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The Condom and Other Stories
~How does a philandering London lawyer explain the condom his shocked wife found in his clothes that morning?
~Can sophisticated Ada hold her breath—and misgivings—long enough to finish consulting the musty mystic healer on her childlessness?
~Why does feisty Nez seem to be doing everything possible to fail her visa interview at the US Embassy?
~Will straitlaced Susan, a chorister and prayer warrior, come up with a ruse in time to stop her partner from yielding to the rapacious preacher?
Intrigue follows intrigue as The Condom and Other Stories reels out a colorful cast of characters that readers will love and loathe at the same time. The seventeen stories are told at pace, each laced with humor, snappy dialogue, and the occasional twist. As the heroines and heroes wade through encounters and trying relationships, their inflamed passions, conflicted moralities, and nifty schemes come together to produce a series of amusing results.
~Can sophisticated Ada hold her breath—and misgivings—long enough to finish consulting the musty mystic healer on her childlessness?
~Why does feisty Nez seem to be doing everything possible to fail her visa interview at the US Embassy?
~Will straitlaced Susan, a chorister and prayer warrior, come up with a ruse in time to stop her partner from yielding to the rapacious preacher?
Intrigue follows intrigue as The Condom and Other Stories reels out a colorful cast of characters that readers will love and loathe at the same time. The seventeen stories are told at pace, each laced with humor, snappy dialogue, and the occasional twist. As the heroines and heroes wade through encounters and trying relationships, their inflamed passions, conflicted moralities, and nifty schemes come together to produce a series of amusing results.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 6, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 11, 2022
I'm not usually a fan of short stories, but given the captivating cover and title, I had to give it a go.
As other reviewers have already stated, some of the stories are far more engaging than others, with the first being about 'the condom' being the best by far.
For me, that story was the peak, after which the stories got progressively less interesting.
I would give another book by this author a go; however sadly, for me, this one wasn’t a winner.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher BooksGoSocial for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As other reviewers have already stated, some of the stories are far more engaging than others, with the first being about 'the condom' being the best by far.
For me, that story was the peak, after which the stories got progressively less interesting.
I would give another book by this author a go; however sadly, for me, this one wasn’t a winner.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher BooksGoSocial for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2022
I must admit the title intrigued me and the front cover drawn me to the book. I enjoyed some stories more than others . I enjoyed the condom, suitcase, the story about the lady wanted a baby but the other short stories I found hard to get into and did struggle with them.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book his book.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book his book.
March 6, 2023
This collection is one I can recommend wholeheartedly because it does what it sets out to do. The stories are like fast moving vehicles that zoom past you, leaving you reeling in the aftermath of their impact. Needless to say that I loved each story. I skip stories in collections whenever they are not hitting the right notes, but I did no such thing in this book. Top tier stories.
July 1, 2022
The Condom and Other Stories- I love this wonderful story collection. Every story is written with thought and they’re so relatable. The author did such a good job with this book. The stories are written from an African perspective that I found intriguing.
I’m not much into anthologies and I never thought a book of stories could hit me as hard as this one did. I bought this book over a friend’s recommendation and ended up reading it all in just two sittings. One of the poems “The Interview” touched my nerves. If you're into short stories, buy this book because there are many if not all of these stories that hit harder than you'd think.
I’m not much into anthologies and I never thought a book of stories could hit me as hard as this one did. I bought this book over a friend’s recommendation and ended up reading it all in just two sittings. One of the poems “The Interview” touched my nerves. If you're into short stories, buy this book because there are many if not all of these stories that hit harder than you'd think.
July 1, 2022
I read anthologies to explore myself and my thoughts, this book had such amazing reviews I caved and brought it. It didn’t disappoint me at all. The topics spoken about are original and I felt like I was reading something that had improved my thought process... There were many unique points of view.
My fav. stories from the book-
Martyr
The Interview
Police is Your Friend
Today is Today
My fav. stories from the book-
Martyr
The Interview
Police is Your Friend
Today is Today
March 6, 2023
The occasional twist in these stories are what I particularly find fascinating. You could have envisioned the trajectory of the story, but suddenly you start wondering what is going on and when you are done reading you sit with yourself to collect your thoughts. I had this experience while reading the stories and to be honest these stories have some mind-boggling twist. I absolutely recommend.
