The Nature of Things

Every Day is for the Thief by Teju Cole My rating: 3 of 5 stars When I first clapped eyes on the title of this book, I had no idea what it meant. Now that I've read the book...I still don't know. The author says that it comes from a Yoruba proverb which says, "Every day is for the thief, but one day is for the owner." Well, that clears things right up, doesn't it? I suppose it must refer to the fact that Nigerian society, as explored by Teju Cole, is a miasma of thievery. There seems to be no such thing as an honest policeman, government bureaucrat, taxi driver, shopkeeper - you name it. In Cole's telling, the entire country is corrupt and a system of extortion and bribery is what makes it work even as well as it does. This book was first published in Nigeria in 2007, but it has recently received some notice in this country. His other book, Open City , which I have not read, was the winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award, as well as several other literary awards, ...