5 comments about The Confessor.

1. I love Daniel Silva's novels. He is an expert at thrills and chills.



2. I really wanted to like this book, because I like good spy thrillers, and the author does an excellent job of conjuring up images of European locales. Unfortunately, the characters and story aren't engaging enough to maintain interest.
   
   First, my thoughts on the characters. There were a HUGE number of characters and all of them had similar sounding names. This, coupled with the fact that none of the characters had much in the way of personalities, made it a chore to keep track of who everybody was and what their motives were. The protagonist, Mossad agent Gabriel Allon, was one of the dullest series characters I've ever come across. He barely says anything and the author never reveals what's going on inside his head, save for a few mentions of his participation in the Israelis' "Wrath of God" operation in 1972 as a response to the Munich Olympics masssacre. Perhaps it was Silva's intention to make Allon a laconic and gruff individual, but at the end of the day, I need to have a reason to like the protagonist and to care about what happens to him. With Allon, I simply felt no connection.
   
   As for the story, I feel like it was Silva's attempt to cash in on the popularity of "The DaVinci Code". While I'm not offended by the book's attack on the Catholic Church, I'm really getting bored with writers in recent years using the same scenarios involving evil conspiracies within the Vatican, etc.
   
   I will not be reading any more of Daniel Silva's work.



3. Master Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is called in to investigate the death of a professor friend. He was killed because of a book he was writing, but what was in it that would cause his death? This book has the usual formulaic spy necessities - secret societies, double crossing, high speed chases, beautiful women and plenty of violence. The novel revolves around the Vatican and it's role during the Holcaust.The new Pope wants to release secret documents. Been there, done that in many novels before. Still the characters are fun and the novel keeps one turning pages.



4. This is my first Daniel Silva novel, but definately not my last. In short, I am hooked. Why? Because Silva's writing is crisp, taut, and fast-paced, without being cliche. From the opening pages of the book, Silva writes in a way that keeps you with this work until (a)you can't read any more because you are tired(or out of time!), and/or (b)you have finished the book.
   
   This work of intrigue at its complex/darkest is about an art restorer by the name of Gabriel Allon who investigates a friends murder at the hands of neo-Nazis, or so we think. The novel delves headlong into the Vatican's controversial history during World War II: whether or not they helped European Jews fleeing deportation to Nazi death camps, or did they faciliate their doom through inaction. Early on in the book we are introduced to the fact that the murder of Benjamin Stein is much larger than a simple hate-crime by a derranged Nazi.
   
   The books plot does not take any unnecssessary twists and turns; a literary device all-to-common in most thrillers. Silva keeps the story line relatively simple, without being simplistic. His characters are rich and textured; the dialogue is incissive.
   
   Like I said, this was my first book by this author, but not my last. If you love a good read that keeps you engaged throughout, giving you a good mental workout, that this work is for you.



5. "The Confessor", part of the Holocaust trilogy featuring Israeli spy Gabriel Allon once again delivers excitement, intrigue, human drama, and superb historical interest. The fictional Pope of "The Confessor" is the target of a plot within the Vatican intended to silence him because of his desire to confess the sins of the Church during the Holocaust. His impassioned words brought me to tears.

5 comments about Jonesy: Put Your Head Down and Skate: The Improbable Career of Keith Jones.

1. I liked this book. It's not horribly well written but it was enjoyable for the price.



2. As a WMU alum (class of '94) and hockey fan, I had the good fortune to have great seats for pretty much every home game for Jones during his junior & senior years in college. He impressed me as a player then. Given that connection, and hearing through John Buccigross' column that the proceeds for this book would go to charity, I pre-ordered this and read it immediately upon receiving it.
   
   The life and career of Jones are told through his unique voice throughout. This makes for very easy reading - if it seems aimed at a slightly younger-than-adult audience - and the 200 or so pages, much like Keith's career, go by far too quickly.
   
   Passages are both hilarious and touching.
   
   Highly recommended!



3. First, this was a great read. I enjoyed it a lot despite thinking back to the Caps postseason woes under Terry Murray and Schoenfeld when Keith was there. Let me say he was one of the most clutch Caps ever, one of my favorites and I was ticked they dealt him for Chris Simon and Curtis Leschysin (spelling?), who was in town a minute and a half. I was never really a Chris Simon fan when he was here.
   