January 29, 2023
The Condom
Men feel they are players, or so they think 😂, don’t underestimate women who want to play the game men love, “it will over you” simply Fear men , Fear women
I love the twist at the end ..
The Briefcase
When I read the last two paragraphs of this chapter, I laughed so hard alone in my room, like oh boy…😂 Mr Shabby and Mr Safari Suit .. “It is not my bag o. I swear to God. I be thief, i be common thief o. I see bag for that man car. I take the bag. The bag is not mine o. I am a thief, I be pickpocket, but I am not a killer o. I am not a ritualist. The bag is that man own. It is not my own o. Somebody help me o, please, please. Somebody help me. Chai, I am dead!”
😂😂😂 So funny….
Scent Of A Child
Poor Ada. This is a sensitive one. Did she really have to ?
There are a lot of options today, perhaps one of the(her) options was this.
The List
So much for politics. Lol African politics. Politics.
The General
This chapter was long and kinda boring. It also talked about coup, politics, and blind devotion of loyal Servants.
“No, Sir, Your Excellency. Should we arrest him?”— Sambo to the General 🤣🤣🤣
The Offering
Another sensitive one. Read your Bible and be guided by the Holy Spirit
A provocation
Wow, beautiful one 😂, I really need to read about what the Ghanaian Law says about Provocation
I’m intrigued…
Police is your friend
Weak Policing systems.
“You this man sef. instead of telling us you have settled Oga, you are just here wasting our time since”😂
Today is Today
I like books that mention other good books and their contents. “One did not have to look farther than at Okonkwo to know how far things have fallen apart”
Things fall apart- Chinua Achebe
This is an enjoyable read, I love love this book😍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2022
Title - The Condom and Other Stories
Author - Peter Chika
.
.
Peter Chika through his beautiful collection of writing, 'The Condom and Other Stories' takes you to a different world. It is a compilation of seventeen short stories which sail through vivid stages of human life and revolves around different characters and different plot lines and covers a large number of themes. The stories are covering from every age group young to old men to women children to adults every kind of people in society… their feelings, their emotions, their thoughts, their ideas… not only human morals but human ethics… everything you’ll find in the book in a crispy precise manner.
.
My favorite stories are:
Police is Your Friend
The Interview
Today is Today
Martyr
The Briefcase
When It Rained
Author - Peter Chika
.
.
Peter Chika through his beautiful collection of writing, 'The Condom and Other Stories' takes you to a different world. It is a compilation of seventeen short stories which sail through vivid stages of human life and revolves around different characters and different plot lines and covers a large number of themes. The stories are covering from every age group young to old men to women children to adults every kind of people in society… their feelings, their emotions, their thoughts, their ideas… not only human morals but human ethics… everything you’ll find in the book in a crispy precise manner.
.
My favorite stories are:
Police is Your Friend
The Interview
Today is Today
Martyr
The Briefcase
When It Rained
March 6, 2023
Give me a fast-paced story every time and I fall for it. These stories are electric and magnetic at the same time. They shock you and they pull you in with the same vigour. I enjoyed the twist in “The Offering”, “The Interview” and “A Provocation”. If what happens in “A Pot of Soup” happens to me, police will arrest everybody. I felt the pain of the woman in “Scent of a Child”. It is so deep what women go through sometimes through no fault of theirs. And “ Martyr” is just a deeply moving story that never fails to give me the chills whenever it crosses my mind. In all, this is a brilliant collection and I think you should experience it for yourself.
August 2, 2022
‘The Condom and Other Stories’ by Peter Chika is a collection of 17 wonderful short and crisp stories. I’m not a big anthology fan but this book increased my interest in short stories. All stories in this are well-narrated and the pace is good. They’re written from an African perspective which is unique and intriguing. It takes someone very intelligent and aware person to create a story out of happenings around the world. The short stories in this book are of such kind. Many incidents in the book have been taking place around us and woven into the story by the author, it is simply beautiful.
