LIKE Father, Unlike Son is one book that draws the reader in from the first line as the descriptive power of the writer creates an enchanting scenery that attracts the mind of the reader.
The characters created by the author from the beginning laid the foundation for a suspense-filled journey that takes the reader away from the book to the seemingly simple living in Ita Odan village, which looks like a closely knitted community where communal living is at its peak but is filled with the vices that can be found in other communities.
The intricacies of life in a community where deep waters run deep and the surrounding experience of four young men who got branded as the low lives of Adeyo and Ita Odan, through no fault of theirs, but the judgmental nature of men and the resolution far away in the city of Lagos decades after is a testament of the narrative and descriptive prowess of the author, Bolaji Apelegan.
Like Father, Unlike Son is a story that not only shows how innocent actions may turn the tide of an individual’s life and destroy well-laid plans, it also exposes the ills of the society and how people saddled with responsibility can often be responsible for the evil going on in such communities.
It also exposes the fact that people are usually a product of their experiences in life and nobody is beyond redemption. It also made it clear that location whether urban or rural isn’t a determinant when it comes to engaging in crime.
Set in South-West Nigeria, Apelegan explores the rich culture of the region to tell the story of friendship that transcends social status, bonds that defy all odds after being formed in unlikely situations, societal ills, greed, desperation for a life of wealth through marriage, how a parent’s personal interest may jeopardise the future of a child, the agony in search of personal identity, hurt, broken trust, moving on in the face of adversity, living with pain and forgiveness.
From the beginning, Apelegan creates characters whose lives are obviously entwined in their individuality, engaging the readers’ attention and sending the mind on an errand of trying to unravel how and where the connection is and where the meeting point will be.
The scenes come alive with words creating pictures in the mind and readers can easily travel to Ita Odan, Adeyo and Lagos from the comfort of their minds and experience the emotional turmoil of the characters.
The experience of SOJ, the director; the eccentric Dayo Faniran, Reverend Ayodele Jagun and Sola, bonding together to weather unnecessary name calling, embarrassment and vilification from villagers, climaxes in scenes of reuniting, laying to rest old demons, resolution and forgiveness in a simple manner with comcise, understandable words that exhibit freshness, intensity and powerful prose.
This supporting cast of characters; Kunbi, Romoke, Torera, Chief Akomolafe, AdunniOdaju, Kasali, Professor Adejumo, Akinro son of the late Agba Akin and Chief Gbenro were all excellent in nuance, creatively complicated and acts, adding to the beauty and realistic presentation of story
Like Father, Unlike Son is an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion and a portrayal of the difficulties faced by people who are judged and tagged as criminals unjustly and slapped with a controversial label within a small community.
Like Father, Unlike Son is Apelegan’s second novel and he has complete control of this story; his style and use of words make it easy to read and a literary delicacy that is suitable for all age groups.
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