Customer Reviews

Chinua Achebe's: Things Fall Apart -- A Routledge Study Guide (Routledge Guides to Literature)

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I bought this in an attempt to help my sister with an English project, but it is not the actual novel and instead was a discussion of the original work and other works seen to be related to Achebe's, "Things Fall Apart." I was very disappointed in that there was no indication of it not being the real story, as translations and edited versions of books often have another person's name tacked on it. Hopefully the actual version of the book will make it to Kindle, but for now only the printed edition is available.

I too was very disappointed in finding out only after purchasing that this was not the actual book. Being my very first purchase I felt that this description was very misleading. I certanly hope that kindle recognizes this as a problem as I find it hard to believe that I just happened upon the one and only misrepresented book description. Now back to the users guide to find out how and even if I can receive a refund for the purchase of this book. Buyers beware.

I almost bought this book thinking it was the original "Things Fall Apart", had I not read the reviews. I am disappointed that the book itself is not available on Kindle. I hope it would eventually appear on Kindle, and we would be able to download it. Please mention that it is a discussion to the works of Achebe.

This book is a shame in relation to its stated agenda: to offer a guide that allows readers to come to understand the African iconic novel Things Fall Apart in the boader context of its history, politics, culture, and sociology. There is some confusion about the book's design. The compilers ("authors" is inapplicable here) make little attempt to extend understanding of the novel as a work of art. Apart from the not-particularly informative Introduction and prefaces to its various sections, the volume comprises in the main of excerpted essays. The collators of these documents present an alternative approach readers have taken to the novel, and then look for an excerpt from an essay to illustrate it. The down-side to this approach is that anyone seriously looking for comprehensive knowledge would be better off consulting the full essay in its original source. All still in print and readily available, none of these essays is by any account inaccessible; therefore, the volume is not as invaluable as hoped. The compilers' approach will disappoint readers who are already familiar with the excerpted essays. Lacking in novelty, I'll take any of the competing titles over this over-priced one anyday. At any event, this book could not have been conceived for the specialist; it does not treat its subject at an adequate level of rigor. Being far too derivate, it will not be much use either to the beginning student.

This is a fine critical treatment of Things Fall Apart, especially for those not schooled in the destructive effects of Western Colonialism and the greatness and validity of the native societies of Africa and other countries that were raped and pillaged by the United States, Great Britain, and what have you.