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I Do Not Come to You by Chance
A deeply moving debut novel set amid the perilous world of Nigerian email scams, I Do Not Come to You by Chance tells the story of one young man and the family who loves him.
Being the opara of the family, Kingsley Ibe is entitled to certain privileges--a piece of meat in his egusi soup, a party to celebrate his graduation from university. As first son, he has responsibilities, too. But times are bad in Nigeria, and life is hard. Unable to find work, Kingsley cannot take on the duty of training his younger siblings, nor can he provide his parents with financial peace in their retirement. And then there is Ola. Dear, sweet Ola, the sugar in Kingsley's tea. It does not seem to matter that he loves her deeply; he cannot afford her bride price.
It hasn't always been like this. For much of his young life, Kingsley believed that education was everything, that through wisdom, all things were possible. Now he worries that without a "long-leg"--someone who knows someone who can help him--his degrees will do nothing but adorn the walls of his parents' low-rent house. And when a tragedy befalls his family, Kingsley learns the hardest lesson of all: education may be the language of success in Nigeria, but it's money that does the talking.
Unconditional family support may be the way in Nigeria, but when Kingsley turns to his Uncle Boniface for help, he learns that charity may come with strings attached. Boniface--aka Cash Daddy--is an exuberant character who suffers from elephantiasis of the pocket. He's also rumored to run a successful empire of email scams. But he can help. With Cash Daddy's intervention, Kingsley and his family can be as safe as a tortoise in its shell. It's up to Kingsley now to reconcile his passion for knowledge with his hunger for money, and to fully assume his role of first son. But can he do it without being drawn into this outlandish mileu?
Being the opara of the family, Kingsley Ibe is entitled to certain privileges--a piece of meat in his egusi soup, a party to celebrate his graduation from university. As first son, he has responsibilities, too. But times are bad in Nigeria, and life is hard. Unable to find work, Kingsley cannot take on the duty of training his younger siblings, nor can he provide his parents with financial peace in their retirement. And then there is Ola. Dear, sweet Ola, the sugar in Kingsley's tea. It does not seem to matter that he loves her deeply; he cannot afford her bride price.
It hasn't always been like this. For much of his young life, Kingsley believed that education was everything, that through wisdom, all things were possible. Now he worries that without a "long-leg"--someone who knows someone who can help him--his degrees will do nothing but adorn the walls of his parents' low-rent house. And when a tragedy befalls his family, Kingsley learns the hardest lesson of all: education may be the language of success in Nigeria, but it's money that does the talking.
Unconditional family support may be the way in Nigeria, but when Kingsley turns to his Uncle Boniface for help, he learns that charity may come with strings attached. Boniface--aka Cash Daddy--is an exuberant character who suffers from elephantiasis of the pocket. He's also rumored to run a successful empire of email scams. But he can help. With Cash Daddy's intervention, Kingsley and his family can be as safe as a tortoise in its shell. It's up to Kingsley now to reconcile his passion for knowledge with his hunger for money, and to fully assume his role of first son. But can he do it without being drawn into this outlandish mileu?
402 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
212 people are currently reading
6349 people want to read
About the author
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
3 books228 followersAdaobi Tricia Obinne Nwaubani (born in 1976) is a Nigerian novelist, humorist, essayist and journalist. Her debut novel, I Do Not Come to you by Chance, won the 2010 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (Africa), a Betty Trask First Book award,and was named by the Washington Post as one of the Best Books of 2009. Nwaubani is the first contemporary African writer on the global stage to have got an international book deal while still living in her home country.
(from Wikipedia)
(from Wikipedia)
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January 6, 2022
The Nigerian Scam - a view from the inside. Fiction. Or is it?
An alternately amusing and serious book on the Nigerian scam of emails that promise you millions of dollars if only you help the poor man/widow/cancer victim get the money out of the country. But this is written from the point of view of a well-educated but relatively poor Nigerian lad who has responsibilities to support his family. It's a very light read, quite well written and with a cast of some very colourful and more-or-less-believable characters. Although its light fiction, because of the vast cultural differences, it left me with plenty to reflect on.
What is a person to do when he cannot get work, any work, let alone work commensurate with his qualifications and his family must eat and there is no welfare state? He must either condemn his family to a very low level of existence that might include begging, he might indebt himself to loan sharks and eventually end up begging, he might steal or - given the opportunity - scam individuals living far away in the first world countries of immense riches. And if the right people are paid-off, up to and including politicians, there is no danger of any punishment, so why not? He is as contemptuous of his marks as we are of them - people whose greed is equal to their wealth and stupidity - and really deserve no sympathy. If we ever hear of anyone falling victim to one of those email scams we laugh and think 'what an idiot' and so does he.
However, our hero never failed to have doubts about the morals of what he did but at the end when he appears to have repented (now he's very rich) comes a surprise that had me saying streuuups sucking my teeth. And laughing.
_____________
An opportunity to get rich.
"I am Barr. Richard Spencer residing in Accra-Ghana,a personal attorney to late Mr.Robert ,a nationality of your country who died in tragic motor accident by running into a stationery Trailer without warning sign on December 26 , 2006.
I have contacted you to assist in repatriating his fund valued at USD$45,200,000.00 left behind by my late client before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Security Finance Firm where this huge amount were deposited.
Reply to my private email address for more details: richrdspencer1790@gmail.com"
Anyone want to write to him :-D ?
An alternately amusing and serious book on the Nigerian scam of emails that promise you millions of dollars if only you help the poor man/widow/cancer victim get the money out of the country. But this is written from the point of view of a well-educated but relatively poor Nigerian lad who has responsibilities to support his family. It's a very light read, quite well written and with a cast of some very colourful and more-or-less-believable characters. Although its light fiction, because of the vast cultural differences, it left me with plenty to reflect on.
What is a person to do when he cannot get work, any work, let alone work commensurate with his qualifications and his family must eat and there is no welfare state? He must either condemn his family to a very low level of existence that might include begging, he might indebt himself to loan sharks and eventually end up begging, he might steal or - given the opportunity - scam individuals living far away in the first world countries of immense riches. And if the right people are paid-off, up to and including politicians, there is no danger of any punishment, so why not? He is as contemptuous of his marks as we are of them - people whose greed is equal to their wealth and stupidity - and really deserve no sympathy. If we ever hear of anyone falling victim to one of those email scams we laugh and think 'what an idiot' and so does he.
However, our hero never failed to have doubts about the morals of what he did but at the end when he appears to have repented (now he's very rich) comes a surprise that had me saying streuuups sucking my teeth. And laughing.
_____________
An opportunity to get rich.
"I am Barr. Richard Spencer residing in Accra-Ghana,a personal attorney to late Mr.Robert ,a nationality of your country who died in tragic motor accident by running into a stationery Trailer without warning sign on December 26 , 2006.
I have contacted you to assist in repatriating his fund valued at USD$45,200,000.00 left behind by my late client before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Security Finance Firm where this huge amount were deposited.
Reply to my private email address for more details: richrdspencer1790@gmail.com"
Anyone want to write to him :-D ?
January 8, 2021
A gleeful and often hilarious carnival of cliché parades through these pages. Airline food is tasteless, parents are conservative, white women are patronising, school is where one learns 'the white man's wisdom', British people all have brown, misaligned teeth. About halfway through I realised I was reading a truly brilliant piece of satire, and it just got better and better (and more mercilessly irreverent) as it went along.
When Augustina is permitted to return to school for 'five more years of the white man's wisdom' she is delighted. The contrasts in this scene disrupt both the Liberal framing that assumes education needs to be given to African people by White saviours, and the underlying assumption, often replicated by more radical thinkers, that such people are naively receptive and cannot read whiteness or critically engage with its texts (including myths like the White saviour and colonial educational materials). Augustina enters the colonial relationship of further education more or less agentically, and although its effect on her fate is dubious, Nwaubani thereby highlights the complex mesh of intentions and influences at work in Nigerian lives.
Dismissing stereotypes is arguably what this book does best, often by playing them out to the furthest edges of absurdity, sometimes incorporated into a mere offhand remark “When I was a child, we had watched a documentary about an East African tribe who spoke with clicks and gurgles instead of real words” (Africa ain't a country, folks). Nwaubani is similarly brutal and ingenious in her criticism of Igbo patriarchy, having protagonist Kingsley describe his Aunty Dimma as 'a terrible wife' (although 'a lovely person' in every other way) because she is an independent woman, wearing trousers, buying herself a car and other aberrations. This relentless jesting with racism and sexism as its butts often reveals the histories of oppressive tropes. It's wonderful to see shoddy white behaviour and misperceptions from a Nigerian perspective. Nwaubani generously allows the white reader a belly-laugh at our own expense, sweetening the self-interrogation that will hopefully follow.
