Arrow of God

Written by Chinua Achebe

Narrated by Peter Jay Fernandez

Ezeulu is worshipped by the six villages of Umuaro. But he is beginning to find his authority increasingly under threat. Yet he still feels he must be untouchable - surely he is an arrow in the bow of his God?

Armed with this belief, he is prepared to lead his people, even if it means destruction and annihilation. Yet the people will not be so easily dominated.

A W. F. Howes audio production.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. F. Howes Audio
• Release date: Jan 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781407468037

Reviews for Arrow of God

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good book competently written and very even handed in dealing with the subject matter. There is a tendancy with writers to have the white guys wearing black hats and the black guys the white. But Achebe rightly sees the flaws in both our cultures and the inconsistencies. I assume that Achebe is a black writer born in Nigeria so it gives him a unique perspective on the events in his country.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found Arrow of God to be a portrait of Igbo culture. After World War II, the British were self-appointed as civilizers and missionaries and it was interesting to read about their frustration at trying to interact with people whose motives are completely alien. There were quite a few humorous parts too. I would recommend this book to those who want to learn about the Igbo culture, African traditions, families, their religion and the bond between man and his maker.

[kale.dyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel focused more on the conflict between the new religion and organisation and the Chief Priest of the tribe. Wonderfully written and thoroughly enjoyable though tragic.

[msnikki · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good book. Set in an African village in the height of the English Colonial period. Achebe clearly illustrates the traditional culture of the not clearly defined West African country (unless I missed that part) and that of the White English administrators. My only complaint is that I had trouble keeping up with the African names. Kinda bad considering I have two African names. But really well written, I could almost taste the food described. I had visions of foo foo dancing in my head while I read. I knew the people he described, surely you've meet an Obika. The ending is sad, I mean you know what happens. If this is meant as a warning for developing countries, the lesson is a bitter one. How do you protect your clearly defined culture from a hegemonic pressure? What lessons does this story hold for new states, fragile democracies?

[quaintlittlehead · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel is a story of how individuals perceive and carry out their roles in society in the context of a community of Nigerian villages within the oversight of a British governmental authority. As typical for Achebe, there is no simple "us vs. them" mentality; instead, each character experiences his or her own view of what is taking place, and what actions to take next. The novel is a marvelous depiction of a history written through individual accounts rather than through an objective outsider perspective.More than this, it is also a parable of religion and worldview in collision. Christianity and the traditional religion do not simply conflict with each other in the story; they intermingle with and are ultimately affected by philosophical pragmatism. Characters on both sides of the religious divide manipulate events through their own religious interpretations; ultimately one group triumphs and the other does not, but this serves as a warning that an apparently religious triumph (such as winning the affections of a large group) enacted through the efforts of human will, rather than actual divine will, perches precariously in a position from which it can just as easily be toppled by the next mistake in judgement of human will. There are a good number of Christians who would do well to read this story and then take a critical look at their own behaviour. Achebe makes no claim about absolute truth here, but shows in a subtle and effective way that individuals can align philosophically with God and still act according to their own plan, with potentially disastrous effects.This publication is the second edition of this book and begins with a preface in which Achebe explains that he has made some alterations to clean up the text. I have not read the first edition and can not assess the extent of these alterations or whether they were appropriate. I can say that the preface, while not being specific, betrays the eventual outcome of the book, which may come as a disappointment to readers who want to be surprised. Thus, readers might be best advised to skip over the preface until after finishing the story.

[wilhelm_weber_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Insightful book about old African ways and the changes that colonialism brought about. The discourse of senior and junior administrators, fathers and sons/daughters, husbands and wives, tribes and villages are intricate and very delicately phrased. Good reading, although it is always with a laughing and a crying eye.