Things Fall Apart (Macmillan Reader) by Chinua Achebe, John Davey Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Things Fall Apart (Macmillan Reader)
Book Review: A Cultural Awakening
Summary: 5 Stars
Okonkwo epitomized a die-hard African traditionalist with a firm conviction in the destiny of his people, yet a man who failed to accept the inevitable changes in his world. Things fall apart exposes us to the culture of the Ibo people of Nigeria and brings out the characters to the understandable to the reader. In our own little ways, we are like Okonkwo, caught in a world where we have little influence. The lesson is that No matter how powerful we are, we should not impose our wills on others, especially a will that reflects our egos and not the interest of humanity. Clash of cultures is what this book tells us about. Just as in THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES, NO LONGER AT EASE,THE OLD MAN AND THE MEDAL, TRIPLE AGENT DOUBLE CROSS, one gets a better idea of what Africans and other native peoples went through after being left with no choice but to accept the values and laws of the foreign powers that came into their lives.
Book Review: watch it guys
Summary: 3 Stars
buy the real version before this.....thats if you want it for an adult.this version is way too simple and lacks the verve which is packed in the original version.Book Review: from Keyne Readers
Summary: 5 Stars
There was unanimous agreement in our Book Group that we had all enjoyed this book. We mostly came to it not knowing what to expect, and enjoyed the perspective it gave us into a completely different society and way of life.
The way in which the first part of the book was written helped us to see how the tribal system worked and what the old beliefs were, it made us a part of the village and you saw life through their eyes and their values. It enabled you to accept, for instance, the polygamy, the treatment of women, and the killing of twin children without condemnation. It was this description of the tribal life that helped us to see, in the second part, what a devastating effect the arrival of the missionaries had on the tribe and how it gradually divided them and changed their way of life for ever.
Okonkwo makes an unusual 'hero' or main character. We sympathise with his continual fight against his childhood circumstances, but this makes him ignore advice, arrogant, and unnecessarily brutal. He sees himself as cerebral, regarding passion as a weakness, so it is when he does demonstrate love and passion it stands out more starkly.
Chielo the priestess is interesting, both a well-known and loved village member, but also the oracle at the cave. Both with her, and with the egwugwu spirits of the ancestors, the villagers show an amazing ability to suspend disbelief.
We thought that the building of the missionaries' church on the ground of the evil spirits was a clever device which allowed the 'white man' to demonstrate the weakness of the traditional religion. Nevertheless the end took us all by surprise, nothing had prepared you for it, as by this time you had identified with the life of the villagers. It was made even more poignant when you realised that the story would only merit a paragraph in the Commissioner's book.
Book Review: A Must Read
Summary: 4 Stars
When I got this book at first I wasn't really looking forward to it. How my opinion has changed! A fascinating book that is not only hard to put down, but will only get better with re-reading.
Ok, there aren't that many positive characters in the book, but there are many that you will be able to identify with and that is what a good book produces. Put simply, the best book I've read in ages!
Book Review: what is everyone going on about?
Summary: 1 Stars
this has to be one of the worst books i have ever read! i found it thoroughly boring from the start as it seemed to want repeat itself several times, and have the vocabulary of a three year old. altogether i would not have read it had i not been forced to due to educational requirements.