Several characters are pure archetypes. Uncle Boniface/Cash Daddy is involved in government corruption, uneducated but effectively supporting his academic relatives, with bleached women attending him, and a total lack of social grace – Nwaubani graphically portrays him continuing business negotiations while ahem using the bathroom facilities (and then proceeding to eat without washing his hands). Kingsley's father, Paulinus is colonised to the point of thinking everything English superior to everything Nigerian. When he has a stroke, his family are astonished that he starts speaking Igbo, a language they've never heard him use. Some of his attitudes have clearly rubbed off on Kingsley and Augustina, but at least Kingsley regards skin-bleaching with disapproval. For much of the novel, he seems a bit of a mugu. He completely loses his head over money, with no sense of proportion or the pride and integrity his mother values. However, Nwaubani allows him a degree of character development and self awareness, taking the book beyond farcical comedy to greater depths.
The theme of 419 scams is used ingeniously and critically. It's easy enough to point out that these tricks work on people's greed, and sometimes on the desire to 'help Africa' which Kingsley sees as the 'weakness' of caring, but structurally this caring is exploitative, an emotional extraction that functions on multiple levels in the globalised neocolonial economy. It's true that Cash Daddy et al have excessive faith in the social safety net of the UK and no doubt the US too. The welfare state in the UK has been undergoing a demolition since its inception, varying in speed and priorities but rarely in direction. There's plenty of real grinding poverty here, with increasing numbers of people dependent on food banks, including members of the working poor. The characters are amusingly ignorant about other countries too, for example they mention Iranians speaking 'Arabic' (Nwaubani nudges in a corrective hint) and 'beheading' convicts. However, Iranians are not good mugus. Since they aren't white, they are too smart to be scammed.
Going further, Nwaubani shows that men like Uncle Boniface/Cash Daddy cannot be seen simply as a blight on society: 'it depends which part of the elephant you can feel', Kingsley offers. The 419-ers take care of huge networks of relations, extending such kinship bonds to 'one old woman in your village'. They fund schools, fix roads, pay medical bills, and generally take the place of the absent neocolonial state, by pulling back a proportion of the resources stolen from Africa by coloniser states. It's not unreasonable to see them in the role of Robin Hood. When Kingsley buys Cash Daddy a small gift, and through many other instances, Nwaubani touchingly reveals the genuine love that people have for him. As well as delighting me constantly with zany turns of phrase and keeping me turning those pages to discover the next twist in the thrilling plot, this novel challenged and changed my perspectives.
When Augustina is permitted to return to school for 'five more years of the white man's wisdom' she is delighted. The contrasts in this scene disrupt both the Liberal framing that assumes education needs to be given to African people by White saviours, and the underlying assumption, often replicated by more radical thinkers, that such people are naively receptive and cannot read whiteness or critically engage with its texts (including myths like the White saviour and colonial educational materials). Augustina enters the colonial relationship of further education more or less agentically, and although its effect on her fate is dubious, Nwaubani thereby highlights the complex mesh of intentions and influences at work in Nigerian lives.
Dismissing stereotypes is arguably what this book does best, often by playing them out to the furthest edges of absurdity, sometimes incorporated into a mere offhand remark “When I was a child, we had watched a documentary about an East African tribe who spoke with clicks and gurgles instead of real words” (Africa ain't a country, folks). Nwaubani is similarly brutal and ingenious in her criticism of Igbo patriarchy, having protagonist Kingsley describe his Aunty Dimma as 'a terrible wife' (although 'a lovely person' in every other way) because she is an independent woman, wearing trousers, buying herself a car and other aberrations. This relentless jesting with racism and sexism as its butts often reveals the histories of oppressive tropes. It's wonderful to see shoddy white behaviour and misperceptions from a Nigerian perspective. Nwaubani generously allows the white reader a belly-laugh at our own expense, sweetening the self-interrogation that will hopefully follow.
Several characters are pure archetypes. Uncle Boniface/Cash Daddy is involved in government corruption, uneducated but effectively supporting his academic relatives, with bleached women attending him, and a total lack of social grace – Nwaubani graphically portrays him continuing business negotiations while ahem using the bathroom facilities (and then proceeding to eat without washing his hands). Kingsley's father, Paulinus is colonised to the point of thinking everything English superior to everything Nigerian. When he has a stroke, his family are astonished that he starts speaking Igbo, a language they've never heard him use. Some of his attitudes have clearly rubbed off on Kingsley and Augustina, but at least Kingsley regards skin-bleaching with disapproval. For much of the novel, he seems a bit of a mugu. He completely loses his head over money, with no sense of proportion or the pride and integrity his mother values. However, Nwaubani allows him a degree of character development and self awareness, taking the book beyond farcical comedy to greater depths.
The theme of 419 scams is used ingeniously and critically. It's easy enough to point out that these tricks work on people's greed, and sometimes on the desire to 'help Africa' which Kingsley sees as the 'weakness' of caring, but structurally this caring is exploitative, an emotional extraction that functions on multiple levels in the globalised neocolonial economy. It's true that Cash Daddy et al have excessive faith in the social safety net of the UK and no doubt the US too. The welfare state in the UK has been undergoing a demolition since its inception, varying in speed and priorities but rarely in direction. There's plenty of real grinding poverty here, with increasing numbers of people dependent on food banks, including members of the working poor. The characters are amusingly ignorant about other countries too, for example they mention Iranians speaking 'Arabic' (Nwaubani nudges in a corrective hint) and 'beheading' convicts. However, Iranians are not good mugus. Since they aren't white, they are too smart to be scammed.
Going further, Nwaubani shows that men like Uncle Boniface/Cash Daddy cannot be seen simply as a blight on society: 'it depends which part of the elephant you can feel', Kingsley offers. The 419-ers take care of huge networks of relations, extending such kinship bonds to 'one old woman in your village'. They fund schools, fix roads, pay medical bills, and generally take the place of the absent neocolonial state, by pulling back a proportion of the resources stolen from Africa by coloniser states. It's not unreasonable to see them in the role of Robin Hood. When Kingsley buys Cash Daddy a small gift, and through many other instances, Nwaubani touchingly reveals the genuine love that people have for him. As well as delighting me constantly with zany turns of phrase and keeping me turning those pages to discover the next twist in the thrilling plot, this novel challenged and changed my perspectives.
July 24, 2024
Hilarious, heartwarming, sad, entertaining and un-put-down-able
Nwaubani is an excellent author who will take you on the most amazing adventure with characters you can't help but cheer for. In I Do Not Come To You By Chance we meet Kingsley who grew up in a family where education was to be the way, the truth and the light. He saw both his mother and father worked to get their education and they instilled in him the value and doors a degree would open for him. It is not until Kingsley graduated from University with a degree as an engineer, started apply for jobs in the oil and gas industry that he realized he was sold a dream. Fresh graduate with the world before him, Kingsley is now realizing that it is not the degree that will open doors, but it is his uncle who is the head of a 419 scam organization.
Kingsley decided that in order to provide for his family, he must rely on himself and not wait for hand outs. He joins his Uncle organization and became a full-time scammer. He sends people letters letting them know "I do not come to you by chance..." What happens when his luck wears thin?
I LOVED this book. As someone who gets a lot of these scam emails, I was a little funny seeing the other side. I loved that the author made it realistic, while not making us feel bad for the scammers. We get a nuanced look into the lives of characters who turn to scamming. A highly entertaining read.
Nwaubani is an excellent author who will take you on the most amazing adventure with characters you can't help but cheer for. In I Do Not Come To You By Chance we meet Kingsley who grew up in a family where education was to be the way, the truth and the light. He saw both his mother and father worked to get their education and they instilled in him the value and doors a degree would open for him. It is not until Kingsley graduated from University with a degree as an engineer, started apply for jobs in the oil and gas industry that he realized he was sold a dream. Fresh graduate with the world before him, Kingsley is now realizing that it is not the degree that will open doors, but it is his uncle who is the head of a 419 scam organization.
Kingsley decided that in order to provide for his family, he must rely on himself and not wait for hand outs. He joins his Uncle organization and became a full-time scammer. He sends people letters letting them know "I do not come to you by chance..." What happens when his luck wears thin?
I LOVED this book. As someone who gets a lot of these scam emails, I was a little funny seeing the other side. I loved that the author made it realistic, while not making us feel bad for the scammers. We get a nuanced look into the lives of characters who turn to scamming. A highly entertaining read.
July 13, 2024
4.5 stars
(English title: I Do Not Come to You by Chance)
short review for busy readers: A delightful satire on Nigerian email 419 scams and the problems that plague Nigerian society in general. Funny and with excellent pacing, it lampoons as much as it addresses serious issues. A fantastic first novel. Multiple award winner. Made into a movie (Nigeria, 2023 in English and Igbo).
in detail:
If you’ve ever received a scam email, you might have wondered about the people behind it. Who would think of such stories and why would they even be sending these things to strangers?
Meet Kingsley, a fairly well-educated young Nigerian from a hard working family.
He wants to marry his girlfriend, but hasn’t been able to find work in his field for far too long, and without a job, no wedding. With that and other problems mounting, Kingsley secretly goes to work for his dodgy, rich uncle, Cash Daddy, who runs and online scammer empire and seems to have everything Kingsley could imagine ever having. And really, what is so bad about scamming rich, stupid foreigners? Can’t he use the money more than they can?
What ensues is a clash between the expectations of his ethical family and Kingsley’s own desire for success and a degree of wealth. Through his conflict we see how Nigerian society views crime and what difficulties Nigerians face in such a chaotic, hierarchical, patriarchal country torn between traditional values and modern demands.
Written with an international audience in mind, this novel is easily accessible for those who know next to nothing about Nigeria. It educates in the best way possible – through gentle ribbing and well-placed giggles.
Recommended for readers looking for a fun novel with an African setting or those who like crime comedies/satires.
(English title: I Do Not Come to You by Chance)
short review for busy readers: A delightful satire on Nigerian email 419 scams and the problems that plague Nigerian society in general. Funny and with excellent pacing, it lampoons as much as it addresses serious issues. A fantastic first novel. Multiple award winner. Made into a movie (Nigeria, 2023 in English and Igbo).
in detail:
If you’ve ever received a scam email, you might have wondered about the people behind it. Who would think of such stories and why would they even be sending these things to strangers?
Meet Kingsley, a fairly well-educated young Nigerian from a hard working family.
He wants to marry his girlfriend, but hasn’t been able to find work in his field for far too long, and without a job, no wedding. With that and other problems mounting, Kingsley secretly goes to work for his dodgy, rich uncle, Cash Daddy, who runs and online scammer empire and seems to have everything Kingsley could imagine ever having. And really, what is so bad about scamming rich, stupid foreigners? Can’t he use the money more than they can?
What ensues is a clash between the expectations of his ethical family and Kingsley’s own desire for success and a degree of wealth. Through his conflict we see how Nigerian society views crime and what difficulties Nigerians face in such a chaotic, hierarchical, patriarchal country torn between traditional values and modern demands.
Written with an international audience in mind, this novel is easily accessible for those who know next to nothing about Nigeria. It educates in the best way possible – through gentle ribbing and well-placed giggles.
Recommended for readers looking for a fun novel with an African setting or those who like crime comedies/satires.
September 11, 2015
This was such a great romp of a satire. I had never heard of the author and need to find out if she has written anything since this one because I must read more of her work!
February 9, 2010
Having removed the splinters from my eyes, I can finally review this tree-destroying book with its wooden characters and torpid prose. Yes, I was disappointed in this first novel in terms of its inarticulate thematic development, stereotypical portrayals, and stultifying language.
I had hoped that a satire on the notorious Nigerian 419 Internet financial scams would be insightful or at least amusing. (The Washington Post had referred to it as "original and heartfelt" and the Christian Science Monitor had described it as a "sly twist on an old morality tale.") Although not expecting the masterful style and themes of literary giant Chinua Achebe, I was anticipating writing worthy of Achebe's near contemporary, Cyprian Ekwensi, a popular Igbo novelist who could have competed in the Nigerian Book of the Month club (had one existed). Unfortunately, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is not the voice of a new eastern Nigerian literary renaissance. She speaks in a flat and discordant prose and her metaphoric images are uninspired. Moreover, her characters are just plain annoying, unsympathetic, and hardly human at all. Kingsley, the hero (perhaps anti-hero) is an automaton who lacks a backbone (except in one misguided effort) and has little understanding of himself, his family, his culture, or his nation. His scheming uncle, Boniface (aka "Cash Daddy"), who leads Kingsley into a life of crime, debauchery, and ill-gotten wealth is a cross between Eugene O'Neill's Emperor Jones and the real life Marcus Garvey. If you throw in the behavior of the Kingfisher (from Amos and Andy), you have Boniface, a stereotypical African conniving buffoon of comic book dimensions. From Boniface, Kingsley learns that " the only power to change anything that needs changing is the power of cash." This profound wisdom seems to be the novel's predominant moral.
Besides Boniface and Kingsley, there are an array of insubstantial characters including sanctimonious cardboard figures like Kingsley's bookish and high-minded parents and his various peevish and selfish siblings. We even have television characters like the outspoken and devout Aunt Dimma, who seems to be replicating the role of Aunt Esther from Sanford and Son (complete with the mandatory amens). There are also Boniface's fellow schemers with clever names (like World Bank) who are never more than caricatures.
Perhaps, most sadly, Nigeria itself is little more than a vague theatrical prop for this story. Except for the few obligatory scenes of poverty, some vague allusions to historical events or political figures, and the presence of a handful of untranslated Igbo words, Nigeria is rarely present in this book. We have no sense of the vibrancy of eastern Nigerian cities, social customs, or culture. We learn only that the region's politics and politicians are corrupt. However, even the 419 scams are poorly presented with little humor or insight into the greedy con men (and women) or their bumbling victims.
Nwaubani offers us a dreary and longwinded tale told in stilted language with few insights into the human condition or, for that matter, contemporary Nigerian corruption.
I had hoped that a satire on the notorious Nigerian 419 Internet financial scams would be insightful or at least amusing. (The Washington Post had referred to it as "original and heartfelt" and the Christian Science Monitor had described it as a "sly twist on an old morality tale.") Although not expecting the masterful style and themes of literary giant Chinua Achebe, I was anticipating writing worthy of Achebe's near contemporary, Cyprian Ekwensi, a popular Igbo novelist who could have competed in the Nigerian Book of the Month club (had one existed). Unfortunately, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is not the voice of a new eastern Nigerian literary renaissance. She speaks in a flat and discordant prose and her metaphoric images are uninspired. Moreover, her characters are just plain annoying, unsympathetic, and hardly human at all. Kingsley, the hero (perhaps anti-hero) is an automaton who lacks a backbone (except in one misguided effort) and has little understanding of himself, his family, his culture, or his nation. His scheming uncle, Boniface (aka "Cash Daddy"), who leads Kingsley into a life of crime, debauchery, and ill-gotten wealth is a cross between Eugene O'Neill's Emperor Jones and the real life Marcus Garvey. If you throw in the behavior of the Kingfisher (from Amos and Andy), you have Boniface, a stereotypical African conniving buffoon of comic book dimensions. From Boniface, Kingsley learns that " the only power to change anything that needs changing is the power of cash." This profound wisdom seems to be the novel's predominant moral.
Besides Boniface and Kingsley, there are an array of insubstantial characters including sanctimonious cardboard figures like Kingsley's bookish and high-minded parents and his various peevish and selfish siblings. We even have television characters like the outspoken and devout Aunt Dimma, who seems to be replicating the role of Aunt Esther from Sanford and Son (complete with the mandatory amens). There are also Boniface's fellow schemers with clever names (like World Bank) who are never more than caricatures.
Perhaps, most sadly, Nigeria itself is little more than a vague theatrical prop for this story. Except for the few obligatory scenes of poverty, some vague allusions to historical events or political figures, and the presence of a handful of untranslated Igbo words, Nigeria is rarely present in this book. We have no sense of the vibrancy of eastern Nigerian cities, social customs, or culture. We learn only that the region's politics and politicians are corrupt. However, even the 419 scams are poorly presented with little humor or insight into the greedy con men (and women) or their bumbling victims.
Nwaubani offers us a dreary and longwinded tale told in stilted language with few insights into the human condition or, for that matter, contemporary Nigerian corruption.
January 2, 2013
This was exactly the type of world lit book I enjoy reading. It is set in Nigeria and written by a Nigerian, so it felt like I was reading the story from within, from that perspective. It disobeyed all the rules of how to write about Africa, set out in that tongue-in-cheek Granta article several years ago ( http://www.granta.com/Archive/92/How-... by Binyavanga Wainaina.
The story centres around a likeable fellow from an honest and hard-working family who highly value education. Despite getting his engineering degree, he can't get a job, and he eventually falls into the 419 scamming industry, working for his highly successful uncle.
It is fascinating to learn more about that scam, and how it is perceived in Nigerian society, but the book is really about how the young man balances the expectations and beliefs of his family with his own desires. It gave a sense of what life is like for some people there. It was often light-hearted and funny.
"There were many possible explanations for the atrocious traffic in Lagos—population explosion, insufficient mass transit, tokunbo vehicles going kaput, potholes in the roads, undisciplined drivers, random police checkpoints, and fuel queues. But in Cash Daddy’s opinion, the go-slow started whenever the devil and his wives were on their way to the market. I think he was right."
A highly enjoyable and well-written book, recommended.
The story centres around a likeable fellow from an honest and hard-working family who highly value education. Despite getting his engineering degree, he can't get a job, and he eventually falls into the 419 scamming industry, working for his highly successful uncle.
It is fascinating to learn more about that scam, and how it is perceived in Nigerian society, but the book is really about how the young man balances the expectations and beliefs of his family with his own desires. It gave a sense of what life is like for some people there. It was often light-hearted and funny.
"There were many possible explanations for the atrocious traffic in Lagos—population explosion, insufficient mass transit, tokunbo vehicles going kaput, potholes in the roads, undisciplined drivers, random police checkpoints, and fuel queues. But in Cash Daddy’s opinion, the go-slow started whenever the devil and his wives were on their way to the market. I think he was right."
A highly enjoyable and well-written book, recommended.
September 1, 2016
This is one of those books that takes a grim situation and turns it into a fun and entertaining story: the background is poverty and corruption in Nigeria, but the book is the polar opposite of, say, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, which deals with similar themes; this one is quick and easy to read, exciting, and very nearly uplifting.
Kingsley is the oldest son of a family that values education above all else, but he's been unemployed for two years after graduating with a degree in chemical engineering. His parents are well-educated and rigidly ethical, but struggling to make ends meet; his father is ill and his girlfriend impatient for a husband who can provide some financial security. When things go badly wrong, Kingsley turns to his estranged uncle, "Cash Daddy," who's made a fortune by scamming foreigners online. Cash Daddy soon offers him a job, and the second half of the book follows Kingsley through his adventures as a scam artist.
I had a great time reading this--it was one of those books that made me look forward to getting home and finding out what would happen next, and once I'd started, no other books were allowed to get in the way! It is well-paced and entertaining throughout, and although the email scams first appear later than I'd expected, that first half is important to setting up the characters and their situations. Most people have some curiosity about the secret world of criminal activity (and even if we haven't thought specifically about online scammers before, we've all gotten those emails and wondered who would be dumb enough to reply), and this book certainly feeds that. At the same time, it's a good piece of world fiction, painting a picture of a society in crisis and how people respond.
The tone is fairly light, although the subject matter is not--and this works well, resulting in a book that deals with serious issues without taking itself too seriously. Kingsley's voice is fresh and often humorous; some have taken the odd figures of speech as bad writing, but I enjoyed them (and I'm told this is representative of how people talk in Nigeria). For instance: "I rummaged through my shirts. Most of them were dead, and had been for a very long time." Kingsley is also given to hyperbole: "He gave me a tentative estimate. The amount nearly shattered my eardrums." While it's not great literature, the language does a good job of creating and sustaining a voice and is very readable.
As for the characterization, it's fairly broad-brush, although certainly adequate. Kingsley's personal transformation makes him an interesting protagonist, but the most colorful figure is certainly Cash Daddy: corrupt and unscrupulous, but generous with his family, staff, and community, he's loud, crude, and larger-than-life. His justifications for his actions and occasional self-deception are especially entertaining. The secondary cast is more one-note, but sufficient for their roles. And the ending leaves the reader with plenty of think about.
Other reviewers have commented that this book seems tailor-made for a non-African audience, there seems to be some truth to this. For instance, when Kingsley's father suffers a stroke, he and his family are shocked and appalled to find out that no hospital will treat him without an advance deposit, and that they're expected to provide all medical supplies. For an American or European reader, this is shocking, but wouldn't people who've lived in Nigeria all their lives know how their own medical system works? But the book never seems dumbed-down or exploitative; I can't speak to how Nigerian readers might like it, but since the author is Nigerian and I'm not, I'm inclined to trust her portrayal of the country.
Overall, a very fun book with the potential to appeal to a wide audience. While I wouldn't expect to see it taught in a comparative literature class, I would recommend it to those who enjoy world fiction and those looking to branch out in their reading.
Kingsley is the oldest son of a family that values education above all else, but he's been unemployed for two years after graduating with a degree in chemical engineering. His parents are well-educated and rigidly ethical, but struggling to make ends meet; his father is ill and his girlfriend impatient for a husband who can provide some financial security. When things go badly wrong, Kingsley turns to his estranged uncle, "Cash Daddy," who's made a fortune by scamming foreigners online. Cash Daddy soon offers him a job, and the second half of the book follows Kingsley through his adventures as a scam artist.
I had a great time reading this--it was one of those books that made me look forward to getting home and finding out what would happen next, and once I'd started, no other books were allowed to get in the way! It is well-paced and entertaining throughout, and although the email scams first appear later than I'd expected, that first half is important to setting up the characters and their situations. Most people have some curiosity about the secret world of criminal activity (and even if we haven't thought specifically about online scammers before, we've all gotten those emails and wondered who would be dumb enough to reply), and this book certainly feeds that. At the same time, it's a good piece of world fiction, painting a picture of a society in crisis and how people respond.
The tone is fairly light, although the subject matter is not--and this works well, resulting in a book that deals with serious issues without taking itself too seriously. Kingsley's voice is fresh and often humorous; some have taken the odd figures of speech as bad writing, but I enjoyed them (and I'm told this is representative of how people talk in Nigeria). For instance: "I rummaged through my shirts. Most of them were dead, and had been for a very long time." Kingsley is also given to hyperbole: "He gave me a tentative estimate. The amount nearly shattered my eardrums." While it's not great literature, the language does a good job of creating and sustaining a voice and is very readable.
As for the characterization, it's fairly broad-brush, although certainly adequate. Kingsley's personal transformation makes him an interesting protagonist, but the most colorful figure is certainly Cash Daddy: corrupt and unscrupulous, but generous with his family, staff, and community, he's loud, crude, and larger-than-life. His justifications for his actions and occasional self-deception are especially entertaining. The secondary cast is more one-note, but sufficient for their roles. And the ending leaves the reader with plenty of think about.
Other reviewers have commented that this book seems tailor-made for a non-African audience, there seems to be some truth to this. For instance, when Kingsley's father suffers a stroke, he and his family are shocked and appalled to find out that no hospital will treat him without an advance deposit, and that they're expected to provide all medical supplies. For an American or European reader, this is shocking, but wouldn't people who've lived in Nigeria all their lives know how their own medical system works? But the book never seems dumbed-down or exploitative; I can't speak to how Nigerian readers might like it, but since the author is Nigerian and I'm not, I'm inclined to trust her portrayal of the country.
Overall, a very fun book with the potential to appeal to a wide audience. While I wouldn't expect to see it taught in a comparative literature class, I would recommend it to those who enjoy world fiction and those looking to branch out in their reading.
October 25, 2023
Section 419
Section 419 of the Nigerian criminal code, which addresses fraud schemes, including Internet scams, forms the backdrop of this lively and entertaining first novel "I do not Come to you by Chance" (2009) by a young Nigerian woman, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. Besides offering a good story, Nwaubani's novel helped me understand a culture I know little about. The book moves quickly, is well organized, and has good character development. The author writes with considerable skill. She tells her story in the first-person voice of the chief character, a young man named Kingsley. Writing convincingly in the voice of the other gender is a formidable task, especially for a new novelist.
Kingsley is a young man of great intellectual promise who received his degree in chemical engineering. His father, Paulinus, and his mother, Augustina, both received masters degrees in Britain but were unable to rise economically. Early in Kingsley's life, his father impresses upon him that "education is the only way of putting one's potentials to maximum use, that you could say that a human being is not in his correct senses until he is educated." Unfortunately, at age 25, Kingsley is not able to get a job in the profession for which he has been trained. He lives at home and, to his chagrin, is financially dependent upon his parents.
The novel is in two well-connected parts. In the first part, Kingsley describes his early life, his parents' marginal economic status, in spite of their education, and his own education. Kingsley had fallen in love with a student named Ola who jilts him due, apparently, to his lack of economic prospects. There is a telling scene of Kingsley's relationship to his mother's brother, Boniface, who enlists the young boy in his scheme to seduce girls. Boniface has little interest in education but is obviously a youngster on the make with no scruples. The first part of the novel closes with the illness and death of Kingsley's father, with a focus on the character of the Nigerian health system. The much-despised Boniface comes to the assistance of the family. He has grown fantastically wealthy, through uncertain means, and is known as "Cash Daddy". He takes a liking to Kingsley and, to his mother's consternation, brings him into his business, which is the setting for the remainder of the novel.
The book describes the world of Section 419 Internet scams, which Kingsley masters quickly. He becomes remarkably adroit at writing email letters to people with money to spare in the United States, Europe, and Middle East and bilking them expensively and repeatedly using fraudulent but seemingly plausible business schemes. Cash Daddy's business provides the organization an support for the elaborate frauds. At first, Kingsley has qualms of conscience but they are predominantly squelched as he lives high and takes care of his family. He still cannot develop a love relationship to replace Ola and he is dependent on the services of prostitutes. Kingley's' mother spurns him and the dirty money.
The book describes the fraud schemes in detail and the marks or "mugus" who are their victims. Kingsley has two chief mugus, named Winterbottom and Hooverson, who become his cash cows. Kingsley becomes dependent and fond of his uncle, Cash Daddy, for all his crookedness. As the book develops, Cash Daddy runs for high office in Nigeria's struggling democracy, which offers Nwaubani the further opportunity to develop the problems of her country.
The story is told with lightness and humor. The author develops her characters and shows the contrast between wealthy nations and struggling nations such as Nigeria without becoming polemical. She portrays Nigeria and its poverty and political corruption while showing as well her love for her country. This is an effective and good first novel. It reminded me yet again of how reading opens doors to other places and people.
Robin Friedman
Section 419 of the Nigerian criminal code, which addresses fraud schemes, including Internet scams, forms the backdrop of this lively and entertaining first novel "I do not Come to you by Chance" (2009) by a young Nigerian woman, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. Besides offering a good story, Nwaubani's novel helped me understand a culture I know little about. The book moves quickly, is well organized, and has good character development. The author writes with considerable skill. She tells her story in the first-person voice of the chief character, a young man named Kingsley. Writing convincingly in the voice of the other gender is a formidable task, especially for a new novelist.
Kingsley is a young man of great intellectual promise who received his degree in chemical engineering. His father, Paulinus, and his mother, Augustina, both received masters degrees in Britain but were unable to rise economically. Early in Kingsley's life, his father impresses upon him that "education is the only way of putting one's potentials to maximum use, that you could say that a human being is not in his correct senses until he is educated." Unfortunately, at age 25, Kingsley is not able to get a job in the profession for which he has been trained. He lives at home and, to his chagrin, is financially dependent upon his parents.
The novel is in two well-connected parts. In the first part, Kingsley describes his early life, his parents' marginal economic status, in spite of their education, and his own education. Kingsley had fallen in love with a student named Ola who jilts him due, apparently, to his lack of economic prospects. There is a telling scene of Kingsley's relationship to his mother's brother, Boniface, who enlists the young boy in his scheme to seduce girls. Boniface has little interest in education but is obviously a youngster on the make with no scruples. The first part of the novel closes with the illness and death of Kingsley's father, with a focus on the character of the Nigerian health system. The much-despised Boniface comes to the assistance of the family. He has grown fantastically wealthy, through uncertain means, and is known as "Cash Daddy". He takes a liking to Kingsley and, to his mother's consternation, brings him into his business, which is the setting for the remainder of the novel.
The book describes the world of Section 419 Internet scams, which Kingsley masters quickly. He becomes remarkably adroit at writing email letters to people with money to spare in the United States, Europe, and Middle East and bilking them expensively and repeatedly using fraudulent but seemingly plausible business schemes. Cash Daddy's business provides the organization an support for the elaborate frauds. At first, Kingsley has qualms of conscience but they are predominantly squelched as he lives high and takes care of his family. He still cannot develop a love relationship to replace Ola and he is dependent on the services of prostitutes. Kingley's' mother spurns him and the dirty money.
The book describes the fraud schemes in detail and the marks or "mugus" who are their victims. Kingsley has two chief mugus, named Winterbottom and Hooverson, who become his cash cows. Kingsley becomes dependent and fond of his uncle, Cash Daddy, for all his crookedness. As the book develops, Cash Daddy runs for high office in Nigeria's struggling democracy, which offers Nwaubani the further opportunity to develop the problems of her country.
The story is told with lightness and humor. The author develops her characters and shows the contrast between wealthy nations and struggling nations such as Nigeria without becoming polemical. She portrays Nigeria and its poverty and political corruption while showing as well her love for her country. This is an effective and good first novel. It reminded me yet again of how reading opens doors to other places and people.
Robin Friedman
January 16, 2011
It takes talent to make sympathetic characters of adults who fleece others for a living. Nwaubani does it with skill and a strong sense of humor.
She makes no effort to “pretty up” Nigeria – as she's said herself in interviews, she's neither worried about Westerners who think everything Nigerian is 419 (ie, fraud) nor worried about the Nigerians obsessed with changing the impressions of the West. It's a brave stance – and perhaps a touch callous, since expat Nigerians deal daily with the negative impressions, and Nwaubani, living in Nigeria, presumably doesn't have to (I suppose this is the full disclosure point – I'm a Nigerian living in the USA). But this stance also frees her to tell the raw, entertaining story she wanted to tell, without hand-wringing or watering down her characters. Kingsley, Cash Daddy, and the other 419ers are villains to their victims, heroes to those they help, irredeemably tainted to their more honest acquaintances – and altogether very human in their struggles.
She makes no effort to “pretty up” Nigeria – as she's said herself in interviews, she's neither worried about Westerners who think everything Nigerian is 419 (ie, fraud) nor worried about the Nigerians obsessed with changing the impressions of the West. It's a brave stance – and perhaps a touch callous, since expat Nigerians deal daily with the negative impressions, and Nwaubani, living in Nigeria, presumably doesn't have to (I suppose this is the full disclosure point – I'm a Nigerian living in the USA). But this stance also frees her to tell the raw, entertaining story she wanted to tell, without hand-wringing or watering down her characters. Kingsley, Cash Daddy, and the other 419ers are villains to their victims, heroes to those they help, irredeemably tainted to their more honest acquaintances – and altogether very human in their struggles.
August 20, 2015
At times hilarious, at times sad, mostly satirical, always vividly told... a very good read with food for thought on the Nigerian 419 scheme. The author gets under the skin of the 419 scheme, so to say, and explores how "good people" can get caught in the net of the schemers of this exploitative system. Nwaubani follows the struggle of one individual to free himself. He stands for many and any effort to succeed as a smaller keg in the system is difficult and dangerous. The author shines a stark light on Nigerian social struggles.
Read
August 29, 2017Kingsley is a young man from a decent educated middle-class Nigerian family. His parents have always done the right thing, he has worked his heart out to excel educationally, but he can't get a job because he doesn't have connections. And meanwhile his younger siblings need educating, his father is diabetic and can't afford medical care, and his girlfriend is getting harassed by her parents about the lack of a proposal. Enter Uncle Boniface, aka Cash Daddy, a 419er or Nigerian email scammer, offering Kingsley a job.
This is very much a modern morality play as we watch Kingsley slowly lose his ideals, his self-respect and his soul, while he gains all kinds of worldly advantage. The process of the scams is fascinating to watch, and Kingsley's fellows are immensely likeable. Cash Daddy spends a lot of money financing roads, water supplies and schools that the local politicians don't, and his intention to move from email scamming into politics seems entirely plausible. It's also incredibly clear how many factors are at play--the demands of a patriarchal culture at odds with how the modern economy operates, the ruling kleptocracy that makes operating without money virtually impossible, the conflicting moral and cultural pressures from all directions. We all despise the 419 emails, but I defy you to read this and say hand on heart that you wouldn't make Kingsley's choices.
Painful at points, thoroughly engaging, often very funny, and surprisingly moving as all the best satires are--the sequence in the last part of the book, when the now hugely rich Kingsley fully realises what he's lost in gaining the world is deeply raw, and we're praying for him to make the right decisions at last up to the end. Highly recommended.
This is very much a modern morality play as we watch Kingsley slowly lose his ideals, his self-respect and his soul, while he gains all kinds of worldly advantage. The process of the scams is fascinating to watch, and Kingsley's fellows are immensely likeable. Cash Daddy spends a lot of money financing roads, water supplies and schools that the local politicians don't, and his intention to move from email scamming into politics seems entirely plausible. It's also incredibly clear how many factors are at play--the demands of a patriarchal culture at odds with how the modern economy operates, the ruling kleptocracy that makes operating without money virtually impossible, the conflicting moral and cultural pressures from all directions. We all despise the 419 emails, but I defy you to read this and say hand on heart that you wouldn't make Kingsley's choices.
Painful at points, thoroughly engaging, often very funny, and surprisingly moving as all the best satires are--the sequence in the last part of the book, when the now hugely rich Kingsley fully realises what he's lost in gaining the world is deeply raw, and we're praying for him to make the right decisions at last up to the end. Highly recommended.
December 25, 2014
I read this book voraciously. It's sad and funny at the same time, and the character of Kingsley, the narrator voice, shows depth, darkness and light, reflection and action. He reminds me a little of the godfather played by Al Pacino. 'Yes, I deal in crime, but I'm doing it for the good of others'. I think what this book brought home to me is the relativity of all our lives and values in the face of utmost poverty. Who can judge without being judged? Who can be sure of what is right and what is wrong in a survival situation? Yes, these people make money by scamming foreigners. Despicable. But then quite a few people in the West fall for it. The 419ers are good. They have perfected the art of taking advantage of goodwill, greediness and caring spirits in the West (Kingsley calls caring for others a weakness in the West) they know how to press the right buttons to achieve their goals. A classic collision of European and African mind sets. A very good read, and certainly one that helps bear in mind how vulnerable we all are. On both sides of the equation. It is also a great snapshot of Nigeria.
June 22, 2022
After reading some of the other reviews of this book, I'm not sure they got the same impression I did. I thought the book was delightful and well written. Even more so because it is the young author's first work. Perhaps a Nigerian reader would get insulted by the portrait this book shows of their nation - it does paint a rather grim picture of a poverty- and corruption-ridden country where education is valued but then does the graduate no good. Kings, the protagonist, makes a decision to earn a living - a dishonest one - in order to bail out his family in times of need. Then, of course, as one would suspect, he gets corrupted by the ill-gotten gains and lifestyle afforded by his uncle Cash Daddy's 419 enterprise. It was interesting to learn how these scams work. As one reviewer noted, it is hard to feel sympathetic to these schemers, or even to their greedy victims, but I did find myself enjoying the ride as Kings' escapades unfolded. This book would make a terrific and entertaining movie - I hope a studio buys the screen rights.
July 3, 2018
A good story. Very vivid. The author brings to light some of the main vices plaguing young Nigerians in the early 2000s that have gained even more prominence today.
The protagonist is a young Nigerian with an undoubtedly brilliantly endowed mind and intellect, but with the misfortune to be born into a poor family. His intellectual gifts stand in stark contrast with his subsequent lifestyle, at odds with his father's philosophy of success through honest hard work.
There's a lot of themes to note about the nature of the characters in the book. The protagonist's father is an adherent to the ideaogy of good, quality education. His devotion to intellectual prowess have come at odds with the changing economic climate, a clime unfavorable for uncreative minds set in the bookish ways of the 'past'. Despite his academic degrees, his inability to adapt and his rigid philosophies have ensured that his spawn live the best part of their lives in poverty. It's easy to see the amount of cultural emphasis on Western education all through.
The protagonist on the other hand is 'misled' by his insanely wealthy relative into the lifestyle of internet fraud. It is interesting to observe his motives for such a choice. The motives develop slowly, changing form all through the character's development until he realizes he's done it all so his family can rise from the ashes of poverty. There's questions of morality, of the validity of right and wrong. What is good and evil? Is the crime in the act itself or in the stimulating motive?
His wealthy relative, chief benefactor 'Cash Daddy' is an interesting character as well. His meteoric rise to wealth is as spectacular as it is illegal. He's the Robin Hood of the common people, with a taste for the spectacular. His unpredictability, as well as his surprisingly broad acts of charity stand in stark contrast to the darkly lit corridors of his path to wealth and fame.
We learn a lot from the protagonist's mother. The thematic struggle between good and evil and the questions of morality are typified in her attitude to her son's ill-got wealth.
It's a great book, with highly relevant themes. The internet fraud thing has reared its ugly head once again after a brief hiatus. This time, it's come without the approval of many who have with a sort of twisted, cold logic tried to justify the act. The act might be illegal, but it raises a lot of questions of morality, of self judgement. Afterall, the public office holders who continually loot the nation's vast treasury are no less guilty than the 'hardwork' young men who swindle unsuspecting foreigners out of millions of dollars. One group is looting the nation and milking it's people for all its worth. The other group focuses on 'retrieving' the looted funds in foreign accounts and 'getting' even with the white men for all the thieving years done in the name of colonialism. Who is in the right? Or is there any right at all? The questions are plain, the answers even less so, gray even, in different shades too.
There's the perennial attitude of parents towards certain varsity courses. Some are seen as 'elite' while others are seen as trash. It's a very good way to understand the lack of diversity in the nations professionals and the economy at large.
The writing is style is good, easily to follow and distinctly Nigerian. All of the above is captured within the background of a rapidly evolving cultural, and social setting. A really good read with one personal exception. That the author failed to tell the other side of the story is a bit disappointing. A lot of these fraudsters don't find redemption as easy. Well, perhaps the author was trying to make a different point...
Highly recommended.
The protagonist is a young Nigerian with an undoubtedly brilliantly endowed mind and intellect, but with the misfortune to be born into a poor family. His intellectual gifts stand in stark contrast with his subsequent lifestyle, at odds with his father's philosophy of success through honest hard work.
There's a lot of themes to note about the nature of the characters in the book. The protagonist's father is an adherent to the ideaogy of good, quality education. His devotion to intellectual prowess have come at odds with the changing economic climate, a clime unfavorable for uncreative minds set in the bookish ways of the 'past'. Despite his academic degrees, his inability to adapt and his rigid philosophies have ensured that his spawn live the best part of their lives in poverty. It's easy to see the amount of cultural emphasis on Western education all through.
The protagonist on the other hand is 'misled' by his insanely wealthy relative into the lifestyle of internet fraud. It is interesting to observe his motives for such a choice. The motives develop slowly, changing form all through the character's development until he realizes he's done it all so his family can rise from the ashes of poverty. There's questions of morality, of the validity of right and wrong. What is good and evil? Is the crime in the act itself or in the stimulating motive?
His wealthy relative, chief benefactor 'Cash Daddy' is an interesting character as well. His meteoric rise to wealth is as spectacular as it is illegal. He's the Robin Hood of the common people, with a taste for the spectacular. His unpredictability, as well as his surprisingly broad acts of charity stand in stark contrast to the darkly lit corridors of his path to wealth and fame.
We learn a lot from the protagonist's mother. The thematic struggle between good and evil and the questions of morality are typified in her attitude to her son's ill-got wealth.
It's a great book, with highly relevant themes. The internet fraud thing has reared its ugly head once again after a brief hiatus. This time, it's come without the approval of many who have with a sort of twisted, cold logic tried to justify the act. The act might be illegal, but it raises a lot of questions of morality, of self judgement. Afterall, the public office holders who continually loot the nation's vast treasury are no less guilty than the 'hardwork' young men who swindle unsuspecting foreigners out of millions of dollars. One group is looting the nation and milking it's people for all its worth. The other group focuses on 'retrieving' the looted funds in foreign accounts and 'getting' even with the white men for all the thieving years done in the name of colonialism. Who is in the right? Or is there any right at all? The questions are plain, the answers even less so, gray even, in different shades too.
There's the perennial attitude of parents towards certain varsity courses. Some are seen as 'elite' while others are seen as trash. It's a very good way to understand the lack of diversity in the nations professionals and the economy at large.
The writing is style is good, easily to follow and distinctly Nigerian. All of the above is captured within the background of a rapidly evolving cultural, and social setting. A really good read with one personal exception. That the author failed to tell the other side of the story is a bit disappointing. A lot of these fraudsters don't find redemption as easy. Well, perhaps the author was trying to make a different point...
Highly recommended.
May 26, 2024
Really enjoyed this one. It made me laugh ALOT & this rarely happens these days. Reminds me of the good old days when Nigerian literature GAVE everything.
The characters, the story, the pace, the humor — in fact, everything just worked!
The characters, the story, the pace, the humor — in fact, everything just worked!
November 8, 2009
I was a little surprised by the ending. I somehow expected the "hero" to get his comeuppance, but he didn't. The examples of the 419 emails were just perfect, down to the all caps!
November 18, 2014
It isn't deeply moving, but a simple tale told simply. Quick read about the clash between old Africa and New Africa.
December 20, 2021
Nwaubani has written a humourous rags to riches book involving Nigeria's 419 scams. I really enjoyed the first half of the novel, after that the motivations of the protagonist were sometimes a little hard to believe, especially after the effort Nwaubani goes to setting up family life and characterisation in the first part. But larger than life characters and many lol moments kept my interest alive. I also enjoyed the many Igbo proverbs scattered throughout.
January 30, 2016
A realistic and often quite humorous peek behind the curtain of Nigerian scams also known as 419s, because that is the criminal code for those types of internet scams. I'm almost sure that most readers have gotten one of those emails, that start off with, "I do not come to you by chance." So the story starts off a bit slow, but by the time Kingsley gets fully integrated into his uncle Boniface's(aka Cash Daddy)419 business, things move at a good pace with humor and wisdom smartly placed throughout the novel.
Clearly the author had inside information as to how these numerous scams can work, as the detail lends authenticity to the story. I think she shows great balance and repeatedly illustrates the serious value of education, though the base of the novel is the truckload of money the 419ers are making off the gullible internet user. The story is essentially a battle of values. Good hard work and honesty vs. the value of the dollar. Kingsley tells his uncle, "my father was learned and honest. Yet he could neither feed his family nor clothe his children. My mother was also learned, and her life had not been particularly improved much by education."
Education is highly valued in Nigeria, but so is monetary success, the question is does the means justify the end? This is the struggle that Kingsley constantly confronts and the author does a good job of making the readers feel the tension of that value battle. In one of his conversations with Cash Daddy, after feeling guilty about one of his marks or mugus as they are referred to in this novel, Kingsley reflects; "Cash Daddy was right. Not being able to take care of my family was the real sin. Gradually, I had learnt to take my mind off the mugus and focus on the things that really mattered. Thanks to me, my family was now as safe as a tortoise under its shell. My mother could finally stop picking pennies from her shop and start enjoying the rest of her life. My brothers and sister could focus completely on their studies without worrying about fees."
Because the money was coming in quick and easy I found myself expecting the whole house of cards to come tumbling down, but the author avoided the the easily predictable path, the only caveat I would add is that the accumulation of wealth seems mildly exaggerated. I know these scams can generate a lot of money, but the lifestyles of Boniface and others seemed over the top.
Altogether a sterling debut by Ms. Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, the author who warned western readers about their African authored reading choices in a NY op-ed in late 2014.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/opi....
This is a departure from the war torn, depraved, child soldiers and brutal Africa. Some readers may argue that presenting 419 scams is just as stereotypical as the rest. Does the situation itself make it stereotypical or is presentation important? Read and decide for yourself.
A good debut. I look forward to more from this author.
Clearly the author had inside information as to how these numerous scams can work, as the detail lends authenticity to the story. I think she shows great balance and repeatedly illustrates the serious value of education, though the base of the novel is the truckload of money the 419ers are making off the gullible internet user. The story is essentially a battle of values. Good hard work and honesty vs. the value of the dollar. Kingsley tells his uncle, "my father was learned and honest. Yet he could neither feed his family nor clothe his children. My mother was also learned, and her life had not been particularly improved much by education."
Education is highly valued in Nigeria, but so is monetary success, the question is does the means justify the end? This is the struggle that Kingsley constantly confronts and the author does a good job of making the readers feel the tension of that value battle. In one of his conversations with Cash Daddy, after feeling guilty about one of his marks or mugus as they are referred to in this novel, Kingsley reflects; "Cash Daddy was right. Not being able to take care of my family was the real sin. Gradually, I had learnt to take my mind off the mugus and focus on the things that really mattered. Thanks to me, my family was now as safe as a tortoise under its shell. My mother could finally stop picking pennies from her shop and start enjoying the rest of her life. My brothers and sister could focus completely on their studies without worrying about fees."
Because the money was coming in quick and easy I found myself expecting the whole house of cards to come tumbling down, but the author avoided the the easily predictable path, the only caveat I would add is that the accumulation of wealth seems mildly exaggerated. I know these scams can generate a lot of money, but the lifestyles of Boniface and others seemed over the top.
Altogether a sterling debut by Ms. Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, the author who warned western readers about their African authored reading choices in a NY op-ed in late 2014.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/opi....
This is a departure from the war torn, depraved, child soldiers and brutal Africa. Some readers may argue that presenting 419 scams is just as stereotypical as the rest. Does the situation itself make it stereotypical or is presentation important? Read and decide for yourself.
A good debut. I look forward to more from this author.
January 3, 2013
I don't know what possessed me to read this book. It's a far cry from my usual fluffy paranormal/young adult literature, and not even the topic is something I would find interesting.
However, I'm glad it's my first book of the new year. I've heard of the Prince of Nigeria scams, and used to wonder how those people slept at night. Now...pfffft, if people are fool enough to fall for that kind of scam, let them be taken for what is asked of them. The writing style did take some adjustment, the language and general way of speaking, plus I spent more time than necessary trying to figure out how the heck you would pronounce some of the names, but everything felt very natural. Unlike some books, I didn't notice glaring Britishisms in a book supposedly taking place in America, or vice-versa.
I didn't find the characters cardboard at all; rather, I was beginning to wonder if Kings (the main character), would ever see the folly of his ways, or continue on. The ending did throw me a bit, I admit. I don't know whether to be optimistic he changed his ways, or not surprised he decided to take his uncle's advice. That doesn't reflect on the author - more my general attitude towards humanity. Kings was a sympathetic character, I thought. I've been in somewhat similar circumstances, and know people who have also been there - you don't always like the road you take to help others survive. (We never broke the law! More like working too much and not seeing family.)
Very good book, and different. I'm glad I read it, because it's one of those that will stick with me the rest of the year.
However, I'm glad it's my first book of the new year. I've heard of the Prince of Nigeria scams, and used to wonder how those people slept at night. Now...pfffft, if people are fool enough to fall for that kind of scam, let them be taken for what is asked of them. The writing style did take some adjustment, the language and general way of speaking, plus I spent more time than necessary trying to figure out how the heck you would pronounce some of the names, but everything felt very natural. Unlike some books, I didn't notice glaring Britishisms in a book supposedly taking place in America, or vice-versa.
I didn't find the characters cardboard at all; rather, I was beginning to wonder if Kings (the main character), would ever see the folly of his ways, or continue on. The ending did throw me a bit, I admit. I don't know whether to be optimistic he changed his ways, or not surprised he decided to take his uncle's advice. That doesn't reflect on the author - more my general attitude towards humanity. Kings was a sympathetic character, I thought. I've been in somewhat similar circumstances, and know people who have also been there - you don't always like the road you take to help others survive. (We never broke the law! More like working too much and not seeing family.)
Very good book, and different. I'm glad I read it, because it's one of those that will stick with me the rest of the year.
October 30, 2009
I found this book at the library and brought it home because ANZ LitLovers had recently read The Other Hand by Chris Cleave, partly set in Nigeria, but not written by a Nigerian. While I don’t subscribe to the view that only those of a certain culture may write about it, I did want to see what difference it might make…
It makes a lot of difference. I Do Not Come to You By Chance is Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s first novel, and it’s distinctively African in its theme and setting.
See http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200...
It makes a lot of difference. I Do Not Come to You By Chance is Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s first novel, and it’s distinctively African in its theme and setting.
See http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200...
January 24, 2021
This review was posted on my book blog (https://reviewsviewsinterviews.wordpr...) on 5th November, 2016.
When I first heard about this book (several years ago), I was interested to read it in order to understand the minds and the circumstances of those who choose to attempt to cheat total strangers.
I’ve never believed it to be a straightforward issue, i.e. that scammers are all evil bastards who deserve to burn in hell. I think people do things for reasons that only they can fully comprehend. Every single day, we all do a variety of things, make decisions, and react in ways that apply only to us as individuals – because each of us has different experiences and even if the experience is identical, two people will not react to it in exactly the same way. Walk a mile or two in soneone’s shoes before you judge their actions – that’s what I try to do (not always successfully).
I was added by a few scammers on Skype very recently and the experience of dealing with them (I responded because I was curious about how they operate), led me to finally read I Do Not Come to You By Chance.
This is one of those books that are hard to put down. Yes, it’s that page-turner cliche, the one that you stay up all night to finish. It’s not a thriller though; it won’t keep you at the edge of the seat in that way, although you will feel anxious about various characters in the novel and want to know how they fare in life.
The chief protagonist is Kingsley, a fresh graduate in Chemical Engineering; the eldest of five children; the son of Paulinus and Augustina, two individuals who have always believed in the importance of education.
Paulinus and Augustina’s story is what opens the book, and their relationship and their personalities are an important feature of the novel, establishing a few important facts about Kingsley’s background, chiefly that he comes from a family that values hard work and honesty.
Paulinus and Augustina have Masters degrees, but their academic success does not translate into financial stability. They struggle to support their children, and so, when Kingsley graduates, it is hoped that he will be able to help his parents. Alas, despite his stellar results, he is unable to find a job in his chosen field. The family limps on, relying on Paulinus’s pension and the paltry sum Augustina makes as a tailor to survive.
When Paulinus, a diabetic, has a stroke and has to be admitted to hospital, Kingsley is forced to ask his uncle, Augustina’s brother Boniface, for help.
Boniface aka Cash Dady is a multi millionaire who has acquired his fortune by questionable means. Nevertheless, he proves a generous and sympathetic relative, and provides all the financial aid needed to Kingsley and family.
Cash Daddy’s kindness is key in persuading Kingsley to join his scamming business. To be fair, the 419 mogul has no ulterior motive in helping his sister’s family. He is seen as a benevolent dictator throughout the book, sincere in efforts in improving the lives of those who seek his assistance, but dismissive about any suggestion that his riches have been acquired immorally.
Cash Daddy has his own philosophy of life, often illustrated by Igbo proverbs which he twists for his own benefit. It isn’t long before he has won Kingsley over, and Kingsley, as predicted by his seasoned crook of an uncle, is a huge success as a scammer. However, although the young man appreciates the material benefits that comes with his job, it is the ability to give his family a good life that is the job’s biggest attraction.
This is undoubtedly, a limited portrayal of the 419 scamming industry, and a humorous one at that (several scenes and observations made me laugh out loud), but it is also such a detailed an account that I am inclined to believe that the author researched her subject seriously and thoroughly.
The novel’s central character, Kingsley, is a likeable man – smart, hardworking and loving. When his girlfriend dumps him in favour of someone with more money, you feel like scolding her for being so heartless and stupid.
The other main character, Cash Daddy, is crass and vulgar, but also likeable because of his generosity and family spirit. You cringe when he is described conducting meetings while he takes a dump, but then you cheer when he lovingly provides a meal for his niece who, he shrewdly observes, looks like she’s not had enough to eat for months.
In one scene, Cash Daddy angrily orders Kingsley out of his sight for wearing ugly shoes, but Kingsley is immediately taken to an expensive store and a new pair of beautiful footwear is purchased for him. This is typical Cash Daddy behaviour – a combination of outrageous arrogance and lovable eccentricity.
I think Nwaubani’s use of likeable, accessible characters allow the reader to recognise the human side of scamming. Make no mistake, Cash Daddy is one misogynistic bastard who cheats on his wife and thinks nothing of paying for women to sleep with Kingsley. However, he has many redeeming qualities, which allow the reader to see him as human, not some wholly wicked and self-serving fiend.
Introducing us to the idealistic Paulinus and Augustina in the spring of their union, before they sink into genteel poverty, ensures that we appreciate how steadfast and determined they are: Despite the woes they eventually face, the couple are unshakeable in their belief that honesty trumps riches. However, their idealism is hopelessly impractical. What would have happened to Paulinus had Cash Daddy not come to the rescue with his filthy, ill-gotten gains? It’s interesting to realise that the final outcome would have probably been the same, just arrived at a lot more quickly, and that Kingsley would have taken quite a different path that would have led him to … something better, or worse? Who can say?
As it is, the story ends happily ever after … or does it? Like life, I Do Not Come to You By Chance does not deal in absolutes and that’s what I appreciate the most about it.
This is one of my favourite reads this year – a funny, compelling and provocative novel written in a fresh and attractive style that effectively humanises its difficult subject. Unfortunately, Nwaubani seems not to have written another novel since Chance was published in 2009. I hope this will change soon.
When I first heard about this book (several years ago), I was interested to read it in order to understand the minds and the circumstances of those who choose to attempt to cheat total strangers.
I’ve never believed it to be a straightforward issue, i.e. that scammers are all evil bastards who deserve to burn in hell. I think people do things for reasons that only they can fully comprehend. Every single day, we all do a variety of things, make decisions, and react in ways that apply only to us as individuals – because each of us has different experiences and even if the experience is identical, two people will not react to it in exactly the same way. Walk a mile or two in soneone’s shoes before you judge their actions – that’s what I try to do (not always successfully).
I was added by a few scammers on Skype very recently and the experience of dealing with them (I responded because I was curious about how they operate), led me to finally read I Do Not Come to You By Chance.
This is one of those books that are hard to put down. Yes, it’s that page-turner cliche, the one that you stay up all night to finish. It’s not a thriller though; it won’t keep you at the edge of the seat in that way, although you will feel anxious about various characters in the novel and want to know how they fare in life.
The chief protagonist is Kingsley, a fresh graduate in Chemical Engineering; the eldest of five children; the son of Paulinus and Augustina, two individuals who have always believed in the importance of education.
Paulinus and Augustina’s story is what opens the book, and their relationship and their personalities are an important feature of the novel, establishing a few important facts about Kingsley’s background, chiefly that he comes from a family that values hard work and honesty.
Paulinus and Augustina have Masters degrees, but their academic success does not translate into financial stability. They struggle to support their children, and so, when Kingsley graduates, it is hoped that he will be able to help his parents. Alas, despite his stellar results, he is unable to find a job in his chosen field. The family limps on, relying on Paulinus’s pension and the paltry sum Augustina makes as a tailor to survive.
When Paulinus, a diabetic, has a stroke and has to be admitted to hospital, Kingsley is forced to ask his uncle, Augustina’s brother Boniface, for help.
Boniface aka Cash Dady is a multi millionaire who has acquired his fortune by questionable means. Nevertheless, he proves a generous and sympathetic relative, and provides all the financial aid needed to Kingsley and family.
Cash Daddy’s kindness is key in persuading Kingsley to join his scamming business. To be fair, the 419 mogul has no ulterior motive in helping his sister’s family. He is seen as a benevolent dictator throughout the book, sincere in efforts in improving the lives of those who seek his assistance, but dismissive about any suggestion that his riches have been acquired immorally.
Cash Daddy has his own philosophy of life, often illustrated by Igbo proverbs which he twists for his own benefit. It isn’t long before he has won Kingsley over, and Kingsley, as predicted by his seasoned crook of an uncle, is a huge success as a scammer. However, although the young man appreciates the material benefits that comes with his job, it is the ability to give his family a good life that is the job’s biggest attraction.
This is undoubtedly, a limited portrayal of the 419 scamming industry, and a humorous one at that (several scenes and observations made me laugh out loud), but it is also such a detailed an account that I am inclined to believe that the author researched her subject seriously and thoroughly.
The novel’s central character, Kingsley, is a likeable man – smart, hardworking and loving. When his girlfriend dumps him in favour of someone with more money, you feel like scolding her for being so heartless and stupid.
The other main character, Cash Daddy, is crass and vulgar, but also likeable because of his generosity and family spirit. You cringe when he is described conducting meetings while he takes a dump, but then you cheer when he lovingly provides a meal for his niece who, he shrewdly observes, looks like she’s not had enough to eat for months.
In one scene, Cash Daddy angrily orders Kingsley out of his sight for wearing ugly shoes, but Kingsley is immediately taken to an expensive store and a new pair of beautiful footwear is purchased for him. This is typical Cash Daddy behaviour – a combination of outrageous arrogance and lovable eccentricity.
I think Nwaubani’s use of likeable, accessible characters allow the reader to recognise the human side of scamming. Make no mistake, Cash Daddy is one misogynistic bastard who cheats on his wife and thinks nothing of paying for women to sleep with Kingsley. However, he has many redeeming qualities, which allow the reader to see him as human, not some wholly wicked and self-serving fiend.
Introducing us to the idealistic Paulinus and Augustina in the spring of their union, before they sink into genteel poverty, ensures that we appreciate how steadfast and determined they are: Despite the woes they eventually face, the couple are unshakeable in their belief that honesty trumps riches. However, their idealism is hopelessly impractical. What would have happened to Paulinus had Cash Daddy not come to the rescue with his filthy, ill-gotten gains? It’s interesting to realise that the final outcome would have probably been the same, just arrived at a lot more quickly, and that Kingsley would have taken quite a different path that would have led him to … something better, or worse? Who can say?
As it is, the story ends happily ever after … or does it? Like life, I Do Not Come to You By Chance does not deal in absolutes and that’s what I appreciate the most about it.
This is one of my favourite reads this year – a funny, compelling and provocative novel written in a fresh and attractive style that effectively humanises its difficult subject. Unfortunately, Nwaubani seems not to have written another novel since Chance was published in 2009. I hope this will change soon.
August 4, 2011
my people are great storytellers...the eloquence of all that is nigeria shines through in the prose and personal lives of this very realisic tale. there were so many truisms that is had to not think of kingsley ibe as flesh and bone. as a first born child i understand the pressure he feels as being opara. the difficult choices he has to make....morality....negotiating a conscience...siezing opportunity in the name of filial interest..death..love...finding your self ..capitalism..education..solace...redemption..religion..comfort..happiness..setting a bad example for your siblings while meaning to do good...making good choices...personal responsibility..welcome to adulthood!!!
July 3, 2009
This is a beautifully written, funny and sad debut novel by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani a young Nigerian writer. Through her protagonist Kingsley she shows us much about Nigeria, coming of age, the lure of money and ultimately, not only the differences between Nigerian culture and American, but, sometimes uncomfortably, the similarities. Although a very different book from Things Fall Apart, Nwaubani's sentences and cadences evoke her distinguished countryman's prose. I recommend it.
February 20, 2025
The book read like a nollywood script. It was interesting in the usual emotional wavelength which a lot of books try to generate out of readers.
I enjoyed the book though. I also liked how it portrayed Nigeria in the 80's and 90's, bringing back memories of time past.
The book was easy to read and made a good play of bringing the characters to life.
This book will definitely keep you busy if you like enjoy a dose or drama and suspense.
I enjoyed the book though. I also liked how it portrayed Nigeria in the 80's and 90's, bringing back memories of time past.
The book was easy to read and made a good play of bringing the characters to life.
This book will definitely keep you busy if you like enjoy a dose or drama and suspense.
August 29, 2023
3.5 🌟
It’s beautifully written and I enjoyed the story, I loved cash daddy’s character even though he is crazy lol.
It was really interesting being inside a 419’s head, seeing how they believe they aren’t doing anything wrong 🤦🏻♀️.
It would be a good movie based on all the descriptive details of things, but I honestly think it was a drag to read.
I didn’t need to know about the number of potholes, the beggar counting money one by one, and many more unnecessary things.
It’s beautifully written and I enjoyed the story, I loved cash daddy’s character even though he is crazy lol.
It was really interesting being inside a 419’s head, seeing how they believe they aren’t doing anything wrong 🤦🏻♀️.
It would be a good movie based on all the descriptive details of things, but I honestly think it was a drag to read.
I didn’t need to know about the number of potholes, the beggar counting money one by one, and many more unnecessary things.
July 9, 2009
In the tradition of Achebe's "No Longer At Ease," Nwaubani traces the path of Kingsley, a young university graduate in Nigeria whose parents have taught him the virtues of hard work and getting an education, but who is gradually drawn into the strange world of email fraud. A great read.
June 21, 2021
I found this to be quite an enjoyable book; a light and humorous take on otherwise depressing subject matter.
Kingsley Ibe is a Chemical Engineer from a respectable and educated family. Sadly, the family has fallen on hard times and are desperately poor, with our protagonist unable to find meaningful work. The situation forces him to find a job with his uncle, an email scammer, which ultimately changes the family dynamic and his life.
This book would have been better if the author had maybe taken time to develop some of the characters more fully. Kingsley, himself, for example, undergoes a dramatic but unexplained change from being vehemently against his uncle's line of work to actually being in his employ. I also wondered how many of the cast would have made for more sympathetic figures if they weren't so flat.
Regardless, this is a good book. Not a classic but entertaining enough.
Kingsley Ibe is a Chemical Engineer from a respectable and educated family. Sadly, the family has fallen on hard times and are desperately poor, with our protagonist unable to find meaningful work. The situation forces him to find a job with his uncle, an email scammer, which ultimately changes the family dynamic and his life.
This book would have been better if the author had maybe taken time to develop some of the characters more fully. Kingsley, himself, for example, undergoes a dramatic but unexplained change from being vehemently against his uncle's line of work to actually being in his employ. I also wondered how many of the cast would have made for more sympathetic figures if they weren't so flat.
Regardless, this is a good book. Not a classic but entertaining enough.
August 22, 2021
Kingsley's parents are educated and set great store by their oldest son's chemical engineering degree. Kingsley is however unable to find a job and eventually approaches his father's brother, the very rich black sheep of the family for assistance. And so he embarks on a career as a 419 scammer, finding credulous people all over the world to invest in his schemes. After his father's death, Kingsley becomes the breadwinner of the family and feels obliged to ensure that the family is clothed and fed despite his mother's disapproval of his role. Kingsley is very funny and his observations of life around him had me laughing aloud. I definitely need to read more by this author.
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