What did you think of how this book constantly switched between the "present" action of the missions and flashbacks?

Use this forum to discuss the January 2020 Book of the month, "Man Mission: 4 men, 15 years, 1 epic journey", by Eytan Uliel.
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Ahñ Mèiã
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Re: What did you think of how this book constantly switched between the "present" action of the missions and flashbacks?

Post by Ahñ Mèiã »

I think it was so effective and made the book feel special. It shows the connection between what is happening now and what he learned, looking backward on the events and reflecting, then thinking of a solution to the problem. I think the author mastered it!

I would really like to read more of his works 😍
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Jack03p
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Post by Jack03p »

Uliel's use of flashbacks really brings out the personality of the crew. It helped me to understand the men more as individuals so that I could appreciate their actions and dialogue during the missions on a deeper level.
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habsfan212
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Post by habsfan212 »

I'm only at the third mission and I love the flashbacks so far. Getting to know what the characters have been up to the last year really helps knowing them better and understanding some of their reactions during the travel. So far, it's a really good book. I love when a book relates to real life!
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Post by randompersonavility »

As long as they're necessary and would not lead to confusion later on, then I don't really mind.
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C Tsang
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Post by C Tsang »

I enjoyed the constant change in present to past as it ensured the reader was engaged and added extra depth to the characters as well as building their separate lives outside of the adventures. This also allowed the reader to more closely relate to each character as well.
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Post by gabbieetopio »

I thought that this was pulled off brilliantly by Uliel. Most books that switch back forth as frequently as this one did may lose track of the storyline, however, Man Mission did not have this problem at all; in fact, if anything, this only added to the novel and Uliel was really efficient in staying focused on the storyline and providing further context to the narrator's life.
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Tavaiel26
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Post by Tavaiel26 »

I really like how he managed the present to past skipping. It never feels forced or wrong, it leads you through it pretty comfortably. And I've read really bad cases of this technique in the past. Nothing like that here, thankfully!
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Post by Princepetr10 »

The author did a good job . He was able to switch the past and present .very good review .
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Hester3
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Post by Hester3 »

I like the flashbacks very much, it enriched the story and character development.
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Post by FaithMO19 »

Generally I don't like so much flashbacks in books or even in movies because most times I find it difficult to keep up with story and not get confused in the process
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Post by Ariely 20 »

The smooth transitions between the past and present is a testimony of the writers skill. It even helped with my understanding of the story. Very skillfully done.
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Post by Just_jay »

Personally, I'm a person who tends to get quite confused in some complicated situations written in some book. So, I have to read the whole thing until I get a grasp of the message.I'm an avid bookworm and when I understand what the author wants us to project in our minds, I can see the story clearly in my mind, and I can imagine it very well.Like I mentioned before,I tend to get confused most of the time, but this was completely different. I also have some experience writing and though it may seem easy, I'm sure we all know how hard it is.The message that I want to convey is that even though the plot is complex, the author could move the transitions swiftly without having to trouble the readers by confusing them.I really appreciate his work.
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Post by Nafreezy »

I absolutely love how flashbacks have a way of engaging my mind and interest. And the writer pulled this one off pretty well. I loved it.
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HanElizabeth397
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Post by HanElizabeth397 »

Nafreezy wrote: 07 May 2020, 20:13 I absolutely love how flashbacks have a way of engaging my mind and interest. And the writer pulled this one off pretty well. I loved it.
I agree! Sometimes flashbacks don't work overly well if they're not well-executed but the author did a really good job here. Having the flashbacks also meant that there didn't need to be any descriptions of being at home while it was happening and the whole book could take place on the holidays.
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Post by jhunt »

I think the author pulled it off! There were some instances where I needed to re-read to truly understand the jumps in the timeline, but overall loved the effect.
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