Total Page : 215
Publisher : McDowell Obolensky
Publication Date : 1959
>> Slow but necessary
I had read some reviews that complained that the first part of this novel was very slow paced and that the later part where the actual plot of the story developed too quickly I happen to feel that the pacing of the story was perfect The first half had to spend a lot of time with the characters to acclimate the reader to this society that Okonkwo lives The story is titled Things Fall Apart and like in real life tragedy tends to strike quickly Your idea of day to day life and what is considered normal can drastically change within a short period of time This is exactly what happens to Okonkwo in this novel While the novel takes place in pre colonial Nigeria a world even most modern day Nigerians may not be familiar with the characters were very real to me I can definitely relate to the main character He is essentially a father who has worked hard all his life to gain what he has To gain what his current society deems as important He is someone who simply wants what he feels is best for his son and the rest of his family Unfortunately the world he grew up in has changed What was important is not now what is best for his son is not necessarily what Okonkwo feels is important Okonkwo is sometimes a stubborn and violent man but who hasn t known or met a person like this guy I have to admit the story does start out slow but it s just so you can get to know the people before the story begins In fact without the introduction it would be impossible to understand the tragedy that occurs later on
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>> A strong novel despite a highly unlikeable main character
Things Fall Apart is a remarkably simple straight forward told story about a hard and rough man living in a remote village in Africa The story begins years before missionaries enter the landscape and begin to change the culture and customs of the land The novel tells us of life before and after the missionaries came
Although the novel is mostly about rituals beliefs and history around this important period in Africa it chooses to follow a very strong and unlikable character as its main focus His name is Okonkwo He came from a lazy father who he hated and is spite of that laziness and hatred of his father Okonkwo becomes a hard working and ambitious leader in the clan of his village
Okonkwo is not a good man He beats his wife and kids regularly He is a beast with a fierce temper but he is also a very respected throughout the village
On a night of grieving Okonkwo accidentally shoots another clan member and is cast out for seven years with his family to his mother s homeland Then the missionaries begin coming into the village during his absence Okonkwo later disowns his son when he becomes friendly with the missionaries who Okonkwo despises
He returns back to his old village to find nothing is the same The white man and his religion have changed everything This isn t a book about flowery description and at times is very skeletal in its description but it moves along briskly with its story There is never any emotional attachment that we develop with any of these characters The characters seem to be mere vessels to carry the ideas and themes of the novel which really is about the vast differences between cultures and the connections that can unite or divide us
I found the novel very good because it made me think about these ideas At times I wondered how anyone could believe such things and there are some odd cultural practices but then I realized that these people might also think my beliefs just as strange as theirs The book is simple and interesting
It is no masterpiece though I believe the main problem with the book lies with the main character Okonkwo himself I felt no pity in his demise even if some understanding remained for his firm beliefs and his fight to hold on to what he felt sacred
Even with great ideas and cultural beliefs I can t think a book is great unless I feel some connection to the characters and with Things Fall Apart I just couldn t I just couldn t stand Okonkwo
Don t get me wrong I still highly recommend the book for the interesting ideas that one can dissect and discuss I felt it would have had a stronger main character it could have been much stronger and might even have lifted it to a level of greatness
Grade B