   Three of Keith's stories I loved: I'll try not to tell too much as I don't want to spoil them.
   
   The grueling skating regimen after Caps practice during the '92 playoffs, with Keith getting ticked that the Caps were beating the Pens and that meant more skating. High fiving Steve Konowalchuk when the Caps were losing so the skating would end.
   
   Handling his own contract negotiations with GM David Poile and bringing the empty briefcase to the meetings. I kept thinking of the Animal House scene where one of the Delta's points to his briefcase and smiles before the student body hearing.
   
   The Anson Carter stick story.
   
   I also liked the John Poor story at the end.
   
   Great job. Sure there was an error ir two in there but I got the gist of what Keith was trying to tell us. Excellent read!



4. "Jonesy" is an entertaining story. The biggest problem with it is that is could have been written better by an 8th grader. There are more than just grammatical errors; some sentences flat out don't make sense as written. I was stunned that a published work could be such a mess (didn't anyone edit this?!) Oh well, if you can get past all that and enjoy hockey, you will enjoy the book.



5. For a Philly Hockey fan and fan of the overall game, Jonesy is an amazing read. Great stories with insight into the game that most of us never get to see. I laughed outloud more than a dozen times. I literally couldn't put it down. That is the best compliment you can give any book.

5 comments about Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross).

1. The mystery/detective novel was a rather pure form in its earlier days. The focus was not on the murder itself and the detailed agony of the victim. In fact, the crime was disposed of rather quickly. The story was how the detective, through investigation and logic, revealed the murderer. There was no sex, no outright violence and certainly no sadism.
   
   Somewhere along the line the detective novel evolved into the "thriller," in which the theme ranged far and wide. In most novels by James Patterson there is a pervasive vein of sadism, as there is in "Four Blind Mice." Ex-rangers from the U.S. Army, men who had fought in Viet Nam, continue their killing for hire and for pleasure in America. The sadism is very detailed and has nothing to do with the plot itself. For example, there is a lengthy and gruesome description of how the rangers tortured and killed a woman suspected of being Viet Cong. Perhaps it is to show that the men were not nice fellows, but the fact that they murdered people at all should establish that.
   
   The detectives who trail the killers are bedroom hoppers, narrated with rather specific detail. Again, the sex has nothing to do with the plot, with tracking down the killers. One has to suspect that the sex is to titilate the sort of reader who can be titilated or manipulated by this.
   
   The actual plot is not of much interest, nor is how the criminals were caught. What sells the Patterson books is the violence, the sadism, the sex--and short chapters for those with short attention spans. And because of this, I suspect the Patterson books will not be long remembered. Readers still read Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Philo Vance, etc., and they will be doing so when the Cross books are in the dustbin.



2. James Patterson's "Four Blind Mice" is yet another Alex Cross novel that is only 383 pages and you can read it in a couple of hours...And like all the Alex Cross novels it contains the same formula that have made up the foundation of all the other ones. "Four Blind Mice" is neither the best Cross novel nor the worst. It's an entertaining read, but I've read all but three Cross novels now (Violets Are Blue, Double Cross, & The Big Bad Wolf in case you're interested). Am I the only one who thinks that these novels are getting a bit repetitive? I mean, yeah, they're entertaining enough for me to give it 4-stars...But every Cross book has the same plot line. Cross has to catch a killer, neglects his children regretfully, searches for the killer, almost finds the killer, killer finds him, Cross gets laid, Cross catches the killer, Cross realizes that the whole puzzle hasn't been put together, and Cross goes back to put the rest of it together. That's not to say Patterson's novels aren't worth reading; if you have nothing to do, they're a good way of passing the time. I'm giving "Four Blind Mice" 4 stars because it was entertaining and vastly superior to the three-star "Cat & Mouse," but it's still weak. I wish Patterson would come up with an original plot...The Cross novels are terrific for the first two or three books, but now they're kind of old...
   
   GRADE: B-



3. James Patterson books are THE BEST
   I have yet to read one that didn't take my interest immediately.
   I never want to put them down and this one is no exception!
   I often think he can not outdo the last book I read but he always does.
   NEVER a disapointment.



