A review by hazioli
Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe

4.25

An incredibly well written book. The story alone is masterful - but the way Achebe crafts his chapters, chooses his use of language, and writes through the eyes of very different characters brings a very well done feeling of being right in the middle of something as big as a whole country.

At times his choice of language to depict women felt reductive but very rarely did this come outside of a chapter or a POV by a man who viewed her in that way - and the chapters written from Beatrice’s POV (as well as being some of the best) had such a stark change in language that showed the consideration of the author. This can’t be said for all male writers discussing political change or oppression.

And now the times had come round again out of story-land. Perhaps not as bad as the first times, yet. But they could easily end worse. Why? Because today no one can rise and march south by starlight abandoning crippled kindred in the wild savannah and arrive stealthily at a tiny village and fall upon its inhabitants and slay them and take their land and say: I did it because death stared through my eye. 
So they send instead a deputation of elders to the government who hold the yam today, and hold the knife, to seek help of them.