The Concubine (novel)
The Concubine is the debut novel by Nigerian writer Elechi Amadi originally published in 1966 as part of the Heinemann African Writers Series.
| Author | Elechi Amadi |
|---|---|
| Country | Nigeria |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Heinemann African Writers Series |
Publication date | 1966 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 216 pp |
| Preceded by | - |
| Followed by | 'The Great Ponds |
Set in a remote village in Eastern Nigeria, an area yet to be affected by European values and where society is orderly and predictable, the story concerns a woman "of great beauty and dignity" who inadvertently brings suffering and death to all her lovers.
The novel portrays a society still ruled by traditional gods, offering a glimpse into the human relationships that such a society creates.
On its publication in London by Heinemann Educational Books, The Concubine was hailed as a "most accomplished first performance" and "an outstanding work of pure fiction".[1][2] A critical study of the novel was written by Alastair Niven, who called it: "an example of how an absence of conscious sophistication or experimentation can result in a novel of classic simplicity.... Rooted firmly among the hunting and fishing villages of the Niger delta, The Concubine nevertheless possesses the timelessness and universality of a major novel."[3]
The Concubine has been made into a film, written by Elechi Amadi and directed by Nollywood director Andy Amenechi; the film was premiered in Abuja in March 2007.[4]
References
- Eustace Palmer, "Elechi Amadi and Flora Nwapa", African Literarture Today, no. 1, 1969, p. 56.
- Eldred Jones, "African Literature 1966-1967", African Forum, vol. 3, no. 1, p.5.
- Alastair Niven, A Critical View on Elechi Amadi's "The Concubine" (London, 1981), p. 7.
- Elechi Amadi website, videos. Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine
- East African Educational Publishers Ltd of Nairobi
- Heinemann Educational Books Ltd of London