Okonkwo's son, Nwoye, and the last year of Okonkwo's exile. The final part of the novel expresses the actions of the missionaries, the return of Okonkwo to Umuofia, and the death of Okonkwo. It consists of six chapters that reveal Okonkwo's attempts to urge the villagers to fight against the missionaries after his return, Mr. James' attempt to change the belief of the villagers, and a certain death of the villager.

There is great deal of symbolism and meanings being expressed from this unique novel, and it also expresses a fascinating perspective about African life and the impact of cultural imperialism.

The novel is quite enjoyable to read and gives one a food for thought.

I'm not the biggest fan of the novel: it works better in theory than as literature for me. Still, you might get another "read" through if you have this well read version in your car.

This book is an excellent read. I had to read this entire book as an class assignment for my English 102 and loved it. Loved it so much that I am now reading the next novel by Achebe for pleasure. I also plan to read all of his books in order of publication. "Things Fall Apart" really enlightened my awareness of this culture. Achebe is a great story teller. Who would have thought that a simple class assignment would turn into such an area of interest.

It is amazing how a novel first published in 1959 about a Nigerian village, pre-colonization, still has relevance today. Talk about transcending time as well as cultures! Chinua Achebe is a magnificent story teller. I love authors who have the ability to transport me to worlds that seem so different from my own.

Okonkwo was a man that was obsessed with masculinity and the "power" of being masculine. Although I could see how harsh, abusive, and unyielding Okonkwo was towards his family, oddly I felt sympathy for the man. He was the product of his environment and culture. Apparently his callousness was worsened because of his fear that he should become like his father ----- a man with no title, in his culture, the equivalent of being a woman.

How many of us struggle to balance the new with the old? And how often do we question or all out resist changing times.... be it attitudes or ideas, advancements in technology, religion, policies, music, etc. Most of us reach a certain age where we would prefer our traditions be left alone. In some instances there should be no room for compromise, but in other instances perhaps there truly is improvement/advancement to be gained.

Okonkwo's struggle is exactly that. He strives to leave behind a proud legacy. However, he makes bad decisions along the way. The more he tries to make things right the more it seems that misfortune comes his way. He's angered and confused about the changes that come upon his village but that combined with his pigheaded demeanor make for a disastrous result. It's a good book to take up beyond school required reading. Achebee gives his readers a great deal to consider.

My son had a senior project to do over the summer, he had to read this entire book and the first day back to school, he had a test on it, my son does not do well on reading, he can read great, but he has trouble remembering what he read, so I thought if he listened to it being read to him, he could follow along better, well he did, and he done well on his test and essay, I would recommend this product to anyone with similiar problems as my son has with reading.......

My son needed this book for school and we received in time for school. Great service!

I had to read this for my high school advanced English class. I regret ever having picked it up. I feel very lucky that my brain was not fried after reading The-book-that-should-not-be-named. In short, if you want to read a bizarre book about African people and yams, then read this book. If not, go read something else.

While the story itself is useful in giving a student the right mindset for African studies, the story itself lacks much of the marvel of other historically-based books. While the book is pointed towards lower-classmen in high school, the true audience should be college, where adults can completely analyze and idnetify the key points and emotions of the story.

This book is a total piece of junk, I have to read it because my college class. Just a story about a group of stupid people. The story talk about a stupid abusive man who murder a white guy for no reason then kill himself.

If you think it is a good book because it talk about white guy colonize black African.The reaction of those Africans are stupid too.

I am from Hong Kong when white guys colonize our city, everyone was happy and keep making more money.

Don't Buy this Book!

Such a simple novel, and yet so complete. You feel for the main character, even if you don't agree with him or his actions all the time. You see why the Christian mission has such appeal for outcasts in the community. And yet you mourn for the loss of the community. It makes you feel and see, from both sides.

I had to read this as required reading and it was so dumb. There are so many characters it is crazy. They all have African names so you can never tell them apart. This book was a waste of time. Very boring and pointless

In this fascinating book, three generations of a Nigerian tribal family are ruthlessly displayed. A feeble father grows old and is replaced by his stronger, wealthy son, Okonkwo. Okonkwo's son follows more after his artistic grandfather, although he has never met him. Eventually Okonkwo and his three wives and all his children are banished from their home. When they return nothing is the same. They've heard rumors of the white demons that have invaded their land, but now the strength of the devotion of their fellow native Nigerians is almost overwhelming. The real story is what follows and how the families and tribes work together in a newly developing Christian world.

