3.5
Arrow of God
ByPublisher Description
“African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe.” —Toni Morrison
“A magical writer—one of the greatest of the twentieth century.” —Margaret Atwood
“My favorite novel.” —Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
When Things Fall Apart ends, colonial rule has been introduced to Umuofia, and the character of the nation, its values, freedoms, religious and socio-political foundations have substantially and irrevocably been altered. Arrow of God, the second novel in Chinua Achebe’s The African Trilogy, moves the historical narrative forward. This time, the action revolves around Ezeulu, the headstrong chief priest of the god Ulu, which is worshipped by the six villages of Umuaro. The novel is a meditation on the nature, uses, and responsibility of power and leadership. Ezeulu finds that his authority is increasingly under threat from rivals within his nation and functionaries of the newly established British colonial government. Yet he sees himself as untouchable. He is forced, with tragic consequences, to reconcile conflicting impulses in his own nature—a need to serve the protecting deity of his Umuaro people; a desire to retain control over their religious observances; and a need to gain increased personal power by pushing his authority to the limits. He ultimately fails as he leads his people to their own destruction, and consequently, his personal tragedy arises. Arrow of God is an unforgettable portrayal of the loss of faith, and the downfall of a man in a society forever altered by colonialism.
“A magical writer—one of the greatest of the twentieth century.” —Margaret Atwood
“My favorite novel.” —Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
When Things Fall Apart ends, colonial rule has been introduced to Umuofia, and the character of the nation, its values, freedoms, religious and socio-political foundations have substantially and irrevocably been altered. Arrow of God, the second novel in Chinua Achebe’s The African Trilogy, moves the historical narrative forward. This time, the action revolves around Ezeulu, the headstrong chief priest of the god Ulu, which is worshipped by the six villages of Umuaro. The novel is a meditation on the nature, uses, and responsibility of power and leadership. Ezeulu finds that his authority is increasingly under threat from rivals within his nation and functionaries of the newly established British colonial government. Yet he sees himself as untouchable. He is forced, with tragic consequences, to reconcile conflicting impulses in his own nature—a need to serve the protecting deity of his Umuaro people; a desire to retain control over their religious observances; and a need to gain increased personal power by pushing his authority to the limits. He ultimately fails as he leads his people to their own destruction, and consequently, his personal tragedy arises. Arrow of God is an unforgettable portrayal of the loss of faith, and the downfall of a man in a society forever altered by colonialism.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesArrow of God Reviews
3.5
Bibi blu
Created 8 days agoShare
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Lola
Created 18 days agoShare
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rhi
Created about 1 month agoShare
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“I’m conflicted about this book. It was wayyy out of my comfort zone and my usual genre but I still enjoyed it overall. I think there was definitely interesting parts and there was definitely parts where I was really bored. I think some of the book could’ve been cut down. This felt almost like a memoir or a biography to me, not a whole lot happened, we were just kind of following Ezeulu and the people interwoven into his story. It was very much character driven. I definitely felt for Ezeulu and I think his downfall was quite tragic.”
Nicolas O
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“Arrow of God is a very deep reflection on religion, power and colonialism. It describes magnificently the lives of the people of Umuaro through their own gaze. In the few chapters written from the point of view of the colonisers, you notice the change in every detail of writing; expressions, mannerisms, ways of thinking. This difference made me notice how deeply into the culture of the people of Umuofia Chinua Achebe takes us. For moments I felt like I was living in that reality. This book is a true masterpiece.”
About Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe (1930–2013) was born in Nigeria. Widely considered to be the father of modern African literature, he is best known for his masterful African Trilogy, consisting of Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, and No Longer at Ease. The trilogy tells the story of a single Nigerian community over three generations from first colonial contact to urban migration and the breakdown of traditional cultures. He is also the author of Anthills of the Savannah, A Man of the People, Girls at War and Other Stories, Home and Exile, Hopes and Impediments, Collected Poems, The Education of a British-Protected Child, Chike and the River, and There Was a Country. He was the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University and, for more than fifteen years, was the Charles P. Stevenson Jr. Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College. Achebe was the recipient of the Nigerian National Merit Award, Nigeria’s highest award for intellectual achievement. In 2007, Achebe was awarded the Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement.
Other books by Chinua Achebe
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