‘Expert In All Styles’: A Review By Oge Amarah
Have you ever read a book that created "voids", not just one but many, in your heart and left you longing for answers? I will tell you briefly about one. I.O. Echeruo’s Expert in All Styles and Other Stories did that to me.
With each story, Echeruo leads you down the path to a new universe with a different storyline and different characters. Slowly and unconsciously, you follow him down the rabbit hole, and at the peak of events, he pulls you out abruptly, leaving a feeling of yearning for continuity and trails of unanswered questions lingering in your mind. However, like an individual trapped in the blissful torment of Stockholm syndrome, you flip through those pages and follow him into the next story. It may sound frustrating, but it was worth it.
“Expert In All Styles aptly captures the Nigerian experience. It is a collection of realities, each story, telling your story or of someone you know.”
As I read through the lives of the characters in this book, I am reminded of my humanity and that of those around me, as the stories are very relatable. Echeruo thoroughly captured the lives of real people within his characters, painting images of the power dynamics that exist in various aspects of human society: relationships, marriage, family, school, business, religion, and politics. The book told stories of the struggles of average Nigerians in their quest to free themselves from the shackles of poverty, stories of betrayal, loss, and grief.
One of the things that caught my eye in the book is that most of the marriages in these stories were fraudulent and riddled with infidelity, which is frankly a reflection of our society. It made me wonder if we truly understand the purpose of marriage as well as the commitment, responsibilities, and sacrifices that come with it. I also pondered a lot about why we expend energy, time, and resources on planning a wedding. Then we proceed to gather family and friends from far and wide to make vows that would be broken in a split second. In the book, I got a glimpse of what an unhappy married life felt like Mariam and Ndidi, who were trapped in marriages devoid of love; the doctor from "Communicable Disease," whose wife always put her medical career before family; and the main character of "Love and Other Masquerades," who was deeply in love with another man, was entangled in a love affair with the said man over a long period and had her husband raise children who were not biologically his. Aishatu represented the dreadful Nollywood mothers-in-law who wield ultimate power over their sons and make life difficult for their daughters-in-law.
“Women are expected to be faithful, respectful, servile, and tolerant. However, men are less likely to be held accountable for any misconduct on their part…”
Mariam and the woman from "Communicable Disease" were extreme opposites. One was docile, constrained, and gagged by her husband and sister-in-law; the other was assertive, independent, and domineering over her husband. Both situations were skewed, in my opinion, and there is a need for balance. I am no expert in marriage, but just like how the various biological systems in the human body work together to maintain homeostasis for its survival, the mutual exchange of love, respect, commitment, and devotion is necessary for a happier and longer-lasting marriage. Unfortunately, this is not the case in our society. In this part of the world, women bear the brunt of any mishap in a marriage, as in the case of Ndidi, whose sister-in-law was trying to drag her to her pastor for a cure for her infertility; meanwhile, the one with reproductive problems was her brother. As women, we are expected to be faithful, respectful, servile, and tolerant. However, men are less likely to be held accountable for any misconduct on their part, especially about infidelity. I saw this play out in "The Naming Ceremony". Otunba had engaged in multiple love affairs but punished his wife, Funke when she had one. She cheated and paid a heavy price for it—a terrible one at that. However, when it is the other way around, which occurs very often, women are expected to be the bigger person. We indeed live in a chauvinistic society.
Love is a beautiful thing. I cannot overemphasize the beauty of true love, especially the love of parents for their children. There is no love as pure and unconditional as the love of parents for their children. This love was displayed in the way Cicero’s mother invested every penny she had in his education and in how Professor Kyari dotted on his daughter, Halima. However, of all the characters in this book, the mother of the main character of "His Excellency," was the MVP for me. The woman had nothing to her name, but all she did was shower her son with love in her way. She sacrificed everything she had to give her son the best education and even tried to help him get a job to the best of her abilities by advertising her brilliant son, a first-class graduate, to anyone who cared to listen since she did not have any powerful connections. It is a shame that she did not live to see what became of him.
I find "His Excellency and Expert in All Styles", the most relatable. They represent the "Nigerian hustle", the never-ending struggle to escape the "trenches". His Excellency showcased the reality of inequality in our country. Some people work hard their entire lives to be the best they can be, but they never get anywhere because of nepotism. Some give up trying to succeed the honest way and get involved in illegal things. A fraction of them make it to the top, while the rest get caught and end up having their lives destroyed. The main character lost his place as the best-graduating student to the son of a professor in his school due to his lack of connections in the faculty. After graduation, jobs go to people with connections—the rich and powerful. Those devoid of connections try to get it through any means necessary, either by selling their bodies to the people with connections, as in the case of Tobechukwu, the expert barber, or by doing other shady dealings.
Money and power are twins. His Excellency and other "big men" in positions of power use resources meant to improve the lives of citizens for the enrichment of themselves and their families. They do this without fear of the repercussions because they can wiggle their way out of trouble through their connections. Most of the time, they can pay their way out of it because the laws of our land are meant for the poor alone. They are first-class citizens; some of us are second-class citizens in our own homes.
When I was a child, our wonderful teachers urged us to study hard, saying that we were the leaders of tomorrow, for the future belongs to the youth. Now we are adults; some didn’t make it to adulthood, but for those of us who got there amidst the many troubles in Nigeria, the future is not looking bright at all, thus everyone is riding on a one-way train to Japa-Land. The rest of us who are left behind are at a crossroads. Should we give up on our country and ride the Japa train, or should we hold on in the hope of a better country for our children?
Expert In All Styles aptly captures the Nigerian experience. It is a collection of realities, each story, telling your story or of someone you know.
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Ogechukwu Amarah is an MSc student at the department of Biochemistry, Usmanu Danfodiyo University. She fell in love with books since Primary school and became interested in writing recently. Her dream is to hone her skills and publish her own work someday.
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