Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad

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From Ikorodu to Yaba, Ilupeju to Victoria Island, the stories underscore with wit, humour, wisdom and sensitivity, the perils of trying to find lasting love and companionship in Africa’s most notorious city that will prove universal and illuminating.

Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad is a collection of twelve short stories featuring characters with unique voices and stories that represent the diverse class, gender and ethnic melting pot that is Lagos. Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad’ is a collection of twelve short stories featuring characters with unique voices and stories that represent the diverse class, gender and ethnic melting pot that is Lagos. In the story “Beard Gang” from Nearly All The Men in Lagos Are Mad, you explored how Gay men use marriage to straight women to conceal and hide their sexual orientation. Do you think Nearly All The Men in Lagos helped in any way to pinpoint how this is problematic? Surely almost every one who reads stories about Nigeria has heard a lot — and for some, enough about the city of Lagos. But to be honest, the writers who take up Lagos as the location of their stories, make readers want to know more and more.But, these are not new issues. Neither are they unique, in today's world. They are just a reminder of how morally decadent we have allowed ourselves to be; we wallow in a quagmire, splashing mud all around, without first wondering when solid ground became sinking sand. Although the writer makes up for this in the last story! Which gives us twists and turns and also, directly relates to the book’s title!

It is in Lagos that a man with shrunken cheeks and a large forehead marked by many hours in the sun will trudge up to you, trying to convince you that he is a wealthy businessman who needs help clearing goods worth millions of dollars with the promise of a hefty compensation. You will look closely at him, noting his ratty suitcase and faded shirt, before moving carefully and hurriedly away. Lagos is a city of assortments, a concoction of the good, the bad, the mad, and the ugly. A boisterous city enlivened by the pulsating heartbeats of the eager millions hustling and bustling, waiting for their big breakthrough. It is a place where dreams are unfurled to bloom or diluted to a soppy mess by the dulled browns of cynicism.

The collection of stories all have a similar theme that shines through — and that is Love, in all its forms. Romantic, unrequited, past love, even agape. Other themes that can be seen are betrayal, deception, stereotype, desperation, relationships, sex. Also, the portrayal of what relationships in Lagos are said to be, was excellently done by the writer. In some stories, he highlighted and emphasized on stereotypical happenings, while he in some, he gave true love stories. The short stories announces itself and the author’s distinct writing style. Outstandingly, Ugochukwu mixes modern day internet slangs in his writings, showing how contemporary his plot, writing style and voice is. Anyone who could keep a white shirt clean at the end of the day in Lagos deserved a standing ovation. But I should have known that any man who could keep a white shirt clean at the end of a Lagos work day would be dangerous" Caroline Nnabuife is painted as a woman who hates her son and husband. However, this is false. Even her in-laws who know that the marriage only exists because Amos raped her, still accuse her to be a witch who wants to kill her own son. Adam doesn’t feel any remorse for her when he learns why she hates his father so much. The gaslighting and painting of Caroline as the one with the fault just goes ahead to fall in line with the norm in the novel.