August 8, 2022
A Perfect Book Club Read
This gorgeous, diverse mix of short stories give us a snapshot into the lives of a wide range of African characters and their different worlds. And whilst I didn’t know what was coming in the next story, I did know I was in safe hands with the strong, confident writing style of Chika.
My two stand out must reads: The Interview and Martyr. These were exceptionally written, suspenseful and intriguing shorts. As a debut author, I really must commend Chika!
This gorgeous, diverse mix of short stories give us a snapshot into the lives of a wide range of African characters and their different worlds. And whilst I didn’t know what was coming in the next story, I did know I was in safe hands with the strong, confident writing style of Chika.
My two stand out must reads: The Interview and Martyr. These were exceptionally written, suspenseful and intriguing shorts. As a debut author, I really must commend Chika!
March 6, 2023
I cannot say that I had a good time reading these stories, but I cannot say that I had a bad time either. The stories are great, but the language reads too flowery in some instances. The Condom story and a few other stories I’d rather not mention didn’t really hold me in till the end, but I had a good time with a few others. The Headstrong story and the Martyr among others are stories I’d actually like to read a novella or novel about. It’s still a 4/5 stars for me because you can tell that the writer pulled his weight for the stories.
August 6, 2022
I was intrigued to read a collection of short stories as it is usually a a great way to reset the brain after reading so many full length novels. However, this book is not it. I honestly did not enjoy any of these stories - I found them all rather bizarre.
The title of the book is intriguing - the stories are not.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.
The title of the book is intriguing - the stories are not.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.
March 7, 2023
These stories are accounts of humans doing very much human things like disposing of a freshly made pot of soup, losing an election, cheating on one’s spouse, struggling to give offering in church, being mistaken for a robber among other things. It is a collection filled with the reality of life as many are acquainted with. I admire the style, the plausibility and the empathetic quality of the stories. I will definitely be rereading the book.
September 1, 2022
Okay, so I *almost* DNF’d this one during the first story (The Condom) because cheating is a hard pass for me. BUT I’m glad I stuck it out since the ending was pretty satisfying, heh. All of the stories are well-written with excellent pacing, and while it may not be my go-to genre, they were all quite enjoyable. Would recommend.
March 12, 2023
I cannot deny the fact I picked up this book from the title and the story itself did not disappoint. I enjoyed most of the stories. Just one or two of the stories felt a little slow for me. The rest are fast-paced, humourous and absolutely immersive. I was always shocked by the ending and that makes it a worth-reading collection.
August 4, 2025
Peter Chika does not hold back in his storytelling. He’s daring and astonishingly unique. While I like the humor and wit, only the first story really stood out to me. The lengthy paragraphs were tricky to read because they keep distracting me, and every time they go on, I keep losing that image of the story in my head.
May 13, 2022
A variety of offbeat subjects is an enjoyable read with original edgy humour and belly laugh observations with underlying poignant issues. I look forward to more short stories by Peter Chika.
An independent review thanks to NetGalley / BooksGoSocial
An independent review thanks to NetGalley / BooksGoSocial
March 6, 2023
From my reading experience with this book, I think the author will do well with thrilling and suspenseful stories. He knows how to leave imprint in a short time span. 17 stories that are a hit back to back? I love it!
March 11, 2023
I like a story that can make me laugh and still deal with serious societal issues. But a collection of stories that does exactly that has my entire heart. This is a brilliant body of work and I definitely cannot wait to read what Peter Chika has for us next.
February 5, 2023
Really good read. The stories were interesting and the author's writing style makes it easy to just immerse yourself in them
May 22, 2023
This was a big No for me
May 4, 2022
Whoever decided to categorise #TheCondomandOtherStories as humour, needs to know it’s not OK to label a book in such a misleading way. While the cover and the titular story lead the reader to believe this claim, the later stories are anything but.
Out of the seventeen stories the book features, I cannot think of a single reason how come the first two are grouped together with the rest. I have more or less similar sentiments about three-four others, although these make more sense as part of this collection. The majority of the stories deal with themes of corruption in Nigeria, and author Peter Chika excels at writing these political and social commentaries* . . . it does, however, get repetitive after the fifth story about governmental/electoral corruption.
