Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

40 reviews

colittle's review

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, War, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Suicide, Ableism, Slavery, Racism, Animal death, and Blood

yasmiiine's review

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child death and Misogyny

mmiirrpp's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative

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

5.0

I recommend also reading Achebe's essay "Africa's Tarnished Name" to get more context on his motivations behind writing this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Colonisation, Death, Racism, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Child death

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Miscarriage and Grief

kshy's review

dark informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Child death, Animal death, Physical abuse, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

maithaalfalasi's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Misogyny and Domestic abuse

Minor: Religious bigotry

afion's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, and Colonisation

Moderate: Murder and Suicide

librarymouse's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

I read this for a post-colonial literature class, and I'm glad I read it. It was refreshing to read this after reading Heart of Darkness. It's consumable in its vocabulary and narrative form. 
Split into three parts, Things Fall Apart tells the life story of Okonkwo. It starts with his rise of Okonkwo, from being the son of a disgraced, effeminate, untitled man to being one of the strongest and most respected me of Umuofia. Parts II and III track a the stagnation of that rising trajectory as the novel confronts the disgrace and stagnation of Okonkwo’s life and legacy, and finally the fall of Okonkwo in his inability to adapt to the changes brought about by colonial occupation. Telling the story of colonization as one of atrocities committed against a community working to preserve their heritage, Achebe inverts the false narrative often taught in Western schools about colonization as progress towards enlightenment. The characters are not always likable, but they portray a reality that has been suppressed by the dominant narrative for the better part of two centuries.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Gore, Suicide, Death, Violence, Genocide, Gun violence, Murder, Child death, and Colonisation

witchythey's review

reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

this is an excellent narrative, beautifully woven. it tells the story of a man whose life is fueled by anger and power, but who is clearly tamping down some very tender emotions. his relationship with his daughter ezinma was one of my favorite dynamics in the book; the gender roles within their family are so interesting and complicated. achebe beautifully illustrates the village's rich cultural and religious traditions, as well as okonkwo's place within those systems. the book grapples with many serious topics and the elders often offer timeless wisdom. this was a very enjoyable and thought provoking read, if a bit dark

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Suicide, War, Racism, Violence, Child death, Colonisation, Gun violence, Infertility, and Murder

allysllvn's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

I found this book really interesting and intriguing. There’s many heavy topics, but how they were handled and seen in the community was interesting. The ending is as definitely… something. It was jarring and sudden, but I believe that was the point, even if it felt as if the ending had been broken off to me. Overall, I enjoyed reading it :).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Suicide

Moderate: Colonisation, Death, War, Infertility, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Blood

Minor: Gore, Animal death, and Gun violence

dank_pikachu's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Infertility, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Miscarriage, Murder, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Suicide, Sexism, Racism, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, and Child abuse