4. This series will suck you into a world that is both scary and exciting at the same time....you will become one with the main character, Alex Cross. The author, James Patterson, has developed these stories in such a way that the reader actually feels like they are walking along side of Cross....it is a unique experience I have never had before with ANY OTHER AUTHOR - keep on pumping them out James, I will read your work FOREVER!



5. I like that the book is written in short chapters. You stay up with all the characters without going into neverending depth but still you learn about everything. Switching between characters this way makes it sink in more that it is happening sometimes at the same time.
   
   This book involved Vietnam vets that had gone bad. There were the usual family lines with Alex Cross' family that makes you feel familiar with the characters from book to book. There are also references to previous cases that you may or may not have read in previous books.
   
   I enjoyed the book but did find the story line seemede to get a little lost at times. If you are a Patterson fan you will enjoy it.

5 comments about The 5th Horseman (The Women's Murder Club).

1. If a book is going to thank 4 researchers you would think that at least one of them could have bought a map of San Francisco. On page 9 Union Square is moved out to the Golden Gate Panhandle and it only gets worse from there. At least find out where the major landmarks are. And just for future reference of the great researchers San Francisco doesn't have Hellmanns it has Best Foods. James Patterson should be ashamed to have his name on this book and the publisher should be embarressed. I never did figure out what it had to do with a "women's murder club" or whatever. Save your money.



2. Unfortunatley the content related to the hospital murders was not researched. It was distracting. Linda



3. This was the first "Woman's Murder Club", that I heard,(listened to)and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a great story and I love the way Carolyn McCormick is really able to pull you into the story with her character changes. It was produced & directed very well also with music playing at apporpriate time to add to the suspense and your enjoyment. If this is one of your first audio books it just may spoil you since it is one of the best you will hear. I enjoyed it so much I bought a second copy for a friend for her recent birthday. I must admit I do enjoy the many sides to James Patterson's writing, he is one of my favorites and this one will not disappoint you!



4. Excellent condition for a used book, and the delivery very speedy. I am very pleased with my purchase.



5. Good for a used product. I collect hardbacks from particular authors so I was fortuate to find it at such a good price. Thank you.

5 comments about Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross).

1. Anthony Heald's fine stage and acting skills include many Broadway credits, so if you're an avid theatre-goer his voice on James Patterson's CAT AND MOUSE may sound familiar, spicing a vivid and fast-paced story of a murderer who has come to slay a family only to find competition with another murderer with the same goals. A fast-paced, vivid murder mystery thriller evolves, perfect for libraries catering to fans of either Patterson or audio thrillers.



2. ive read 2 books now of pattersons and both left me feeling like ive wasted my time and money. his characters are one dimensional. cross for example is as vanilla as they come....boooooring. the only thing that saved this book from a 1 star was a scene involving a dog house. one scene out of the whole book. every chapter involving cross fawning over his love interest ( his childrens principal) was laughably bad and merits skipping. the way patterson chose to create his villain was unoriginal. if youre looking for bathroom reading material and not a serious read this might be for you. otherwise save your money.



3. I really loved this book. Not only did it have the return of the series' best psycho (so far), but it also featured another memorable psycho, Mr. Smith. The ending is so twisted and unbelievable. I loved every minute of it and couldn't get enough of it. S.L. Chessor author of My Tongue Fell Out & Poodlums Boogeymen and Booglers.Poodlums, Boogeymen and Booglers: A Poetry CollectionMy Tongue Fell Out



4. [...] Seriously this was the 4th book in this Alex Cross series, it may not have been all that bad if you knew the back stories/characters. OK, coming off my soap box now.
   
   So the basic story line, Soneji is back and he is a twisted SOB... he wants to take out as many people as possible as well as Cross. He has a plan and the plan unfolds quickly and pretty darn exciting. However through the first half of the book you start to read about this other psycho "Mr. Smith" who is one his own murder spree... the twist in plot hits! And you wont be able to stop reading!
   
   I think this may have been one of my favorite Patterson books to date. I love the twist in plot mid way through, it really made it difficult to put it down at that point. If you are a fan of twists in the plot that you didn't see coming then this book is for you. Great Summer time read!
   
