Reviews tagging 'War'

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

26 reviews

lief_'s review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, and War

Minor: Slavery

ashar_allaire's review against another edition

challenging informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is stunning writing. The more I think about this book the more my rating goes up. We follow a deeply unsympathetic man to his eventual undoing, which should feel deserved but that clean cut ending, that want to think each person is solely responsible for their own destruction, that this would not have happened if not for his own actions and unwavering ego, is ripped away by the pure evil that brought about that undoing. This happened to everyone regardless of how they lived their lives, it could not have been prevented so it can't feel deserved. You are left in deep mourning for all the characters surrounding him, instead of feeling justice for them. You feel the tragedy of all those he hurt happen along with him. There's triumph in most stories when the person who caused those around him pain is "defeated," but these characters are not safer or happier now in any way. They get the same, if not a worse fate. Nothing about this is fair. You feel the loss of control. You feel the fear of destruction. The loss of family. I do feel the author set up themes that were left largely unexplored, especially when it comes to sexism, which got briefly touched upon and then abandoned. I find myself wanting more, which is what keeps this from being a 5 star, but damn, incredible book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Slavery, Suicide, and War

lukereads17's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Gore, Suicide, and War

There is a description of the mutilation of a dead infant. It’s short, but it took me by surprise and was disturbing.

bites_of_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Things Fall Apart is fiction but truly read like nonfiction at times, in a good way. I felt like all the characters were real and that made me feel even more for them as the story went on. Okonkwo is a complex character, a strong-willed man, proud of his heritage, and willing to do anything to protect all he cares about. The ending saddened me deeply, I have no words for that but I will say that it will stay with me for a long time.

I highly recommend, do take care and check content warnings though, not an easy read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

achi1's review

dark inspiring medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The book started a bit slow but I started to really enjoy it halfway through. Very interesting plot that reads like oral history from an elder. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Suicide, Violence, and War

rica014's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, and War

abmochapman's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

“A man's life from birth to death, was a series of transition rites which brought him nearer and nearer to his ancestors.”

Things Fall Apart remains a literary masterpiece almost three decades since its release. At first slow and meandering, offering a survey of Igbo culture prior to the devastation of British forces, this novel shows just how quickly and suddenly a people can be made to fall apart when faced with colonial rule and violence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation, and War

eleek0609's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War

themissyreads's review against another edition

challenging informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Look up trigger warnings.
I had to sit with this one a while because i knew i loved the first half (5/5) but wasn’t sure how i felt about the second. A big narrative shift happens. Most of the plot of the first half happens in the course of a couple of weeks or months at most. The second half covers ~10 years and the time skips and exposition is such that we lose contact with characters and their relationships which does mirror the effect of colonialism on the community. I get *why* in that sense, but parts of the second half felt rushed and maybe underdeveloped where the first half was SO illustrative and intimate. So I didnt enjoy the second half as much. I took my time, annotated, took notes on the first half but made almost no marks in the second, if that tells you anything. I’d still reccomend, its a quick read just definitely mot your Why Colonialism is Bad 101 bc thats not what the book is going for. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, and War

nkmustdie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation