''Anthills of the Savannah'' is a 1987

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

n writer

Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as the dominant figure of modern African literature. His first novel and ''magnum opus'', ''Things Fall Apart'' (1958), occupies ...

. It was his fifth novel, first published in the United Kingdom 21 years after Achebe's previous one (''

A Man of the People ''A Man of the People'' (1966) is a novel by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe. Written as a satirical piece, ''A Man of the People'' follows a story told by Odili, a young and educated narrator, on his conflict with Chief Nanga, his former teacher w ...

'' in 1966), and was credited with having "revived his reputation in Britain". A finalist for the 1987

Booker Prize for Fiction The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...

, ''Anthills of the Savannah'' has been described as the "most important novel to come out of Africa in the 980s. Critics praised the novel upon its release.

Plot

''Anthills of the Savannah'' takes place in the imaginary West African country of Kangan, where a Sandhurst-trained officer, identified only as Sam and known as "His Excellency", has taken power following a military coup. Achebe describes the political situation through the experiences of three friends: Chris Oriko, the government's Commissioner for Information; Beatrice Okoh, an official in the Ministry of Finance and girlfriend of Chris; and Ikem Osodi, a newspaper editor critical of the regime. Other characters include Elewa, Ikem's girlfriend, and Major "Samsonite" Ossai, a military official known for stapling hands with a

Samsonite Samsonite International S.A. () is an American premium luggage manufacturer and retailer, with products ranging from large suitcases to small toiletries bags and briefcases. The company was founded in Denver, Colorado, United States. Its regis ...

stapler. Tensions escalate through the novel, culminating in the assassination of Ikem by the regime, the toppling and death of Sam and finally the murder of Chris. The book ends with a non-traditional naming ceremony for Elewa and Ikem's month-old daughter, organized by Beatrice.

Reception

The novel was well received by critics. Charles Johnson, writing for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', praised the book, but faulted Achebe for failing to fully flesh out his characters. Nadine Gordimer praised the book's humor, particularly when contrasted against its depictions of horrors.

References

External links

* D. A. N. Jones
"Powerful People" (review)
''

London Review of Books The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published twice monthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews. History The ''London Review of ...

'', Vol. 9, No. 18, 15 October 1987, pp. 24–25. * Charles Johnson
"‘Anthills of the Savannah’ by Chinua Achebe" (review)
''The Washington Post'', 22 March 2013; reprinted from 7 February 1988. {{Chinua Achebe Novels by Chinua Achebe 1987 Nigerian novels Novels set in Africa Nigerian English-language novels Heinemann (publisher) books Novels set in fictional countries