   BTW Here is a link to the order of the Cross Series:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Cross-Series-In-Order-James-Patterson/lm/RPDN9G1NBTS3Q/ref=cm_rna_own_lm



5. I think Cat & Mouse is my favorite Cross series book so far. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the evolution of one of the villains didn't make sense. I don't want to give the storyline away, but if you've read the book, you probably know what I mean.
   
   I'm a little behind in the Patterson books, but I'm feverishly trying to catch up!

5 comments about The Midnight Club.

1. The über-bad guy who's invincible until the end. The cop bent on revenge. The rogue cop. The secret criminal society a la The Godfather on steroids. Bits and pieces of every thriller we've read are here on display. The bits and pieces fit adequately well, and the plot (the New York Cop and the Intrepid Reporter take down criminal mastermind with the help of the Feds) moves along. It's a decent airport read, but no more than that.



2. This book was what I was looking for and it is a very interesting book.



3. James Patterson has been writing thriller novels since the 1970s, but didn't become a big success until 1990, when he wrote a novel entitled ALONG CAME A SPIDER featuring a character named Alex Cross. Now he's the biggest thriller writer in existence. I like Patterson's stories, but I don't think his pre-1990 novels are worth reading.
   
   THE MIDNIGHT CLUB is an example of why. It comes across as a pretty mediocre novel, especially if you've read a lot of thriller fiction. The characters are quite flat, and the plot is pretty predictable and filled with silly cliches. The romance, in particular, is not the least bit believable. Unlike Patterson's later novels, this book is also pretty slow paced and overwritten in sections. I found it a chore to read.
   
   I think THE MIDNIGHT CLUB is for Patterson completists only. If you're new to his work, my advice is to try KISS THE GIRLS, 1ST TO DIE, THE QUICKIE, or JUDGE & JURY. Those novels are far more entertaining than what I found here.



4. I just couldnt get into this book at all. it starts out okay but then it just plateaus and nothing exciting happens. not worth it.



5. I enjoyed this book a lot. It is up to the usually James Patterson standard. If you are a James Patterson fan you will enjoy.

5 comments about 1st to Die: A Novel.

1. Years ago I read romance novels and decided to start reading again a few months ago. I do not remember why I ordered a murder mystery but choose my first James Patterson book and I was hooked after that. You cannot predict his moves and find it hard to put his books down. 1st to Die was the beginning and now I have all seven of the series plus 11 of his other books to read.



2. I have a long drive to work and back through lots of traffic, but this book made me drive so much easier.



3. I love murder mysteries, When I first saw this series on television I had to read the books. The only problem I had is that linday has dark hair on t.v. and the books have her as a blonde. Putting that aside the story introduces all the characters, and they work well together and support each other while solving violent crimes. Each woman plays a vital roll to the story. If you do not like women who are in charge and are lead characters, then this is not for you. I personally loved it.



4. I started this series on the sixth book, so when I saw this at an airport, I was excited about finding out how the WMC had started. I really enjoyed reading about it unfolding. The mystery of the plot kept me intrigued. It did get a little more graphic than I would have liked at times, and I almost lowered it to 3 stars as a result.



5. First book in the Women's Murder Club series.
   
   Four professional women in San Francisco (a cop, a medical examiner, an assistant DA, and a reporter) join forces to catch a serial killer who is brutally murdering newlyweds.
   
   Lots of page-turning action and Patterson's trademark gruesome, misogynistic murders. Read this for the gory murder mystery, not for the character development. While I didn't love it, I liked it enough that I will continue to read the series.

5 comments about 2nd Chance (The Women's Murder Club).

1. I finished 2nd chance last night. The title.... 2nd chance for the father? poor title. The father didn't have quite enough to do with the story to win the title, yes he saved her but she forgave him just a little too quick and in the end didn't even seem to mind that he was guilty. May not have choked anyone but he was still guilty. Patterson doesnt seem to know what a female would really think about her father after all that time. He might want to stick to men.
   