"Things Fall Apart" is an amazing story of trial and triumph. It shows the strength of a people that we don't understand. Chinua Achebe is an amazing man who, through his writing, has given an ignorant nation, and world, insight into something that we don't understand. It shows the folly of white missionaries and how they have hurt the societies that they enter. It is an amazing book which everyone should read again and again.

This is one of the better books on African people, customs and rites I've read in a while. I did not enjoy the way women were treated, but it seems an honest portrayal. It is sad how the "missionaries" changed most of what Okonkwo believed in and worked all his life for. The plot, with the seven year exile, was a great element to show change to the village, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I thought the end was not really in line with Okonkwo' character of being a great warrier ... but I suppose dying the way he did was to show how far things had gone, that even a great warrior had given up. Well written, interesting and a quick read.

The title of this book was taken from the poem "The Second Coming" by Yeats. If you want to read this book or have already, take a look at the poem. It's an interesting connection to the story.

I've read this book in school twice. Once in high school and last year in college. I think this book is great. While reading it, you need to ask yourself: what exactly is the conflict here? The most obvious problem occurs more than halfway through the novel. So what exactly is the point of the beginning? Looking at the book this way helped me appreciate the story and the writing style.

This book is great.

Chinua Achebe at his best.
Things fall apart is a masterpiece. A prominent feature of bookstore shelves all over the world. It may be a bit deep for the non Nigerian but overall, this is a work of art. I don't know if I have said enough but it was truly my pleasure to have ever had the chance of ever reading such a book.

This book merges the African spirit of Alexander McCall Smith ("Lady's Detective Agency" series)with the prophetic rhapsody of Paolo Coelho ("The Alchemist") or Yann Martel("Life of Pi"). But, unlike the other books, this twists and turns you through a tangled web of the seemingly simple African natives (and their beliefs) and the white man's interpretation and treatment of the same when confronted by "progress."

Okonkwo, the main character -- whose manliness would be a leader in a hunter/gatherer world, or in the world of his farming land for annual survival -- is someone you admire and dislike. His strength is his weakness. He physicality conquers all challenges delivered to him. But, coming with his masculine heroics is a personality which commonly beats his spouse(s) and children.

His "heathen culture's" worshipping of many gods and honoring men with polygamist rewards may appear unforgivable to some - especially conservative Christian moralists. But, as this book succinctly and proficiently explains in narrative fashion how these people honor and worship their social mores, an anthropological analysis compels us to understand that these people hold the basic Judeo-Christian ethic, and have a strong justiciable system which actually surpasses many of those in our own "civilized" society.

The "golden rule" is the glue in which the village controls the behavior and morals of the inhabitants. The greatest example is the accidental death of a boy caused by the protagonist. Trial? No need. Blame? Not really. Penalty? Absolutely. Seven years of exile from the tribal clan - even though all understand he was not at fault. While gone, friends tilled his land and delivered his land's profits to he and tenant farmers. Amount of time for this application of justice: two days. And, we have always been taught that our civilized society depicts justiciable efficiency. In contrast, a British judicial ceremony involves the protagonist being heisted and hoodwinked by surreptitious deceit.

This book awakened an understanding of the tribe better than any other novel that I have read. The ending, which I will not covey as to do so would ruin the novel's effect, ties it all together.

I loved the style of writing. Short, choppy, and full of prophecies. African prophecy often reminds me of American Indian prophecy. Awkward in syntax, their prophecies poignantly and poetically describe solutions to what we perceive to be new issues. But, the appropriate application of a tribally carried prophecy for hundreds of years only tells us that the issue is not new and that resolution of the same is well known.

I can see why this book is highly regarded and can further understand why many colleges or universities require this novel for reading.

