Review: On Ajayi Crowther Street by Elnathan John and Alaba Onajin

Trigger warning: homophobia, suicide, rape, sexual abuse, domestic abuse

‘Good. You can laugh. All hope is not lost.’

-Elnathan John

The nature of this novel’s illustrations might make you believe you’re in for a light, brief read. It is a ploy to ambush you. Casar A. Cruz says that art should ‘comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable’, and Elnathan John has managed to achieve this feat with this book. The fictional Ajayi Crowther street, in a way, serves as a microcosm of Lagos, and Nigeria by extension. The book covers heavy subjects and highlights some of the ills in our society.

On Ajayi Crowther Street revolves around the family of Reverend Akpoborie and their neighbors. The characters are not particularly avant-garde. Reverend Akpoborie is typecast as the typical Nigerian ‘hustling’  pastor with his scripted miracles and his hypocrisy. As parents, he and his wife are more concerned about their reputation than their children. His wife, Rev Mrs. Akpoborie is very absent in the life of her children although she loves them.

Ajayi Crowther street is home to gossip, secrets, and lies. However, the drama is perfectly balanced such that it does not feel overwhelming. The characters are ordinary and interesting: the two-faced Keturah and her fiercely loyal sister, Mary; the unmarried Aunty Susan that keeps pressuring Mary to get married; the closeted gay Godstime and his Onyeka; Reverend Mrs. Akpoborie’s one-sided friendship with Mrs. Akerele; and in proper Lagos fashion, the street-smart, cunning brother, Emma Akpoborie.

It is refreshing to have a contemporary novel about Lagos that is not pretentious or out of touch with reality. In the midst of homophobia, rape, hypocrisy, and the need to put up appearances, On Ajayi Crowther Street seeks to answer the question ‘how do people live with themselves?’ as individuals and as a community. The Bucknor’s reaction to  Kyalita’s rape is an example. They did not stop at sympathizing with Kyalita or criticizing the powerful, well-respected perpetrator, Reverend Akpoborie. They took the extra step of reporting to the police and ensuring justice, or at least a semblance of it, was served. The characters serve as a mirror to help us see how society operates while giving enough distance for us to judge and self-correct.

The illustrations are quite difficult to follow because the characters look different from slide to slide. The storytelling is also choppy as the progression isn’t linear, and Elnathan John chooses to tell rather than show. As a result, we are only aware of events after they have happened and they are relayed to us through the dialogue between characters. Reading the novel, one cannot predict the plot or attempt to engage with the story. The last pages of the book appear rushed.

Overall, it is a three-star novel. Elnathan John and Alabi Onajin have managed to create a book that is as engaging as it is tumultuous. It is an enjoyable read and you can complete its 217 pages in two hours. If you’re an adult in the market for a quick graphic novel, you should pick this off the shelf.

Oreoluwa Oyinlola is a writer and finalist at the University of Ibadan. When she is not looking at photos of cats on the internet, she is writing fiction, creative non-fiction or, book reviews.