   I enjoyed the book, give it a 3 - 3 ½ maybe. Its those ladies. Its unrealistic and drives me nuts. This club is cheesy and far fetched and illegal. 3 of the 4 just met! And they relate and talk as if they are life time buds. Yes women connect fast but come on! The way they talk to each other. No way. I still read the series because it's the just of the book that carries me through, but let me tell you one more little annoying thing. In the 1st book, 1st to die, Buttercup didn't get it right the 1st time who the murder was, and had to convince everyone to go back and find the real murder, and now again in book 2 she puts her sites on a guy that turns out to be `the wrong guy'. If I was her chief she would hold no credibility after the 2nd. Hope this doesn't happen in the 3rd. I really hope Patterson would have been better than that to copy like that. Both books having the murder turn out to be guilty but not, having something to do with it but not, then having the real murder but I made a mistake sir.... No. Goes well with one book but don't keep doing it. Now that I think about it, didn't we have the same `guess who the murder is' type stuff in Mary Mary. And didn't Double Cross think the murder was one guy and it turned out to be another. Too much of that. Of course going with all these choose who the murder is we could call the book 2nd choice!
   
   Oh, and does a cop follow such a hard core criminal without a phone, vest or anyone knowing? Who is known to be with the most vicious gang there is, and such a ruthless sharp shooter? And then get caught doing it! Unrealistic.
   
   For some reason I enjoyed the book. I could put it down, I could get sleep, It did annoy me but I still enjoyed it for the most part. Recommend it.... Ah yeah I suppose. We'll see after I read the 3rd one.
   
   Enjoy,
   Heidi avid reader everything from Dickens to Deaver
   iwannabaduck@yahoo.com
   
   Recommend in this genre: Jeffery Deaver, Iris Johansen, Thomas Laird, Dan Brown, Jonathan Kellerman, Karen Rose, Maggie Shayne,



2. Fast Reading and holds your attention until you finally make yourself put it down. I really like his style of writing. Short chapters and good plots all make the book a great read.



3. My daughter-in-law enjoys James Patterson's books. So I sent her 2nd Chance. The book was in great shape when she received it. Thanks



4. James Patterson has done it again. This sequel is fast paced easy to read and I could not put the book down. I love the Women's Murder Club and the characters to me are believable. These women have problems of their own and that is woven brilliantly into the story. If you like true to life crime stories with women in charge than this is a must book to read.



5. Picked this up for another trip to Europe and eagerly finished it. I continue to enjoy the interplay of the four women. I do wish that Jill's character was developed just a little more. There were a few pieces that even after finishing confuse me, but perhaps that's part of the mystery. I'm curious to see if the Aaron Winslow character continues in the series.

5 comments about 3rd Degree (The Women's Murder Club).

1. Where do i begin? It is obvious that James Pattreson did not write this book because it was not as creative and spellbounding as the first. I considered not reading the rest of the series because of the thrid book. I can only hope that 4, 5 , 6, 7 and now 8 will improve and not waste my time.



2. I loved the Women's Murder Club books, but I really can't stand it when readers are insulted by unnecessary inconsistencies. In books 1 & 2, Jill's husband was named Steve and in book 3, suddenly his name is Rick! In book 2, Lindsay's father shared a good relationship with her and she had good memories of him up until her walked out before her mother got sick. She only saw him one other time after he left and she even confronts him for not attending her mothers funeral. However in book 5, suddenly her father was a mean man who didn't walk out until after her Mum died and he was there at the funeral.
   
   A little bit more attention to detail would make this series an absolute delight for all readers and fans!



3. I have been a fan of James Patterson for many years and have never been disappointed. After watching the show on ABC I decided to read one of the books...and could not put it down!!! James Patterson is a genius!!!



4. Fast Reading and holds your attention until you finally make yourself put it down. I really like his style of writing. Short chapters and good plots all make the book a great read.



5. i absolutely love James Patterson!!! In this 3rd installement of the women's murder club 3rd degree is a book you dont want to put down. Each chapter leaves you wanting more i couldnt wait to see the ending. The part I did not expect was when they killed off the d.a jill. I didnt expect that to happen and although it isnt going to be the same main 4 characters I know he probably wouldnt have done it if he had to. so in all i give this book 5 out of 5 i highly recommend it

5 comments about Things Fall Apart: A Novel.