A book loaded with memorable characters, conflicts, and dialogues. Okonkwo, with his tragic persona, remains a character anybody, irrespective of culture, can identify with. Chinua Achebe has really set the standards for the modern African novel with this book. The Igbo culture and the impact of Christianity in African are some of the elements that coalesce in making this book one of the best novels of the twentieth century. Thought-provoking, captivating,and informative. Simply brilliant!! Only a gifted storyteller can pen such a work of creative imagination.
--Dike Okoro
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
USA

I was taken back how Things Fall Apart detailed the life of Igbo people. Usually a fiction book doesn't paint such a historically vivid picture. I think that's what makes the book so special. Besides the intriguing plot, there's so much one can learn about the African culture just by reading this book. However there's a learning curve. Achebe utilizes the diction of the Igbo people in order to make the story less `fictional'. Things Fall Apart is divided into three parts. The first part sets up the backdrop of the story (the customs, people, main characters, etc). The second part center's around Okonkwo's life outside the tribe. And the Three part deals with the coming of the Christian missionaries (white man), and the `conversion' of the Igbo peoples to Christianity.

This book fills in some of the missing history of the colonization of Africa.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
This novel is set in the Ibo homeland in what is now eastern Nigeria in the late 1800s/early 1900s. I read about three-quarters of the book before I began to appreciate it.

Up to then I'd disliked the main character, Okonkwo, an important person in the village whose major traits were harsh anger, pride and inflexibility, finding him one-sided and uninteresting. I felt the description was plodding and little of importance was happening, and wasn't greatly interested in the village life. Much of the novel was concerned mainly with his point of view, and his interactions with the other, relatively minor characters were unexciting. When a dramatic event occurred, such as his accidental shooting of a villager that led to his exile, it was described in a flat, undramatic tone that seemed inappropriate and puzzled me.

I couldn't help contrasting this novel unfavorably with another I happened to be reading, Palace Walk, by Naguib Mahfouz, with its complex, many-sided protagonist, the many other strongly developed people in his family, the dramatic interaction between them, and the rich world around them that was reasonably familiar.

It was only after reading some background material on the Internet that I could begin to understand how the novel aimed to recreate a vibrant culture that had existed before colonization, on its own terms, with its oral tradition, rituals and taboos, and guardian spirits, and show what had been lost. The focus on a period before colonization and the depiction of the whites as interlopers has been called innovative for its time. Likewise the use of language in the words of the villagers, instead of pidgin.

The conventional action came almost entirely in the last quarter of the book, when the encroaching missionaries, together with the trading culture and the colonizers' threat of force, begin to overwhelm the village. Although I can't say I identified with the main character even at the end, by then I could better appreciate the loss of the village culture.

Read this book if you want a deeper understanding of what came before Western colonialization and religion appeared in Africa. If more world leaders had read this book since its publication in the 1950s, there might have been fewer tragic results in the West's economic, political and cultural domination of traditional societies around the world.

Everyone to whom I have recommended this book has thanked me and passed on the good advice to others. Although the beginning to Chinua Achebe's novel can feel slow, and the names difficult to pronounce, make the effort to write your own character chart and follow the narrative through to the end. Your reward will be days, weeks, even months of deeper thinking about the results of "inevitable" change. There are no easy answers here, only deeper understanding and healthy nuance.

I was loaned this book by a Kenyan friend of mine. Anyone who wants to know more about western Africa should start here. The terse prose reminds me a lot of Hemingway. I bought two copies: the fancy one to give as a gift to my friend and the paperback to keep in my own library. This is one of the few books I will pass along to my progeny. It is that important.

I've read this book because students in my school are forced to read it and I was curious to find out why teenagers do not like to read. Now I understand. I can barely give this book 2 stars. The book is divided in 3 parts, being the first one the longer and more focused on the life of Okonkwo, the main character of this book. As a document to understand the Igbo culture, this may work. As a piece of fiction, a novel, literature, this does not work at all. Achebe is one of the main opponents of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, but what Achebe forgets is that Heart of Darkness is still today a classic, one of the best books written in the English language, despite his controversial depiction of the peoples of Congo. When I read a book I want to be told a good story. And a good story is written with words. One must master the art of writing prior to tell us a story. To me, Achebe lacks of that. On the contrary, Conrad is a masterful writer. I also wanted to say that it is a contradiction to me that Achebe chose to write his book in English. If he is so mad at the English who invaded his home land, he should have the pride, courage and integrity to write the book in his own language. If the book was good, it would have been translated. The best thing in this book are the verses from W.B. Yeats at the beginning of the book, from his poem "The Second Coming". After these four verses, the book has no interest. If I was an English teacher in High School, I would have my students read Conrad instead of Achebe. Perhaps more teenagers would be hooked with reading.

