Arrow of God
In the Igbo villages of Umuaro in Eastern Nigeria in 1921, Ezeulu, old and dignified Chief Priest of the god Ulu, finds that his authority as spiritual leader is strengthened when a war which he has tried to prevent between Umuaro and a neighboring community is stopped by the British District Officer. Feeling compelled to respect the knowledge and power of the white man, Ezeulu sends one of his young sons to learn Christianity so that he will know the secret of such strength. But this brings the conflict between old ways and new to a head as the boy, in an excess of freshly-inspired Christian enthusiasm, tries to kill a royal python, a creature most sacred in the religious traditions of Umuaro. After this, Ezeulu's opposition to the authority of the white man becomes more pronounced, but his noble obstinacy, although it achieves a temporary victory over Captain Winterbottom, brings tragedy in the end. This moving story captures the atmosphere of African village life, the beautiful proverb-laden language of the Igbo and their strangely formal customs of worship and hospitality.--From publisher description.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Arrow of God
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
In 1920s eastern Nigeria, the chief priest of the god Ulu navigates his village's crises, his rival priests, and the British colonial administrators who are quietly remaking the world around him.
Arrow of God was written by Chinua Achebe and published in 1964. It is the third novel in his African Trilogy, following Things Fall Apart and No Longer at Ease. Achebe is widely considered the founder of modern African literature.
Reading Things Fall Apart first is helpful but not required. The three books in Achebe's African Trilogy are loosely connected through theme and setting rather than continuous plot. Each can be read on its own.
Arrow of God is 266 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Arrow of God takes most readers 4 to 6 hours to finish.
Arrow of God is a standalone novel by an unknown author, not part of a series.
Arrow of God is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.