1. Ironically, I had picked up Things Fall Apart from the local library just before it happened to be assigned to me for a history class. I suppose I had good, if accidental, foresight. As others have said, Things Fall Apart is a relatively short novel told in a straightforward yet elegant manner. The voice works well for this particular narrative, much of which focuses on the customs and rites of the Ibo people in the village in which the protagonist, Okonkwo, lives.
   
   What I find most impressive about Things Fall Apart is the way it renders all perspectives; the book doesn't seem to glorify or demonize any one culture, and it really doesn't pick sides. The book deals with an Ibo tribe as well as a group of European imperialists, and it would be easy to depict one faction as being pure and noble and the other as evil or backwards. However, Things Fall Apart takes the high road by illustrating the complex continuum of both: Yes, the Ibo people have some practices which might seem "savage" to our modern Western mindsets, but they also have strong senses of morality and righteousness and Achebe depicts this admirably. Likewise, yes, some of the European imperialists seem cruel and dismissive of the Ibo people, but others of them genuinely seem to be motivated by the interest of evangelizing and doing what they believe to be right and noble.
   
   While the book itself may seem like a simplistic tale, there are deep, complex issues at work here--issues that lead to questions with no easy answers which Achebe, for his part, does not attempt to supply. That's just as well. Sometimes a book need only ask the questions and allow readers to come to their own conclusions. So what is Things Fall Apart about? Well, ostensibly, the book can be divided into two halves. The first half centres on the life of a man named Okonkwo, his wives, his children, and the practices of his tribe. Some readers will complain, and have complained, that the lack of focused, singular plot in the first half of the novel is a problem. I disagree. I don't believe that all works of fiction are required to have one singular, specific plot route and I believe it was Achebe's intent to set the stage for what happens in the second part of the novel. In the first half of the novel, the readers get acquainted with Okonkwo and the Ibo people.
   
   Meanwhile, the second half of Things Fall Apart focuses on Okonkwo's exile and his return from exile. For seven years, he has to leave his village and return to his mother's village (I won't say why here, so as not to spoil the detail for prospective readers), and when he comes back, he finds that European imperialism has drastically altered his own village, Umuofia. This leads to the novel's main conflict. Achebe renders the culture clash in a very intriguing manner, one which left me unsure of how I felt about the various events that unfolded. Because the earlier chapters showed the Ibo culture in such detail, considerable sympathy is placed on them, but a Western reader will also be inclined to agree with some of the Western views (not all, I should hope). For example, in Ibo culture, twins are considered evil, so they're left out in the forest to die. However, when the Europeans arrive, they begin saving twins. Who is right? Is it right to trample on another culture if it means satisfying what your culture considers the greater good? Like I said, this novel asks some difficult questions, and there are no easy answers.
   
   Okonkwo is not a typical protagonist. He does not show compassion to others. He can be downright cruel, and he beats his wives and sons when they displease him. Yet, Okonkwo has reasons for what he does (not that it necessarily makes him right, but it does make his perspective understandable); he is upholding what he believes to be an ideal of Strength. In his own mind, he's a hero. And Okonkwo is not totally a monster; indeed, there are times when a hint of human feeling seeps through. I found his wives and children similarly compelling, but painted in brush strokes, such that much of their lives and personalities are not shown. What is shown is enough to whet your appetite for more.
   
   I docked this novel one star, and I made this decision for two reasons. The first is because I believe the transition between the book's two halves is somewhat unshaky. I understand the need for a transition, but I think Achebe could've handled it somewhat more gracefully. As it is, I feel he plowed through and forced Okonkwo to leave under fairly flimsy and dubious, abrupt circumstances. The second reason I took off a star is because towards the end, the book stops being so evenhanded, and some of the missionaries turn Evil. At least, this is how I perceived it. What one of the Europeans says at the end of the novel seems almost like a caricature; read it and you'll see what I mean. Before, I thought Achebe was doing such an admirable job of showing the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, but in the end, "things fall apart".
   
