BOOK REVIEW: A Small Silence by Jumoke Verissimo

Babatunde Alaran.

The job of every writer is to spin, weave and wear loin of words from the beginning to the end. This transition was what I derived when I was reading this debut novel. Jumoke Verissimo is not a neophyte when it comes to writing prose. I once read her short story from the Ake Review . And that particular short story was lovely because the language came with fluidity as a poet now a novelist.

Her style has its fineness when it comes to composition. In this debut novel, the novelist writes with witticism and it captivates my interest to read continuously.

Reading a novel with metaphor is remarkably the reader’s joy. Thankfully, I enjoyed myself while reading this novel because her choice of words were profound like each stanza of her poetry collection ‘’ The Birth of Illusion’’

Thus, before I begin this literature, let me say when I read her poem; I told myself:

‘’ the traveler doesn’t deign like a meandering person/sometimes, it echoes in-between the market to imminently embrace a vagrant’’.

Sorry! These aforementioned poetic lines don’t stand in any purpose to her work. But I wrote that to say her art was metaphorical. This particular novel is contemporarily written because the setting is indelible. It is part of Nigerian society. She makes the context into our existence.

Startlingly, she described Desire’s intelligence with a soft candour as the female protagonist in the novel. This first gave me the impression that the story was related to her at some point but when I began to read farther, I realized it was fiction. Reading fiction is like reading about a personal experience. Her style towards the narration is compelling. It was Remilekun who told Desire that Prof had been released from prison. She was indeed gleeful afterwards.

This is a story of a dissenter who has culturally been a utopia to his own claim and objective. This novel, ‘’A Small Silence ‘’ dialogue is permanent. It makes the story to be captivating from the first chapter to the last. Every word means something and they are superbly redefined. Desire acquainted herself to the ex-jailer, Prof Eniolorunda. And they began conversation in the dark and it left puzzlement to the reader.

Therefore, prison is an experience of solitary inclination because many of the returned prisoners behave awkwardly to the society nomenclature and others start to embrace the emitted reality, and it is synonymously not to remember the past. Prison is a home for correctional wrongs. But in Nigeria, it perturbs the mind and paradoxically; it lives trauma to the prisoner’s life.

The usage of Yoruba cosmology in this novel makes it a masterpiece because it talks about maxim. Thus, someone may call it a political novel because Prof’s trajectory as a rebel attaches its to politics. Though, his life was tearful.

Truly, before I even read this novel, I know Ms. Jumoke Verissimo is a painter of words because her poems; most especially, her chapbook with the Saraba Magazine is indeed bigger than a coronet. She is a raconteur when it comes to her writing.

Her craft in writing a novel is not surprising because oftentimes it shows in her crafty poems — but reading this particular novel is credence to what the novel gives as a story.

While reading the novel, I was confused at some point; and suddenly I asked myself, ‘’ is this a true-life story or fiction?’’ because I felt it was obscure but after few chapters ahead. It became clear to me that it was about seclusion and damnation. Desire was the metaphor for these themes when she began to visit Prof with dalliance; and her dauntless mind made her discuss history, politics, and poetry with him.

Prof’s experience appeared to me like Déjà Vu to the June 12, 1993 election which was eponymously the only credible election ever conducted in Nigeria. There was delirium and I kept asking myself, why would he send his mother away? And why would he choose celibacy over promiscuity? But the novelist described Prof’s demeanour with desultory and ignominious.

Meanwhile, Prof’s idiosyncrasy was riduclous when Desire told him about his estranged son, Ireti, who was contesting for the SUG president in LASU — Then, Prof began to act immature due to what he heard from Desire about his so-called son. He was obdurate. Reading this novel is immersed. Because of his impenitent when he was searching for Desire after a very long time she had not come to visit him in his darkroom.

Lastly, reading this novel is like watching a movie. The novelist uses simplicity to address the prose. Her mastery to tell a story coherently is exciting. She doesn’t make it to become lacklustre; but yet still compulsive for everyone to read. Jumoke Verissimo has transcended from being a poet to the newest novelist with a great oeuvre.

Everybody needs to read this.