{*I felt compelled to add a note to this statement, because while some stories seem to be critical of toxic masculinity, some others have sort of misogynistic tones that put me off a bit.}
The stories are driven by their plots. Regrettably, some (like The Wager and A Great Goat) don’t even have that. Others suffer from their short length: the resolutions feel rushed, and therefore cannot pack the intended punch.
I have six favourites that were truly enjoyable, despite their bitter bite at times: The Briefcase, The List, The Offering, A Provocation, When It Rained, and Police is Your Friend. The narration in the latter two was not as engaging, but I liked their subject matter nonetheless.
The Briefcase, the third story within the collection, is when the book strayed (almost entirely, save for a couple stories later on) from the premise of its marketing — my failure to understand why this book was packaged as a lighthearted read in the humour genre is specifically due to my belief that its general themes of corruption are far more enticing.
The distasteful, nay, VILE inclusion of the ninth story is what ruined this book for me, and made the false marketing enraging to say the least. “Martyr” is a graphic story on a su*cide b*mbing, featuring r*pe as well, all without a hint of content warnings. It’s purely unacceptable to smack a story about t*rr*rism in the middle of a book that pretends to be a humour collection, boasting an illustration of a resort (?) for a cover, that does not even acknowledge consisting of serious stories, let alone one so deeply triggering about one of the most traumatising subjects ever.
It is impossible for me to recommend a book that does something as horrendous, even though I genuinely loved some of the stories. Since the book is already published, the cover and the contents can’t be changed, so I implore the publisher to at least fix the book’s online description to include content warnings.
[DRC provided by #NetGalley and BooksGoSocial.]
Edit: Editing to mention the DRC had quite a few spelling errors. I hope they have been corrected for publication.
Out of the seventeen stories the book features, I cannot think of a single reason how come the first two are grouped together with the rest. I have more or less similar sentiments about three-four others, although these make more sense as part of this collection. The majority of the stories deal with themes of corruption in Nigeria, and author Peter Chika excels at writing these political and social commentaries* . . . it does, however, get repetitive after the fifth story about governmental/electoral corruption.
{*I felt compelled to add a note to this statement, because while some stories seem to be critical of toxic masculinity, some others have sort of misogynistic tones that put me off a bit.}
The stories are driven by their plots. Regrettably, some (like The Wager and A Great Goat) don’t even have that. Others suffer from their short length: the resolutions feel rushed, and therefore cannot pack the intended punch.
I have six favourites that were truly enjoyable, despite their bitter bite at times: The Briefcase, The List, The Offering, A Provocation, When It Rained, and Police is Your Friend. The narration in the latter two was not as engaging, but I liked their subject matter nonetheless.
The Briefcase, the third story within the collection, is when the book strayed (almost entirely, save for a couple stories later on) from the premise of its marketing — my failure to understand why this book was packaged as a lighthearted read in the humour genre is specifically due to my belief that its general themes of corruption are far more enticing.
The distasteful, nay, VILE inclusion of the ninth story is what ruined this book for me, and made the false marketing enraging to say the least. “Martyr” is a graphic story on a su*cide b*mbing, featuring r*pe as well, all without a hint of content warnings. It’s purely unacceptable to smack a story about t*rr*rism in the middle of a book that pretends to be a humour collection, boasting an illustration of a resort (?) for a cover, that does not even acknowledge consisting of serious stories, let alone one so deeply triggering about one of the most traumatising subjects ever.
It is impossible for me to recommend a book that does something as horrendous, even though I genuinely loved some of the stories. Since the book is already published, the cover and the contents can’t be changed, so I implore the publisher to at least fix the book’s online description to include content warnings.
[DRC provided by #NetGalley and BooksGoSocial.]
Edit: Editing to mention the DRC had quite a few spelling errors. I hope they have been corrected for publication.
August 4, 2022
Simply put, I found this story collection to be absolutely beautiful. Each story was thoughtful and moving and an absolute joy to read. Peter Chika’s writing flows perfectly, and his stories paint a stunning picture of life’s ups and downs. The stories are classic and are the sort that readers can truly connect with, and each person’s interpretation will be different.
