Review of Man Mission
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Abel Mwirigi
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Review of Man Mission
[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]
On a streak of imagination, two college kids come up with an idea to travel somewhere and challenge their spirits. It takes shape and for the next fourteen years, they travel the world with two other friends in search of thrill and escape from their worlds. They experience friendship in the most fun way. These trips take them trekking in New Zealand, Kayaking in Australia, drinking on the coasts of Fiji with natives, biking from rural areas to cities, and hunting aurora in Iceland. As the men grow into these adventures, they also get families. They each have different personalities and go through some rough patches. The adventures seem to be a great way for them to better handle their lives at home and work.
Man Missionby Etyan Uliel shares the adventures of four friends from college. Uliel narrates the story. The style is catchy. He introduces a chapter by touching a little on their current expedition, then takes us back to their lives before that. He intertwines the narration to bring out the exhilarating events with the underlying issues of their individual lives. He includes their wives, parents, kids, and work to connect an interesting story. Daniel, Alec, and Sam are the other guys.
I enjoyed the book. Uliel lays bare his fears, his success, his shortcomings, and his attachment to feelings. In a world where men do not express their feelings openly, he takes us through a journey of men confiding in one another. The book is a rollercoaster of emotions and resonance. We start with young men with no responsibilities and end up with men who have done the whole cycle. I virtually rode with him in the joy of finding love, to his mid-life crisis with a group of depressed men. I resonated with his pain as he found himself at the bottom in a circle where he had once been the best. Uliel takes the reader through several phases of life, at one point or the other, he speaks to what you face or might face as a man. The men enjoy a happy ending with the dangerous adventures while we see them struggle in their personal lives.
I found no particular negative aspect of the book. As Uliel’s debut novel, I feel like he went way above expectation to wow the reader. Since Uliel is the author and main character, I did not know where to draw the line between true accounts and his imagination. As the story begins, you get the feeling that it is a stretch of supposed reality. Sleeping in a cow field in the middle of nowhere and ending up with drug dealers who thought they were CIA seems like an exaggeration of facts. As you read further, you do not get that feeling anymore as he delves into relatable events such as the financial crisis and growing fat as you age. The adventures have them doing some dangerous things. You would expect a beginner to get off with more than a merely sprained ankle. Riding hundreds of miles in a few days is also not very believable considering the chafing.
The editors did a superb job. There are no errors to distract your reading. I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. This is because the book is interesting and worth the reader's time and attention. Uliel travels with the reader and recreates his experiences vividly. As a novice in so many things he was doing, it is easy for the reader to digest the story very personally. The plot is not complex at all. If anything, Uliel is very relatable. The reader will enjoy the honesty and vulnerability coming from an ordinary man.
I would recommend the book to mostly male readers. It is told from a male perspective and gives attention to the dynamics of a man’s life. To add to the adrenaline-filled adventures that are meant to be manly, the book would be mainly enjoyed by a male audience. In character, Uliel takes on the role of a man in constant battle with his manhood and how he fairs into old age. He quotes famous writers and short Bible verses in between chapters.
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Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
On a streak of imagination, two college kids come up with an idea to travel somewhere and challenge their spirits. It takes shape and for the next fourteen years, they travel the world with two other friends in search of thrill and escape from their worlds. They experience friendship in the most fun way. These trips take them trekking in New Zealand, Kayaking in Australia, drinking on the coasts of Fiji with natives, biking from rural areas to cities, and hunting aurora in Iceland. As the men grow into these adventures, they also get families. They each have different personalities and go through some rough patches. The adventures seem to be a great way for them to better handle their lives at home and work.
Man Missionby Etyan Uliel shares the adventures of four friends from college. Uliel narrates the story. The style is catchy. He introduces a chapter by touching a little on their current expedition, then takes us back to their lives before that. He intertwines the narration to bring out the exhilarating events with the underlying issues of their individual lives. He includes their wives, parents, kids, and work to connect an interesting story. Daniel, Alec, and Sam are the other guys.
I enjoyed the book. Uliel lays bare his fears, his success, his shortcomings, and his attachment to feelings. In a world where men do not express their feelings openly, he takes us through a journey of men confiding in one another. The book is a rollercoaster of emotions and resonance. We start with young men with no responsibilities and end up with men who have done the whole cycle. I virtually rode with him in the joy of finding love, to his mid-life crisis with a group of depressed men. I resonated with his pain as he found himself at the bottom in a circle where he had once been the best. Uliel takes the reader through several phases of life, at one point or the other, he speaks to what you face or might face as a man. The men enjoy a happy ending with the dangerous adventures while we see them struggle in their personal lives.
I found no particular negative aspect of the book. As Uliel’s debut novel, I feel like he went way above expectation to wow the reader. Since Uliel is the author and main character, I did not know where to draw the line between true accounts and his imagination. As the story begins, you get the feeling that it is a stretch of supposed reality. Sleeping in a cow field in the middle of nowhere and ending up with drug dealers who thought they were CIA seems like an exaggeration of facts. As you read further, you do not get that feeling anymore as he delves into relatable events such as the financial crisis and growing fat as you age. The adventures have them doing some dangerous things. You would expect a beginner to get off with more than a merely sprained ankle. Riding hundreds of miles in a few days is also not very believable considering the chafing.
The editors did a superb job. There are no errors to distract your reading. I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. This is because the book is interesting and worth the reader's time and attention. Uliel travels with the reader and recreates his experiences vividly. As a novice in so many things he was doing, it is easy for the reader to digest the story very personally. The plot is not complex at all. If anything, Uliel is very relatable. The reader will enjoy the honesty and vulnerability coming from an ordinary man.
I would recommend the book to mostly male readers. It is told from a male perspective and gives attention to the dynamics of a man’s life. To add to the adrenaline-filled adventures that are meant to be manly, the book would be mainly enjoyed by a male audience. In character, Uliel takes on the role of a man in constant battle with his manhood and how he fairs into old age. He quotes famous writers and short Bible verses in between chapters.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Twisted But True by Darren Burch
