Title: The Condom and Other Stories
Author: Peter Chika
Publisher: Akikiro
Year of Publication: 2021
Number of Pages: 203
Category: Short Stories
It’s possible that you haven’t heard of the author of “The Condom and Other Stories,” Peter Chika, but the intriguing title of his book is sure to get your attention. On the other hand, you probably don’t want your pastor to find out that you’re reading a book with this title.
Despite the tongue-in-cheek title, the author writes with great eloquence. The book’s 17 stories are written in fonts that might make your eyes tired at first, but once you start reading them, you’ll quickly forget about the stresses of the outside world.
The first story in the collection, “The Condom,” will drop your jaw and set the tone for the rest of the book, which does a great job of progressively increasing the tension and excitement.
In comparison to the amount of tension contained within the book, the book’s cover appears to have an excessive amount of calm.
The stories, which are set in a wide variety of countries and locations, each contain their own unique take on a number of different themes. The lengths of the chapters were just about perfect; they were neither overly brief nor drawn out.
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You will find that many of the tales are humorous; however, as you continue reading, you will see that some of the facts appear to be exaggerated, while others may be based on actual events.
It is entirely possible that not all of the stories will live up to the standard that is set in the first few chapters of the book, which establishes a very high bar to begin with.
The issues that are currently affecting Nigeria are not avoided head-on in this book. It may come as a surprise to learn that reading about a fuel shortage in a book and then experiencing one firsthand can increase anxiety.
The protagonist of “The Offering,” a car owner, will mess with your feelings. Readers will be taken aback by the actions of the protagonist wife. Because of how captivating the story was, you’re going to start visualizing the dramatic events that took place.
The story “Police is Your Friend” offers some enlightening information regarding the Nigerian Police, some of which may come as a surprise to the reader. It’s possible that law enforcement is actually on your enemy list.
And in the narrative “Eye for a tooth,” you may be praying that the author doesn’t get in trouble if his book ends up in the hands of the persons he may be referring to.
If you are not of Nigerian descent, you may become perplexed when you come across words such as “wuruwuru” or “katakata,” which may prompt you to immediately turn to Google. Hopefully, Google will help you figure out what these words mean.
Pidgin, Igbo, and Latin are among the many languages featured throughout the book.
As soon as you finish this book, you may want to seek out everything else Peter Chika has written.
About the reviewer
Titilade Oyemade is a business executive in a leading organisation and holds a degree in Russian Language. She’s the convener of the Hangoutwithtee Ladies Event and the publisher of Hangoutwithtee magazine. She spends her weekends attending women conferences, events and book readings. She loves to have fun and to help other women have the same in their lives. Email: [email protected] Social: @tiipreeofficial
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