The Briefcase, The Interview, Police is Your Friend, When It Rained, Today is Today… all 17 stories give readers a raw and vivid portrayal of what it is to be human. Each story is different from one another and is funny, quirky, and comes with surprising twists. Peter Chika is a wonderful storyteller. He knows the taste of his readers. I will recommend this book to all book lovers.
Merged review:
Are you a fan of short stories? I will not call myself a fan but I do enjoy reading a collection here and there. This book is one that I picked up out of sheer curiosity but ended up loving so much.
I enjoy reading every story because there is always something to grab hold of and reflect on, something to make the heart happier, and something just to enjoy too.
The book is a collection of 17 wonderful short stories. Each story has some type of lesson hidden in it and is amazingly written. The language used is easy and intriguing. The stories are fast-paced with lucid narratives. All the characters are inspired by people around us and incidents happening in our day-to-day life, which makes this book a relatable one.
I love the simple yet pretty cover of this book.
The Briefcase, The Interview, Police is Your Friend, When It Rained, Today is Today… all 17 stories give readers a raw and vivid portrayal of what it is to be human. Each story is different from one another and is funny, quirky, and comes with surprising twists. Peter Chika is a wonderful storyteller. He knows the taste of his readers. I will recommend this book to all book lovers.
Merged review:
Are you a fan of short stories? I will not call myself a fan but I do enjoy reading a collection here and there. This book is one that I picked up out of sheer curiosity but ended up loving so much.
I enjoy reading every story because there is always something to grab hold of and reflect on, something to make the heart happier, and something just to enjoy too.
The book is a collection of 17 wonderful short stories. Each story has some type of lesson hidden in it and is amazingly written. The language used is easy and intriguing. The stories are fast-paced with lucid narratives. All the characters are inspired by people around us and incidents happening in our day-to-day life, which makes this book a relatable one.
I love the simple yet pretty cover of this book.
May 29, 2022
An accomplished collection of short stories.
I enjoyed this book of short stories. It is a vignette of life stories from an African perspective that I found thoroughly engaging and fascinating.
I have always told myself I am not much of a fan of short stories but I realise it is more anthologies. The various writing styles in anthologies I find a bit of a lottery. Like a packet of Revell's, there are some good and some bad but always a coffee in the bag somewhere to be avoided. With this offering from Peter Chika I did not have that worry, I knew from the first story I was in safe hands.
The writing is accomplished and each tale distinctive and unique. The dialogue and self-reflection of some of the characters I found brilliantly entertaining. There are some great twists as well in many of the stories but also a few that were a bit abrupt. Also, some of the tales I thought were grim rather than humourous and one was an uncomfortable read, at least at the end. That is not a bad thing per se, it is great to be challenged and have to see or think about things through a different prism and that was certainly the case for me. However, someone looking for a light-hearted read will probably find this offering a little darker than they were expecting.
Overall, an entertaining and thought-provoking read (at least to my sensibilities) and I recommend taking a look inside. The first story is a great showcase with a twist I didn’t see coming and it gives an excellent taster of what else is to come. If you like it you will love this book.
I enjoyed this book of short stories. It is a vignette of life stories from an African perspective that I found thoroughly engaging and fascinating.
I have always told myself I am not much of a fan of short stories but I realise it is more anthologies. The various writing styles in anthologies I find a bit of a lottery. Like a packet of Revell's, there are some good and some bad but always a coffee in the bag somewhere to be avoided. With this offering from Peter Chika I did not have that worry, I knew from the first story I was in safe hands.
The writing is accomplished and each tale distinctive and unique. The dialogue and self-reflection of some of the characters I found brilliantly entertaining. There are some great twists as well in many of the stories but also a few that were a bit abrupt. Also, some of the tales I thought were grim rather than humourous and one was an uncomfortable read, at least at the end. That is not a bad thing per se, it is great to be challenged and have to see or think about things through a different prism and that was certainly the case for me. However, someone looking for a light-hearted read will probably find this offering a little darker than they were expecting.
