Every Day is for the Thief by Teju Cole

First published in Nigeria in 2007; published by Random House on March 25, 2014

Having been tainted during his 15 years in the United States by western notions of fairness and honesty, the unnamed narrator of Every Day Is for the Thief finds himself unprepared for the "informal economy" he encounters upon his return to Nigeria. Bribes are routinely demanded, unearned gratuities are expected, and outstretched hands are everywhere. Despite entreaties from relatives to stay indoors, the narrator is determined to experience life in Lagos as he did in his childhood. He goes to the public market to confirm that other people exist, and that he too exists. He wants to write, to be the Nigerian John Updike. He feels motivated by a rich environment in which brawls break out at every intersection and children are murdered for snatching purses.

Every Day is for the Thief stands as an indictment of crime and corruption in Nigeria, but the target is so well known that its illustration in the novel is far from revelatory. More interesting are the scenes of life in Lagos: the dangerous public transportation that the masses ride and the middle class avoids; the museum that uncritically celebrates every butcher who has ruled Nigeria; the conservatory that stands as the city's point of pride; the lax attitude toward maintenance; the prevalence of superstition; the clash of extreme religious viewpoints.

The novel's dramatic conflict centers around the decision the unnamed narrator must make to live in Lagos or return to the United States, where he plans to practice psychiatry. That conflict provides little drama -- the "atmosphere of surrender" in Lagos is a convincing reason not to live there and the narrator never seems serious about leaving American comforts behind -- making the novel read like a travelogue or an autobiographical slice of life. I recommend Every Day is for the Thief on that basis, but if you are looking for a compelling work of fiction, look elsewhere.

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