It is a beautiful piece of writing. Even though, the main character, Okonkwo, seems to be a mean and a tough guy from the outside; he still holds his passionate beliefs about his own tribe tradition. One thing he might have done immorally wrong is when he kills his step-son, Ikemefuna. But it is not only his fault because the tribe's leaders are involved in wanting to get rid of the boy. Another immoral example is the abandonment of twins. I believe that there is no culture that is better than others, but in this case, killing the innocents is not a moral thing. I do not agree with the tribe tradition of believing in evil sprits in the twins. I think the story is heart touching. Okonkwo who tries to fight for his beliefs and his tribe's values and traditions. They may not develop great economic stragegies or great innovations, but they are living in a spiritual way without damaging too much of the environment. Different people have different values of life.

The main thrust of Things Fall Apart is that with the arrival of the two pronged partnership of Christianity and the Colonial administration indigenous African polity entered a new phase of cultural conflict.

In Part 1 and Part 2 of Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe masterly sketched the village Umofia and its people and Okonkwo, the main actor, prior to the arrival of the Christian missionary as a time of cultural groupings of indigenous peoples ensconced by their traditions and taboos. The author's portrayal of life's economies of separation of duties, family relations and strong men sharing the invigorating cola nut and the eternal responsibility of the head of the family to be the provider for his house and hearth is a classical masterpiece. In all pre-modern civilizations a marriage is a bonding between clans and family groups - Achebe handled these subjects with style and insight and finesse. The funeral scene and clamor and mystique around a person of title are vividly described. Self-exile in case of breaking a tribal taboo is an age-old cultural "right thing to do" whether it is a Moses the Jew or the Greek philosopher or Okonkwo.

Chinua Achebe is through his storytelling describing the overlapping and socio-spatial configurations of a highly developed cultural tradition and economy of life. Bophelo is a difficult word to translate directly into English but it means something like "abundant and healthy and fulfilling life." Bophelo is conceived as residing in a series of social organisms that constitute society with encompassing social relationships - the person as embedded in the family hierarchy and simultaneously in a socially constructed geographic space. Okonkwo's homestead is located in a specific village as part of a wider kinsmen-group. The village is sustained by an overriding communal spirituality and beliefs. Okonkwo's personal identity, his being and his wellbeing is inextricably bound up with a particular social and geographic space. Chinua Achebe is masterly defining context of Okonkwo's identity and social location. The machismo Okonkwo's life is dominated by anger and apprehension, especially when his oldest son is intrinsically attracted to poetry and storytelling and he wished his daughter to be a boy.

In Part 3 of Things Fall Apart we see "a clash of civilizations". In the story of Okonkwo his whole world starts crumbling when his eldest son Nwoye is extricated from his father's Bophelo. It is not the faith of the Christians but the poetry of the new religion that has captivated Nwoye. Not only his eldest son but also other of his village are proselytes of the new faith and the new order. And this is where things fell apart.

Things Fall Apart is a master piece in the age-old tradition of story telling in the African lore.

I read this book for a 200-level college literature class and thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book gives us an idea of what people in Africa are like, how people act, its culture, etc. Well, the thing I didn't like much about this book is is that it doesn't tell us the things in the book. The author wrote it for his own people, not for us. Example: when people visit each other they eat kola nut. But what does the kola nut represent? The author does not tell us, so we have to look it up. There are also certain things characters in the book does that we don't know why. So knowing the background of African culture will definitely help you understand this book.

Anyway, I found this book as more of an "African Litterature made easy." I learned how people in Africa lived, what they did, what they believed in, that sort of thing. It was also an interesting story about how a man named Okonkwo, who fears failure through his whole life, led to this downfall.

Coming in as review #120+ there is likely little I can say that has not already been said. But here are my two cents...

Achebe's masterful work operates on so many levels that some may find it a confusing or challenging read. Stick with it. At the foundational level, the book offers a window into the very heart of a Nigerian tribe, its people, relationships, beliefs and customs. Layered above the foundation, the story offers a personal connection, with the reader seeing in the protagonist, Okonkwo, one's own faults, strengths and insecurities. Higher still is the overarching level of the insidious and arrogant invasion of the 'white man'.

Achebe interweaves these and a multitude of other layers together to produce a work that is as relevant today as it was when he wrote it as it would have been in the days of Nigerian tribal life. The folly of expectations of self, one's children, family and 'tribe' are on display to remind each of us of the importance of real values, real love, and living for 'what is', not, what 'should be'.