   Even so, the book is good and thought-provoking. I recommend it. It's a fast read. Although it is not a happy novel, I never at any point found it oppressingly, suffocatingly depressing. Perhaps the lovely yet simple prose helped to keep the events of the novel from being too overwhelmingly unhappy. Everything transpires as if in a song or a dream. I disagree with reviewers who say that Achebe portrayed the Ibo people as "savages". If you saw that in the novel, I think it's because you are analyzing them with your own values. I didn't see that Achebe intended that at all. I did not feel that Achebe passed value judgments on the Ibo people, and for the most part, he restrained his judgments of the European imperialists as well.



2. Things Fall Apart is Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe's first novel. It deals with Nigerian tribal life before and during white colonialism, with particular attention to how tribal culture and white colonial culture come into conflict when white people move in and attempt to convert the natives to Christianity.
   
   Things Fall Apart is slow-paced. There is no plot to speak of here beyond antihero Okonkwo's ambitions, and the cultural conflict does not begin until the last quarter of the book. In the meantime, Achebe explores tribal culture in depth, with attention to tradition, religion, ritual, and family structure.
   
   Achebe's writing is rather simple (often praised as "deceptively simple"), and sometimes repetitive. Achebe is a better storyteller than he is a writer, as his protagonist is well-rounded and his supporting characters are sufficiently well-rounded, even though the novel drags at times
   
   On the whole, Things Fall Apart is now overrated, but it is still a solid rebuttal to those who glorify white colonialism, as well as an exploration of Nigerian tribal culture.
   
   RECOMMENDED



3. This is an extraordinary book in its ability to narrate both a story of cultural dissonance and an overarching tale about the human condition. Achebe's novel broaches the subject of morality, but demonstrates that even the concept of "evil" is subject to a cultural interpretive context.
   
   Okonkwo, the book's tragic hero, is an emblem of tradition, but also represents how tradition can be subject to the inner turmoil of the human soul. While the Ibo people must face the threat of European missionaries, Okonkwo must confront the threat of his own misplaced hubris. Achebe is a sympathetic voice, but is unafraid to reveal the flaws of his characters as a commentary upon our own imperfect existence.
   
   This is probably one of the best introductions to African fiction, precisely because the story does not limit itself to the African context. The author's investigation of tragedy is pragmatic, yet emotionally stimulating without being romanticized. It is a book that will help the western reader more easily understand not only Nigerian tribal culture, but the power of ideas and their institutions.



4. I read this book in College in one of the courses I took to obtain my degree in his history. Each of us were required to read the book an write an essay. I don't think there were many people who liked the novel.
   The book is an easy read. It's simply written. The book follows stories Okonkwo and some of his family members before and after British colonization. I would recommend it to help gain the understanding of customs, religious beliefs, etc. You can also see the direct effects of appearance of the British, something that such details are not usually spoken about. For its historic content I give it the three stars.
   However, the book attempts to get the reader to sympathize with an extremely cruel man without a second thought. I personally do not like that. I understand it is supposed to be a different culture and it's not easy for an outsider to understand. It's stupid to pretend what he does is okay because it's part of his culture. Okonkwo is actually shown to be crossing the line in his own culture many times.
   Also, the novel, in my opinion, ended too abruptly. There seemed to not be any sort of strong plot in the novel. All one seems to get from the novel is that the British seemed mess everything up. I personally thing there should have been more of a plot and perhaps more detail on the cultural since.



5. When I taught English 9 Honors, I would ask my students what they thought of the books we read. _Things Fall Apart_ always won the "worst book" award. They were right. This is one of the most overrated novels of the English language.
   
   If Achebe had a B.S. detector, he might have been able to chisel this text down to an almost-bearable short story. Alas, he didn't, and this is what we have.
   
   Okonkwo, the protagonist, is supposed to be tragic, but he's not. He's pathetic. He's utterly revolting, from beginning to end. The other characters aren't much better.
   
   The plot starts nowhere and ends in the same place. Sure, there's an obvious structure to the novel, but it doesn't matter. Not much happens. The characters are lifeless, the plot is lifeless, and the prose is lifeless. I know, Achebe crafted the prose to be what it is-- but that doesn't make it any good.
   
   It amazes me that this book is placed alongside (or above, if you listen to some people) works such as _Moby Dick_, _The Great Gatsby_, _Ulysses_, _The Sun Also Rises_, and _The Sound and the Fury_. The truth is, last month's issue of _Bop_ has more value than _Things Fall Apart_.