Review of Man Mission
Posted: 16 Dec 2022, 09:47
[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]
The main character is a young adult who has a zeal for exploring places around the globe. So, he tells his friends about it (called Sam, Daniel, and Alec), and they eventually agree to travel abroad with him.
The trips are called Man Missions, and they choose to attend them yearly. On these man missions, they go on outdoor adventures (which they consider to be masculine) to test their strengths and make them better men. A set of rules are also implemented to set the tone for why they are going on these trips.
As they fulfil work and family responsibilities every year, their lives become busier, and they have less time to focus on themselves as individuals. Thus, they adapt and gain stability in their lives. As a result, their yearning for the yearly man missions increases.
During the man missions, the men engage in typical conversations about their regular lives and topics relevant to their peer group. They also eat different food from different nations, gain acquaintances, explore nature in different countries and learn more about the surrounding countries and their cultures.
With age, the men realise that life is no longer as it used to be, compared to when they were younger. As a result, they have awkward conversations, support one another, and become more open to sharing their thoughts and asking questions. Therefore, the man missions eventually contribute to tightening the bond in their friendship and make them aware that they face similar challenges because of their gender.
One of the positive aspects of Man Mission is that it’s very entertaining. Not only is the main character very amusing, but also, the fact that the book was written from a first-person’s perspective makes the story even more entertaining. It was almost as if I was watching a comedy movie since the events were relatively easy to visualise. The companionship the main character shares with his mates is a positive aspect because they get along well, and even when they don’t see eye-to-eye about their actions and tease each other, they support each other when tough times arise. The main character’s ability to learn from his life situation and gain an essential life skill was also a highlight.
I like that the book also contained serious matters such as insight into an adult’s stages of adulthood and insight into the countries the men visited. The author captured the theme of the book- men or men’s lives accurately to the extent that the reader got to experience the different stages of men’s lives from the perspective of the main character. Thus, the manner Eytan Uliel blended serious matters with humour is a positive aspect.
A negative aspect is that the trait the main character was often trying to improve on is what led to his downfall. It was evident in the choices he made in several parts of his life. He felt pressured to live up to the societal norms of what makes a man, but he never told anyone about it. It was sad because he only acknowledged and learned from his weakness when it was too late. Furthermore, I felt compelled to sympathise with the main character and men generally when I considered the possibility that the mindset may be universal amongst men.
I rate Man Mission by Eytan Uliel 5 out of 5 stars. The author compiled an ideal story filled with facts about life using the purpose of the book. One of the key messages conveyed is that although different men of the same or similar age group can experience the same challenges, the difference in outcome lies in how they deal with their challenges. It is similar to how life is defined by choices and how between men and women, neither gender’s life is easier than the other because both have freedom of choice, and both experience difficult challenges. Therefore, I found Man Mission quite insightful and meaningful. There are a few typos in the book, and the diction is quite challenging in some instances, but it allows the reader to grow their vocabulary.
I recommend the book to adults in young adulthood and middle adulthood. Since the reader gets to witness and experience the events of the story from the main character’s life during his stage of young adulthood to middle adulthood, it only makes sense that adults of that age range will understand the life, humour, personality, and the events of the main character best. In simpler terms, I imagine that people will be more likely to understand other people who are their peers better than they would understand people who are not in their peer group. The humour, use of words (including vulgar words), and diction are more suited for adults.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
The main character is a young adult who has a zeal for exploring places around the globe. So, he tells his friends about it (called Sam, Daniel, and Alec), and they eventually agree to travel abroad with him.
The trips are called Man Missions, and they choose to attend them yearly. On these man missions, they go on outdoor adventures (which they consider to be masculine) to test their strengths and make them better men. A set of rules are also implemented to set the tone for why they are going on these trips.
As they fulfil work and family responsibilities every year, their lives become busier, and they have less time to focus on themselves as individuals. Thus, they adapt and gain stability in their lives. As a result, their yearning for the yearly man missions increases.
During the man missions, the men engage in typical conversations about their regular lives and topics relevant to their peer group. They also eat different food from different nations, gain acquaintances, explore nature in different countries and learn more about the surrounding countries and their cultures.
With age, the men realise that life is no longer as it used to be, compared to when they were younger. As a result, they have awkward conversations, support one another, and become more open to sharing their thoughts and asking questions. Therefore, the man missions eventually contribute to tightening the bond in their friendship and make them aware that they face similar challenges because of their gender.
One of the positive aspects of Man Mission is that it’s very entertaining. Not only is the main character very amusing, but also, the fact that the book was written from a first-person’s perspective makes the story even more entertaining. It was almost as if I was watching a comedy movie since the events were relatively easy to visualise. The companionship the main character shares with his mates is a positive aspect because they get along well, and even when they don’t see eye-to-eye about their actions and tease each other, they support each other when tough times arise. The main character’s ability to learn from his life situation and gain an essential life skill was also a highlight.
I like that the book also contained serious matters such as insight into an adult’s stages of adulthood and insight into the countries the men visited. The author captured the theme of the book- men or men’s lives accurately to the extent that the reader got to experience the different stages of men’s lives from the perspective of the main character. Thus, the manner Eytan Uliel blended serious matters with humour is a positive aspect.
A negative aspect is that the trait the main character was often trying to improve on is what led to his downfall. It was evident in the choices he made in several parts of his life. He felt pressured to live up to the societal norms of what makes a man, but he never told anyone about it. It was sad because he only acknowledged and learned from his weakness when it was too late. Furthermore, I felt compelled to sympathise with the main character and men generally when I considered the possibility that the mindset may be universal amongst men.
I rate Man Mission by Eytan Uliel 5 out of 5 stars. The author compiled an ideal story filled with facts about life using the purpose of the book. One of the key messages conveyed is that although different men of the same or similar age group can experience the same challenges, the difference in outcome lies in how they deal with their challenges. It is similar to how life is defined by choices and how between men and women, neither gender’s life is easier than the other because both have freedom of choice, and both experience difficult challenges. Therefore, I found Man Mission quite insightful and meaningful. There are a few typos in the book, and the diction is quite challenging in some instances, but it allows the reader to grow their vocabulary.
I recommend the book to adults in young adulthood and middle adulthood. Since the reader gets to witness and experience the events of the story from the main character’s life during his stage of young adulthood to middle adulthood, it only makes sense that adults of that age range will understand the life, humour, personality, and the events of the main character best. In simpler terms, I imagine that people will be more likely to understand other people who are their peers better than they would understand people who are not in their peer group. The humour, use of words (including vulgar words), and diction are more suited for adults.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes