I have been reading this book for about 3 weeks and I am finally done. I read it for my high school english class, which made me hate it at first. I despise over-analyzing literature in a school setting. It is absolutely dreadful, and it is doing nothing to increase the number of kids who enjoy reading (which is basically none). But despite the numerous class discussions I was forced to have on it, I actually thought this book was pretty good.
It has it’s faults, believe me, and a large portion of the novel was boring. But I liked the overall plot. And I really liked how the characters, particularly the main character Okonkwo, developed. And I liked the way it ended.
But many parts, like I said, were lacking. The book is the anti-thesis of Heart of Darkness, which is basically a racist novel about the colonizing of Africans. Things Fall Apart, however, shows the other side of the colonizing. It is from the point of view of the Igbo people, showing their customs and all the amazing parts of their culture that the Europeans in Heart of Darkness called “savage,” or “primitive.” And while the author did an excellent job showing this culture, I found myself unable to sympathize with them as much as I was intended to. Maybe that’s just me being an ignorant and narrow-minded American though. Who knows.
So if you are a fan of African culture, definitely read this. If not, you should still read it. But don’t expect anything amazing. Aim for somewhat enjoyable and fairly interesting.
Recommended To: Someone looking for a quick read (it would be quick if I hadn’t had to read at the pace of my incompetent English peers)
Rate: 7/10
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