Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a tragic novel of the senseless deterioration of one man’s power, dignity, and eventually, life. It tells the story of a proud African leader and his family. When British missionaries invade their village in hopes of converting its people to Christianity, as the title suggests, things begin to fall apart. A man who was once respected and revered in his community is now forced to give up everything and shamefully retreat into obscurity, thanks to the onslaught of his alien oppressors. The novel underscores the disastrous effects that negative social relations between countries can spur. What happened to the village was more than mere misunderstanding, however. It is the primitive prejudices harbored against an innocent race that led to the eventual downfall of an entire village. The novel’s urgent message has run true through centuries, as history poignantly tends to repeat itself. It should be read and analyzed by all who comprehend the global magnitude of such blatant social catastrophes, and for those that don’t, this is a great place to start.
Reviewed by Tigran K.
Montrose Library
Comments
This book is really fascinating! You go through so much emotion. Everyone has a father, a father who strives to maintain his family no matter the cost of his actions. A heart warming and heart pumping novel. I recommend Things Fall Apart to everyone, to fathers to sons. A novel to be remembered.
Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 12
Glendale Central Library
Despite the fact that the book was published in 1958, the language is really easy to comprehend and the vocabulary is simple to understand. I would recommend Achebe's most famous work to anyone who would like to know more about history, customs, traditions, and etc., which are brilliantly incorporated into the book. I really sympathized with the characters and felt sad after the ending. If you are in high school (9/10/11th grades), I do recommend reading the book, as you will find it really useful on the AP English Literature and Composition test (most of which include prompts on Things Fall Apart). Happy reading!
Reviewed by Henry G., Grade 11
Pacific Park Library
Things Fall Apart does a great job showing off an African lifestyle before British control. I found it interesting how they lived and all of their customs. If you like historic novels and really want the raw truth on what happened during that period of time. This is the perfect book for you. The major problem with the book is that Okonkwo isn't the greatest guy, which makes it hard for you to try to believe in him. He does some questionable acts to prove his loyalty to his village that most people probably wouldn't do.
Reviewed by CC, Grade 12
Glendale Central Library
This book was interesting as a lot of the vocabulary was related to Igbo culture. I learned a lot about Igbo culture through the readings, however the story was very bland in the terms of it felt slow to its build up. Okonkwo, the main character, grew impatient as the book continued and it felt like it took a while to get the entire story done. However it does seem interesting towards the start so I would partially recommend this book
Reviewed by E.N., Grade 12
Casa Verdugo Library