Anthills of the Savannah

infobox Book |
name = Anthills of the Savannah


image_caption = Penguin Modern Classics edition, 2001
author = Chinua Achebe
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country =
language = English
series =
genre = Fiction
publisher = Anchor Books
release_date = 1987
english_release_date =
media_type = Print
pages =
isbn = 978-0-385-26045-9
preceded_by = "A Man of the People"
followed_by =

"Anthills of the Savannah" is a 1987 novel by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe. A finalist for the 1987 Booker Prize for Fiction, it has been described as the "most important novel to come out of Africa in the [1980s] ." [Holger G. Ehling. "Critical Approaches to Anthills of the Savannah". The Netherlands: Rodopi, 1991. 1.]

Plot

The novel 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 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 novel ends with a non-traditional naming ceremony for Elewa and Ikem's month old daughter, organised by Beatrice.

References

External links

* [http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/post/achebe/anthillsov.html Anthills of the Savannah: An Overview]
* [http://www.chinua-achebe.com/anthills-of-the-savannah.htm Synopsis at Chinua-Achebe.com]