Review by gabbieetopio -- Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
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- Latest Review: Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
Review by gabbieetopio -- Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]
The novel Man Mission by Eytan Uliel is a must-read adventure that follows the lives of four men over the course of fifteen years who are on the journey to manhood through self-discovery. They take a trip once a year to challenge themselves and escape the reality of their daily lives. Shifting back and forth from their at-home lives to their experiences on their "Man Mission Trips," this novel covers the perspectives of what a middle-aged, middle class man goes through and the pressure he feels to uphold the social standard of being a "real man."
The novel begins with the narrator and his friend Sam, deciding to take a trip to New Zealand. The narrator, from the very beginning, had doubts about his manhood and felt as though he needed to find himself, which is what he was determined his purpose would be over the course of these Man Missions. Later on, his other two close friends Daniel and Alec join these Man Missions.
During each Man Mission trip, the novel follows the narrator's struggles as he grapples with his responsibilities regarding his family life and his personal feelings and self-doubt. On their trip to Australia, the men establish a symbol of "non-manliness": the Pink Bracelet. The owner of the Pink Bracelet is the one in the group who complains the most or is viewed as the "weakest" throughout the trip. The narrator constantly earns the Pink Bracelet, which causes him to further reconsider his masculinity and compare himself to the others.
The narrator continuously feels a sense of obscurity in his life; he becomes envious of his friends and their seemingly "perfect" lives, while he is constantly searching for the next thing in his own life. Throughout the novel, he learns a lot about himself on these Man Missions.
This novel is a perfect example of defying the status quo. It is universally accepted that men should be strong, independent, and assertive at all times, while making sacrifices and taking care of the women. They are not supposed to be open about their true feelings or show weakness at any time. As a woman, this novel was extremely eye-opening to me and it realistically portrayed the every-day struggles of men in our modern society. It revealed a sensitive side of every man that is typically shielded in attempts to come off as masculine, which consequently caused me to change my perspective of gender roles pertaining to men, specifically.
The character development of this novel was exceptional. I felt as though I knew each and every character by the end of the novel and even chose my favorite qualities among each of them. This book is full of humor, yet also realistically portrays the struggles of marriage and the strength and importance of friendship in overcoming such trials.
The thing I liked most about Man Mission was the first-person perspective and vivid details, which really allowed me to feel as though I was present in each situation. I laughed at the men's jokes, cried with them during their predicaments, and felt the euphoria of nature that was brought to them, whether it was from scaling down a cliff in Iceland, or watching the sunrise in Machu Picchu.
There was not much I disliked about the novel; however, I wish the narrator was named as I found myself on multiple occasions not knowing what to call him, yet this did not prohibit me from rating Man Mission four out of four stars . This novel was immensely intriguing, and I found myself questioning certain aspects of my own life as well.
Anyone who intends on traveling the world or is on their own personal journey of self-discovery will fall in love with this book just as I have. I also recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun read and wants a good adventure novel. It is a novel for all ages, from young adults to seniors. To be frank, there is a good amount of explicit language and a few references to sexual situations, therefore may not be suitable to younger readers.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
The novel Man Mission by Eytan Uliel is a must-read adventure that follows the lives of four men over the course of fifteen years who are on the journey to manhood through self-discovery. They take a trip once a year to challenge themselves and escape the reality of their daily lives. Shifting back and forth from their at-home lives to their experiences on their "Man Mission Trips," this novel covers the perspectives of what a middle-aged, middle class man goes through and the pressure he feels to uphold the social standard of being a "real man."
The novel begins with the narrator and his friend Sam, deciding to take a trip to New Zealand. The narrator, from the very beginning, had doubts about his manhood and felt as though he needed to find himself, which is what he was determined his purpose would be over the course of these Man Missions. Later on, his other two close friends Daniel and Alec join these Man Missions.
During each Man Mission trip, the novel follows the narrator's struggles as he grapples with his responsibilities regarding his family life and his personal feelings and self-doubt. On their trip to Australia, the men establish a symbol of "non-manliness": the Pink Bracelet. The owner of the Pink Bracelet is the one in the group who complains the most or is viewed as the "weakest" throughout the trip. The narrator constantly earns the Pink Bracelet, which causes him to further reconsider his masculinity and compare himself to the others.
The narrator continuously feels a sense of obscurity in his life; he becomes envious of his friends and their seemingly "perfect" lives, while he is constantly searching for the next thing in his own life. Throughout the novel, he learns a lot about himself on these Man Missions.
This novel is a perfect example of defying the status quo. It is universally accepted that men should be strong, independent, and assertive at all times, while making sacrifices and taking care of the women. They are not supposed to be open about their true feelings or show weakness at any time. As a woman, this novel was extremely eye-opening to me and it realistically portrayed the every-day struggles of men in our modern society. It revealed a sensitive side of every man that is typically shielded in attempts to come off as masculine, which consequently caused me to change my perspective of gender roles pertaining to men, specifically.
The character development of this novel was exceptional. I felt as though I knew each and every character by the end of the novel and even chose my favorite qualities among each of them. This book is full of humor, yet also realistically portrays the struggles of marriage and the strength and importance of friendship in overcoming such trials.
The thing I liked most about Man Mission was the first-person perspective and vivid details, which really allowed me to feel as though I was present in each situation. I laughed at the men's jokes, cried with them during their predicaments, and felt the euphoria of nature that was brought to them, whether it was from scaling down a cliff in Iceland, or watching the sunrise in Machu Picchu.
There was not much I disliked about the novel; however, I wish the narrator was named as I found myself on multiple occasions not knowing what to call him, yet this did not prohibit me from rating Man Mission four out of four stars . This novel was immensely intriguing, and I found myself questioning certain aspects of my own life as well.
Anyone who intends on traveling the world or is on their own personal journey of self-discovery will fall in love with this book just as I have. I also recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun read and wants a good adventure novel. It is a novel for all ages, from young adults to seniors. To be frank, there is a good amount of explicit language and a few references to sexual situations, therefore may not be suitable to younger readers.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
