Book Review: The Concubine by Elechi Amadi

 

Written by Safa Alhassan

My review of The Concubine is a tribute to Elechi Amadi. He is one of the finest African authors who first ignited my love for books at a very young age, with his perfect mastery of literature. This book remains one of my favourites of all time. It was the first book that introduced me to African literature and Igbo mythology. It is rich in definitive terms and so vivid in imagery, it has stayed with me for years. 

You see this book, The Concubine, it is storytelling in its rawest form. Elechi Amadi was a rare kind of writer, and his brilliance is still unmatched. A literary giant, eloquent and deeply gifted.

Elechi Amadi, the Nigerian author of The Concubine, died in 2016 at the age of 82.

This book brings back many childhood memories. I still remember sneaking into my mother’s university notes as a young girl and stumbling upon it. I had never heard of Elechi Amadi before then. The book, with its orange cover and an illustration of a woman holding a man in a strange posture, looked unassuming. Curious, I opened it, found the tiny prints, and carefully turned the pages, knowing it was one of my mother’s books. First thing i thought about holding the book was "What is CONCUBINE?" I didnt even know how to pronounce the word or what it means. But i was very curious. Reading it changed me and altered how I saw African literature.

A copy of the edition of The Concubine by Elechi Amadi, I read growing up

As an adult now, I fully understand what that early spark meant. The Concubine was a rare gift to my childhood and to readers like me.

The story takes place in a very traditional and cultural Igbo setting. During that era where wrestling and owning barns of yams proved masculinity and wealth. It is about a very beautiful widow called Ihuoma who is believed to be cursed. Some said she was a sea goddess and she has a husband in her spirit world who is very jealous and vengeful. Every man who dares to love her dies cruelly, supposedly at the hands of her spirit husband. However, apart from the myth which sparked my interest, the story is also about love, kindness, cruelty, womanhood, and it also very much highlights the deep struggles of being human. When she finally finds love again, after efforts to silence the spirit husband and also cleanse her, what happens next is devastating. The ending broke my young heart, and even now, i still remember how it felt. Her lover, Ekwueme, a handsome young man from her village was my favourite character.

The book had really dark and tragic themes but there was this character that made it a little lighthearted with his jokes. I liked him and enjoyed his carefree nature. His name is Wigwe, a friend of Ekwueme's.

I have read this book more times than I can count, so much so that the pages eventually gave way. It is one of those timeless works you return to, and each time you pick it up, it still interests you. In it, you will find pure Igbo mythology, and also very rich adages that force you to pause and think. Firstly, because the writer didn't particularly explain it which i feel was very deliberate. In many places a proverb is given without gloss so that you can hold the sentence, feel its weight, and let it sink in.

Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to sit with Elechi Amadi and ask him why he let the protagonist live such a lonely life. The book is not just any story. It is a meditation on what it means to be human, with all its complications, joys, and sorrows. It is a celebration of melancholy from beginning to end.

Sadly, he passed away in 2016 at the age of 82. Yet through The Concubine, i still feel like his literary fire is unmatched as I’m yet to read any thing close to his amazing book. Personally, this is a reminder to me that true storytellers never really die.

If I were not who I am, I sometimes think I would have been Igbo, because of how much i enjoy their stories. My advice to you, dear readers, is to go back to the old books. There is wisdom within those pages. The Concubine by Elechi Amadi is one of them. An unforgettable, beautifully written masterpiece.