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We were supposed to read in school a few years ago but I didn't and basically just bullshitted my way through because I was playing Red Dead Redemption all the time instead.

I have decided to dutifully complete my education. Has anyone else read this? Am I supposed to hate the main character, because I do. I really really do. It's very well written though, I can see why it's a classic.

Lol.

It thinks people read.

I've heard of Things Fall Apart and am vaguely aware of what it's about. I'm getting some things sorted in my life right now that will allow me to do a lot more reading soon, and have a place to download it if someone can endorse it further than 'teenager hates protagonist'.

I read it last year and absolutely hated reading the book. Not that I have anything against the topic it's about, I just hated the filler chapters full of the main character beating his wives and children. Too much filler and not enough actual plot, you know?

Gotta establish the beauty and dignity of the way of life that whitey destroys.

Gower said it's a great book so I've got it here and I'm gonna start it.

I've been wanting an evening just to chill and read for like a month now. Yes I should be thinking of work and in bed by now, but I have enough caffeine to defy your mortal sleep.

I read this months ago and would've liked to talk about it, what's @Ineffable been doing besides getting married. Always with the excuses around here.

It's really a testament to how immersive the writing is that you just get sucked so completely into the culture and particularly Okonkwo's POV. It's established very early on that even from the perspective of his neighbors he's a bit of an unfeeling asshole, and from our view someone who did the things he did would straight up be a villain. The book doesn't try to pussyfoot around what he did to his adopted son, or the ugliness in some of the other traditions even while painting this vivid and cozy portrait of daily life. I never got the sense the author was trying to preach at me, which is pretty rare with this kind of story. Okonkwo is a complex figure with some glaring personality flaws, and the fact the book isn't trying to set him up as some martyr makes it all the more believable.

Got a nice physical copy and I'm intending to reread it when time isn't at such a premium. I think the most impressive thing may be how layered it is as a character study. We see Okonkwo as he sees himself, then as his fellow tribe members see him, as his family sees him and then finally the mere curiosity and footnote he is from the perspective of the Bri'ish.

The only thing that felt off was how much repeated focus was put on his daughter, only to have it all lead to zero plot relevance. And the same with the witch doctor. We were told that she was in large part responsible for the event that happened earlier, but after that was established it never came up again or had any explanation when she showed up in later scenes. (It always feels really entitled being nitpicky about a classic masterpiece like this of course, but those both stuck out to me in the way they felt like dropped plot threads.)

Also, I have wanted to try making foofoo since I read this.

It was clearly not the best book of my life.