Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad|| And So Are The Women...

at least the women from this novel.

One thing that drew me to this book was its interesting title. I do not necessarily judge books by their covers but there have been certain books I eagerly wanted to read because of their intriguing titles. “Nearly All The Men in Lagos are Mad” happened to be one of such books. However, for a book I eagerly wanted to read from the very first day I set my eyes on it, this book has been in my e-library for so long(over six months if I may add) . Whenever I felt it was time to read it, a seemingly more interesting novel would be recommended to me.

Eventually, I took out the time to read this novel and one thing I would say is that I wasn't disappointed.

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Nearly All The Men in Lagos are Mad is a collection of twelve short stories written by the Nigerian author “Damilare Kuku”. It was initially published in 2021 by Masobe Books.

The twelve short stories contained in this book describe various women and their experiences with men and relationships in Lagos. As per the title, the stories in this book are set in Lagos, Nigeria and I believe that any Lagosian who has gone through the book either has similar experiences to that of the characters or knows a person or two who do.

In general, the book depicts the hazards of attempting to find enduring love and friendship in one of Africa's wildest cities. The book contains humour, wisdom and empathy that will prove universally informative because the men in Lagos are similar to the men in other parts of the world. No?

First off, I would like to start by saying that I'm no Lagosian but with the number of experiences I've listened to from people who live or have visited Lagos, I have a pretty good image of the state. Just like with every state, there are the good parts and the bad parts. In this novel, the author specifically focuses on the men, their relationship with their partners and the mutual or not-so-mutual understanding they have with the said partners.

Some of the stories seemed awfully familiar as they throw some light on events that happen around us every single day. However, there were also some stories that had me screaming “that's not even possible” because they sounded too bizarre to be true. Take the very first story “Cuck up” for instance, the lady in question had been married to her husband for a few years and the husband who wasn't financially buoyant stopped putting in any sort of effort to find a job. The wife assumed the role of the breadwinner and one day while at work, a wealthy and generous gentleman came to purchase some roasted yam from her.

At that moment, the customer takes interest in her but she is married and even though her husband isn't working to make ends meet, she is still obligated to stay loyal to him which she does. Along the line, the husband finds out about the new gentleman in the picture who is willing to move the heavens and the earth just to make sure the protagonist becomes ‘his’ and once her husband finds out, he urges her to “give the man what he wants as long as the money keeps coming”. This alone is just so unbelievable!!

One story I liked so much out of the entire collection was titled “first times”. This particular story features the themes of resilience, perseverance, understanding, forgiveness and when things get sore, themes like vengeance, heartbreak and infidelity come into play.

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I couldn't help but notice the candid language used throughout the course of the novel. This added a level of authenticity to the narration. Also, the author's use of a first person point of view created an intimate tone, making it easier for readers to be drawn into the characters’ worlds.

Another thing I appreciated about this book was the authors endeavor to shed some light on the societal norms and expectation that shape relationships and masculinity in Lagos(and the world at large), often with profound consequences for the female partners involved. In the midst of all these, the author still found time to sprinkle in some humorous scenes which I really appreciated.

Recommendation

Overall, “Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad” is a compelling and thought-provoking read that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the complexities of relationship and identity in Lagos. It is also a good start for anyone looking to know more about the Lagosians.

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The rest of the images are screenshots from my library.}

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Liebe🤍