A review by deegee24
Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe

5.0

Extraordinary. The best of the African trilogy by far. Not a long novel, but one that is dense with historical and psychological insight. Achebe's switching between different English dictions to signify the speech of Igbo and English speakers recalls Henry Roth's technique in Call It Sleep. The main character, Ezeulu, is one of the most memorable characters in 20th century fiction. The priest of an old god whose place is being overtaken by Christianity, he is a complex figure of tragic stature. His downfall is a metonym for the defeat of Igbo civilization at the hands of the British Empire.