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aallen564's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
afterttherain's review against another edition
4.0
read for Indonesian lit - had interesting perspectives and a lot of history knowledge, one of those "know the context" books. pace super fast though.
abickersreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
cantonchillifightclub'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
adrianagoycoolea's review
2.0
2.5 stars-anthropological but has very little plot for majority of the book.
My largest complaint is that the lead up to the conflict takes up the majority of the book. I don’t have a problem with long, detailed, and drawn out introductions, but in a 200 page book, 150 pages of scene setting is not for me. Perhaps If the synopsis didnt paint the book to be about colonial deconstruction of already existing societies, I wouldn’t have had as much of a problem with it, but the crux of the book felt rushed and glazed over.
I did enjoy the snippets of folklore and myth that played a role in the tribes religion and daily practices. These are not pieces of information you learn in your 8th grade history class. However, when the Christian missionaries were introduced, the detail of inhumanity and subordination toward the people already living on the land felt watered down and nothing more than what a middle school or early high-school world history class might cover. From a Nigerian author, I would’ve expected the coverage to be represented more authentically.
The ending of this book saved it. In the final paragraph after Okonkwu had taken his life, switching perspectives was just brilliant. The lack of humanity and sensitivity was truly horrific and perfectly epitomized the white-man’s view of the peoples they were colonizing:
“The story of this man who had killed a messenger and hanged himself would make interesting reading. One could almost write a whole chapter on him. Perhaps not a whole chapter but a reasonable paragraph, at any rate. There was so much else to include, and one must be firm in cutting out details. He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger”
My largest complaint is that the lead up to the conflict takes up the majority of the book. I don’t have a problem with long, detailed, and drawn out introductions, but in a 200 page book, 150 pages of scene setting is not for me. Perhaps If the synopsis didnt paint the book to be about colonial deconstruction of already existing societies, I wouldn’t have had as much of a problem with it, but the crux of the book felt rushed and glazed over.
I did enjoy the snippets of folklore and myth that played a role in the tribes religion and daily practices. These are not pieces of information you learn in your 8th grade history class. However, when the Christian missionaries were introduced, the detail of inhumanity and subordination toward the people already living on the land felt watered down and nothing more than what a middle school or early high-school world history class might cover. From a Nigerian author, I would’ve expected the coverage to be represented more authentically.
The ending of this book saved it. In the final paragraph after Okonkwu had taken his life, switching perspectives was just brilliant. The lack of humanity and sensitivity was truly horrific and perfectly epitomized the white-man’s view of the peoples they were colonizing:
“The story of this man who had killed a messenger and hanged himself would make interesting reading. One could almost write a whole chapter on him. Perhaps not a whole chapter but a reasonable paragraph, at any rate. There was so much else to include, and one must be firm in cutting out details. He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger”
tylerouthouse's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.5
viksquires's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition
Another one to revisit. Hardly remember it :/
What I do remember best is the fact Achebe almost lost the manuscript... or it was lost and he had to rewrite it... can't even get my anecdotes straight.
What I do remember best is the fact Achebe almost lost the manuscript... or it was lost and he had to rewrite it... can't even get my anecdotes straight.