Overall, an entertaining and thought-provoking read (at least to my sensibilities) and I recommend taking a look inside. The first story is a great showcase with a twist I didn’t see coming and it gives an excellent taster of what else is to come. If you like it you will love this book.
April 25, 2022
Thank you Net Galley for the early copy! I am a fan of short stories and especially enjoyed this set of stories set around Nigerians.
- Many of the stories are quirky and have a witty ending. The dialogues are sharp and made me chuckle.
- While some stories are surprisingly emotional and hard-hitting. But I do appreciate the sense of reality the author maintained
- I have never been to Nigeria or known any Nigerians. But that's what books are all about. They open up worlds we haven't explored or got a chance to visit (yet). My knowledge about Nigeria is from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's books. And I think these stories match her stories in tonality and background.
- I am assuming all that is mentioned in the book are close to real stories. I could relate to most of them because I have seen or come across most of these "hustles" in other developing nations - my country, India. I guess the rest of the world, other than the developed countries all work similarly - people fighting tooth & nail to survive!
- The writing is enjoyable and flows seamlessly. Though each story is only a few pages the author does a good job setting the story up and diving into the details. Though a couple of stories it took me a page or two to understand the details - especially, the location. When stories are set in Houston and London it takes a minute for the reader to picture it.
- Many of the stories are quirky and have a witty ending. The dialogues are sharp and made me chuckle.
- While some stories are surprisingly emotional and hard-hitting. But I do appreciate the sense of reality the author maintained
- I have never been to Nigeria or known any Nigerians. But that's what books are all about. They open up worlds we haven't explored or got a chance to visit (yet). My knowledge about Nigeria is from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's books. And I think these stories match her stories in tonality and background.
- I am assuming all that is mentioned in the book are close to real stories. I could relate to most of them because I have seen or come across most of these "hustles" in other developing nations - my country, India. I guess the rest of the world, other than the developed countries all work similarly - people fighting tooth & nail to survive!
- The writing is enjoyable and flows seamlessly. Though each story is only a few pages the author does a good job setting the story up and diving into the details. Though a couple of stories it took me a page or two to understand the details - especially, the location. When stories are set in Houston and London it takes a minute for the reader to picture it.
July 1, 2022
Peter Chika’s book ‘The Condom and Other Stories’ has a little something for everyone. What makes this book so meaningful to me is not how beautifully crafted the stories are, but rather, the variety of stories in it. There's something in it for everyone or every mood you might be in. Whether you're heartbroken, madly in love, feeling uninspired, feeling down, feeling hopeful, or feeling like you could take on the world, you can always turn to this book and find something that resonates with you.
The book is sweet and genuine. I found myself smiling, laughing, and tearing up as I read. The stories seem realistic and pleasant. There were also mentions of Nigerian existences that left me speechless. Overall, a great read!
The book is sweet and genuine. I found myself smiling, laughing, and tearing up as I read. The stories seem realistic and pleasant. There were also mentions of Nigerian existences that left me speechless. Overall, a great read!
June 23, 2022
A sparkling collection of stories. Varied and vivid, they span a wide range of human experience - and several continents. There are humorous takes on relationships, romantic and otherwise; jaw-dropping satire about political corruption; classic yarns with a twist in the weaving; a poignant, disturbing look at terrorism; and so many voices, drawing the reader into other lives. I was left with the colours and scents of Africa, the rainy pavements of London, the cool of an air-conditioned American apartment. I was left dazzled and jostled by an amazing cast of characters. This is an author to watch!
April 15, 2022
There are seventeen short stories in this book that cover a wide variety of situations. If the rest of the book had been as good as "The Condom" and "The briefcase" this in my opinion would have been a much better book. On another note, I found the short story "The Martyr" a little disturbing even though you could say it turned out well at the end of the story. Overall, I would rate this book average at best. Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC for a fair and honest review.
March 7, 2023
I love short stories, in fact I have made it a point to read as many of them as I can in my reading life and when I came across this title, I was intrigued. This book is a collection of 17 stories that embodies the qualities of a short story and they transcend place, time and the human condition. I loved every story and the writer’s style is absolutely perfect for my reading taste. Having my jaw constantly dropping is definitely a plus.
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