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Summary: this book fell apart
Review: Having read this in college for a humanities class on the American experience, I only managed to get through it because I had to. If this story is representative of Nigerian culture, I have no empathy for them. I found this story went no where, there were no real accomplishments done by the main character, his could have check in to an asylum for a year, dealt with his tribal issues, what he missed out on as a kid, came back to his tribe and really made a difference with his people. Instead, we just see some ones life that just gets worse.In retrospect, the story lived up to it's name.
Rating: 
Summary: Falling Apart all Over again...
Review: This book is a foreshadowing of what is to become of the entire human race; maybe not quite worthy of a full chapter in the history books of some future race, but maybe a nice paragraph.
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Summary: This book is two-faced - I like it!
Review: This book is special because the meaning doesn't actually hit the reader until moments after putting the book down. Chinua Achebe seems to spend a lot of time ostracizing Okonkwo, the main character of this story. He spends less than half of the book on he colonization. When I had finished reading this book, somehing hit me - Okonkwo was a tragic hero. We learn his idiocencrecies and at first he annoys us, but then Achebe adds an obstacle so great into Okonkwo's path that diminishing such an obstacle would place Okonkwo in the hero status. Anywa, I've talked too much. THis eas a great book.
Rating:
Summary: a good book with important cultural themes
Review: At first look the reader wonders why the author spent such an unbalanced amount of the book talking only of the culture of this African tribe compared to the actual conflict of the book, European colonialism. But then I realized that Achebe was allowing the reader to get completely aquainted with the traditions of Okonkwo and his tribe and to see the effects of colonialism on their side. Instead of seeing the Africans through white men's eyes, we get a great chance to discover their beliefs and traditions and also see how invading of their lands affected them. A major theme in this book is identity, an aspect that plays an important role throughout the history. People are always fighting to keep their identity, whether it be through nationalism or religion or ethnicity. This universal theme holds true in Things Fall Apart as the people of Umuofia try to deal with the Christian missionaries. This is a very good book.
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Summary: Wonderful story and cultural lesson
Review: This is a great story. My only complaint is that it was too short! This book tells a good, fast-moving story but is also a wonderful study of clashing cultures. Many of the world's cultures are disappearing as they become westernized. We need more stories like this so that we have something to remember.
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Summary: Changes that came to Umofia were a priceless loss.
Review: The African novel things fall apart, is a very unique view on the clan. The view of the clan that is. All to many times are we given the one sided view that is of the "white man" but Chinua's novel gave a inside look on feelings and thoughts of this already civilized clan. This is a great book one for the mind. Only an author as well rounded as chinua could acomplish shuch a task as to pull out and cleary explain the soul of the clan. Probly beacause he was born in nigera in an ibo village. This is one of the best books I have ever read and would recomend it to anybody! Josh Arnold
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Summary: The best book my teacher ever made me read
Review: Things fall apart is a great novel that brought me so much more intune to the African culture and how it slowly began to deminsh when Christians came to "educate." My AP English teacher made me read this, and now, 3 years later, I still remember the sad story of a great man/s fall from promince. The novel remains in my mind and heart. My children will read this book to learn about a lost culture and how in life, "Things Fall Alpart"
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Summary: A Jerry Springer Show of a Novel!!
Review: I am a high school senior and I feel that Cinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart is a very well written novel. I enjoyed it very much. I do feel that it has the content for a Jerry Springer Show!!! Lots of interesting turn of events, for Okonkwo, the major character
Rating:
Summary: Brutally honest and non-compromising
Review: I suppose that I am not a typical fan of Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall Appart" considering I had to read it in 10th grade and then write an essay about it. Yet something about this book captivated me. The beginning of the novel may seem strange and was unfortunately misconstrued by many of my classmates as "boring" and "weird". But as the story goes on and we dvelve deeper into the psyche of the main character, Okonkwo, we are presented with a fascinating story of a man struggling to cope with the changes in his society. These changes, and perhaps more accurately his refusal to adhere to them, is what leads to Okonkwo's demise. I was especially impressed with Achebe's ending which is brutally honest and uncompromising. Achebe's characterization of Okonkwo is so involved and complete that we the reader know that his demise amidst these changes in his society is inevitible.
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Summary: a real novel!
Review: Some reviewers have made comments that they did not like the first half/three-fourths of the book because it had no plot and it was mostly just cultural filler. That is true, except it serves perfectly as the basis of the form of a true NOVEL. The whole opening is to show you exactly how alien this culture is. It also paints one of the most richly drawn characters ever, Okonkwo, into a vast canvas full of tense customs. Everything is looking up for both the main character and the tribe, Umuofia (the second most important character). Then things just fall apart, hence the high arc of the story. I really liked the way this novel took everything like a grain of salt. So much happens, and yet it is all just tiny additions to Okonkwo's and the tribe of Umuofia's tragic life.
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