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nayha_w's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lindseyzank's review against another edition
5.0
Achebe proves yet again that traditional tribal beliefs have a place in African modernity. A tragic, yet beautiful story of the effects of power in postcolonial Africa.
aidanfordays's review against another edition
4.0
This is a tough one to rate.
On the one hand, it was a challenging read with no particular “set up”. You just get dropped right in to figure stuff out for yourself. There is also the challenge of multiple narrators, names, and jobs to keep track of.
On the other hand, it was deep and showed a snapshot of a fictional yet real life that people live in Africa or other places with unstable governments. It felt alive and personal and Achebe knows how to weave a wonderful story.
I’d recommend it but take your time and don’t be afraid to look stuff up to get things straight.
On the one hand, it was a challenging read with no particular “set up”. You just get dropped right in to figure stuff out for yourself. There is also the challenge of multiple narrators, names, and jobs to keep track of.
On the other hand, it was deep and showed a snapshot of a fictional yet real life that people live in Africa or other places with unstable governments. It felt alive and personal and Achebe knows how to weave a wonderful story.
I’d recommend it but take your time and don’t be afraid to look stuff up to get things straight.
florenceassetto's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
i REALLY liked this book and i most definitely did it a disservice by taking so long to read it over! getting into it was hard at first, i will admit, but once i was into it i just LOVED it so very much and i would recommend this book so many times over!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Police brutality
Minor: Colonisation
accioemilia's review against another edition
3.0
This book has many, many flaws. Upon writing my paper for class about Beatrice, I have found some clarity with some aspects of the book I believed were outright flaws.
I still hate the beginning but I really do like the characters in this book. They have a lot of heart.
Full review soon.
I still hate the beginning but I really do like the characters in this book. They have a lot of heart.
Full review soon.
hakkun1's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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? Yes
3.75
zapmirelle's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Despite not knowing much about African history, I found it impressive to see how Achebe weaves so many extraliterary elements, intertextual references, and images of African mythology together to create a strong fictional story about power and its corruptive potential.
I also enjoyed how the novel retakes the oral tradition and places a strong highlight on storytelling, focusing on the perspective of different characters while contrasting African and Western aspects such as religion, language, and identity.
Although the novel can be observed as a catalogue of African history, it is a commentary on colonization in general. While the notion of the uwa t'uwa "a world inside a world without end" (addressed in the text) can work as a reference to the Chinese box narrative structure and the concept of the infinite loop, I see it as a synonym for the phrase "history repeats itself" which in my opinion adds even more depth to the author's political critique.
Reading this book made me learn a lot and now I look forward to educating myself on this subject more in the near future.
I also enjoyed how the novel retakes the oral tradition and places a strong highlight on storytelling, focusing on the perspective of different characters while contrasting African and Western aspects such as religion, language, and identity.
Although the novel can be observed as a catalogue of African history, it is a commentary on colonization in general. While the notion of the uwa t'uwa "a world inside a world without end" (addressed in the text) can work as a reference to the Chinese box narrative structure and the concept of the infinite loop, I see it as a synonym for the phrase "history repeats itself" which in my opinion adds even more depth to the author's political critique.
Reading this book made me learn a lot and now I look forward to educating myself on this subject more in the near future.
hollasan's review against another edition
4.0
How this marvellous book went unread and just sat on my shelf for over 6 years is beyond me.