The Concubine (novel)
A debut novel about a woman whose lovers die mysteriously.
Elechi Amadi’s first novel, *The Concubine*, came out in 1966 through the Heinemann African Writers Series. It takes place in a remote Eastern Nigerian village untouched by European influence, where life follows a predictable, orderly pattern. The plot centers on a woman described as “of great beauty and dignity” who, without meaning to, brings tragedy and death to every man who loves her. The book shows a community still guided by traditional gods and explores the human bonds that form under such a system.
When Heinemann Educational Books released it in London, critics praised it as a “most accomplished first performance” and “an outstanding work of pure fiction.” Scholar Alastair Niven wrote a critical study of the novel, calling 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.”
The story follows Ihuoma, a strikingly beautiful and kind woman whose suitors keep dying in strange ways. Her first husband, Emenike, died after a fight with Madume, who also wanted Ihuoma. When Madume tried to marry her, he failed; later, after a cobra bit his face, he hanged himself. The third suitor, a handsome young man named Ekwueme, learned that Ihuoma is actually a sea-goddess who cannot wed any mortal. He attempted a midnight ritual to appease the Sea-King, but one of Ihuoma’s children accidentally shot him with an arrow while he was hunting a red male lizard for the ceremony.
Key characters include Ekwueme, Madume, Ihuoma, Emenike, Ahurole, Anyika, and Wigwe.
Despite occasional rumors, no film adaptation of Elechi Amadi's novel has been produced; a 2007 film of the same name is an unrelated story.
Quick Facts
- Title Orig
- The story concerns a woman of great beauty and dignity who inadvertently brings suffering and death to all her lovers
- Author
- Elechi Amadi
- Country
- Nigeria
- Language
- English
- Series
- African Writers Series
- Genre
- Literary Fiction
- Publisher
- Heinemann
- Release Date
- 1966
- Media Type
- Print (Paperback)
- Pages
- 216 pp
- Followed By
- The Great Ponds
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Concubine tells the story of Ihuoma, a stunningly beautiful and kind woman who cannot seem to have a typical romantic relationship, especially marriage, due to her suitors dying under different mysterious circumstances. Ihuoma's first husband is Emenike, who died after fighting Madume, who also desires Ihuoma for himself. When Madume attempted to get Ihuoma's hand in marriage, he fails; he died by hanging himself after he was bitten in the face by a cobra. The third suitor is Ekwueme, a handsome young man. When it was revealed that Ihuoma is a sea-goddess who cannot be married to any mortal man, Ekwueme decided to perform a ritual of appeasement to the Sea-King at midnight. He died when one of Ihuoma's children mistakenly shot him with an arrow in his attempt to get a red male lizard needed for the ritual.
Reader's Guide
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'. 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.' The novel 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. The work remains significant for its depiction of a traditional society governed by gods and its exploration of human relationships within that framework.
Did You Know?
- The Concubine is Elechi Amadi's debut novel, published in 1966.
- The novel was part of the Heinemann African Writers Series.
- No film adaptation of Elechi Amadi's novel exists; a 2007 film with the same title is a different story.
More in Fantasy novels adapted into films 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced