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Foreign Gods, Inc by Okey Ndibe
The Blurb On The Back:
Foreign Gods, Inc tells the story of Ike, a highly educated Nigerian barely making a living driving a cab in New York City. A bad marriage and his addiction to gambling and alcohol – not to mention financial demands from family in Nigeria – have pushed him into crisis. After learning about a high-end Manhattan art dealer specialising in the sale of “foreign gods”, Ike hatches a desperate plan involving the theft of his old village’s chief god. But on Ike’s return to Nigeria, complications arise: political corruption, family conflicts, and rising tension between Christians and followers of Ngene, the war god he has returned to steal. A meditation on the dreams, promises and frustrations in our globally interconnected world, Foreign Gods, Inc announces the arrival of a major literary voice.
Originally from Nigeria, Ikechukwu “Ike” Uzondu has lived in America for the last 10 years. A cum laude graduate in economics from Amherst College, he dreamed of finding his fortune and a green card by working for a big western bank. Rebuffed for his accent, he instead found himself driving cabs and marrying the demanding Bernita who wanted shopping and sex and belittled his aspirations. Now divorced and bitter at how his dreams have been dashed, he seeks salvation through the art gallery, Foreign Gods, Inc, which sells indigenous god statues from around the world to those with wealth to burn.
Ike is sure that the gallery will pay big money for the statue of his Nigerian village’s war god, Ngene. All he has to do is return home to steal it. But that’s easier said than done for Ike’s uncle is Ngene’s high priest and he’s estranged from Ike’s born-again Christian mother and sister who are in thrall to a charismatic pastor and convinced that there’s a plot to kill them ...
Okey Ndibe’s debut literary novel is an interesting tale of crushed dreams, corruption and the way in which capitalism destroys those it comes in contact with, all underpinned by a magical realist vibe. It took a while for me to warm to Ike, partly because his alcoholism and gambling come across as plot necessities rather than intrinsic parts of his character and also because he’s naïve for a supposedly highly educated man and makes some stupid decisions, most notably in his scenes attempting to negotiate with the gallery owner. However the chapters set in Nigeria really held my attention. I loved the dialogue between his various Nigerian characters and whilst the depiction of Nigeria’s endemic corruption follows a well trodden literary path, I believed in the relationships Ndibe creates and particularly those between him and his mother and uncle and the tensions that exist between them. Ndibe weaves in the magical realist elements with an assured hand and I enjoyed Ike’s uneasy reaction to the idol he has come to steal and the way Ndibe keeps it open as to whether this is truly a god at work or the product of Ike’s own guilt at his actions. Ultimately there was enough here to hold my attention from beginning to end and I would definitely check out Ndibe’s other work.
The Verdict:
Okey Ndibe’s debut literary novel is an interesting tale of crushed dreams, corruption and the way in which capitalism destroys those it comes in contact with, all underpinned by a magical realist vibe. It took a while for me to warm to Ike, partly because his alcoholism and gambling come across as plot necessities rather than intrinsic parts of his character and also because he’s naïve for a supposedly highly educated man and makes some stupid decisions, most notably in his scenes attempting to negotiate with the gallery owner. However the chapters set in Nigeria really held my attention. I loved the dialogue between his various Nigerian characters and whilst the depiction of Nigeria’s endemic corruption follows a well trodden literary path, I believed in the relationships Ndibe creates and particularly those between him and his mother and uncle and the tensions that exist between them. Ndibe weaves in the magical realist elements with an assured hand and I enjoyed Ike’s uneasy reaction to the idol he has come to steal and the way Ndibe keeps it open as to whether this is truly a god at work or the product of Ike’s own guilt at his actions. Ultimately there was enough here to hold my attention from beginning to end and I would definitely check out Ndibe’s other work.
Foreign Gods, Inc tells the story of Ike, a highly educated Nigerian barely making a living driving a cab in New York City. A bad marriage and his addiction to gambling and alcohol – not to mention financial demands from family in Nigeria – have pushed him into crisis. After learning about a high-end Manhattan art dealer specialising in the sale of “foreign gods”, Ike hatches a desperate plan involving the theft of his old village’s chief god. But on Ike’s return to Nigeria, complications arise: political corruption, family conflicts, and rising tension between Christians and followers of Ngene, the war god he has returned to steal. A meditation on the dreams, promises and frustrations in our globally interconnected world, Foreign Gods, Inc announces the arrival of a major literary voice.
Originally from Nigeria, Ikechukwu “Ike” Uzondu has lived in America for the last 10 years. A cum laude graduate in economics from Amherst College, he dreamed of finding his fortune and a green card by working for a big western bank. Rebuffed for his accent, he instead found himself driving cabs and marrying the demanding Bernita who wanted shopping and sex and belittled his aspirations. Now divorced and bitter at how his dreams have been dashed, he seeks salvation through the art gallery, Foreign Gods, Inc, which sells indigenous god statues from around the world to those with wealth to burn.
Ike is sure that the gallery will pay big money for the statue of his Nigerian village’s war god, Ngene. All he has to do is return home to steal it. But that’s easier said than done for Ike’s uncle is Ngene’s high priest and he’s estranged from Ike’s born-again Christian mother and sister who are in thrall to a charismatic pastor and convinced that there’s a plot to kill them ...
Okey Ndibe’s debut literary novel is an interesting tale of crushed dreams, corruption and the way in which capitalism destroys those it comes in contact with, all underpinned by a magical realist vibe. It took a while for me to warm to Ike, partly because his alcoholism and gambling come across as plot necessities rather than intrinsic parts of his character and also because he’s naïve for a supposedly highly educated man and makes some stupid decisions, most notably in his scenes attempting to negotiate with the gallery owner. However the chapters set in Nigeria really held my attention. I loved the dialogue between his various Nigerian characters and whilst the depiction of Nigeria’s endemic corruption follows a well trodden literary path, I believed in the relationships Ndibe creates and particularly those between him and his mother and uncle and the tensions that exist between them. Ndibe weaves in the magical realist elements with an assured hand and I enjoyed Ike’s uneasy reaction to the idol he has come to steal and the way Ndibe keeps it open as to whether this is truly a god at work or the product of Ike’s own guilt at his actions. Ultimately there was enough here to hold my attention from beginning to end and I would definitely check out Ndibe’s other work.
The Verdict:
Okey Ndibe’s debut literary novel is an interesting tale of crushed dreams, corruption and the way in which capitalism destroys those it comes in contact with, all underpinned by a magical realist vibe. It took a while for me to warm to Ike, partly because his alcoholism and gambling come across as plot necessities rather than intrinsic parts of his character and also because he’s naïve for a supposedly highly educated man and makes some stupid decisions, most notably in his scenes attempting to negotiate with the gallery owner. However the chapters set in Nigeria really held my attention. I loved the dialogue between his various Nigerian characters and whilst the depiction of Nigeria’s endemic corruption follows a well trodden literary path, I believed in the relationships Ndibe creates and particularly those between him and his mother and uncle and the tensions that exist between them. Ndibe weaves in the magical realist elements with an assured hand and I enjoyed Ike’s uneasy reaction to the idol he has come to steal and the way Ndibe keeps it open as to whether this is truly a god at work or the product of Ike’s own guilt at his actions. Ultimately there was enough here to hold my attention from beginning to end and I would definitely check out Ndibe’s other work.