Review of Man Mission
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Lisaell
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Review of Man Mission
[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]
In Man Mission, 4 young men fresh out of college are itching for an experience that will help shape them into manly men: grizzly, rugged, risk-taking, mountain males. On the cusp of the rest of their lives, whether it's pursuing law or business, they are desperate to get away and find their inner selves while having an experience of a lifetime. Thus, the idea of a man's mission trip starts to take shape. This is the beginning of an annual guys' trip that spans 15 years and takes the boys to New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, and many places in between. In this novel by Eytan Uliel, culture, tradition and language get explored as the characters traverse the globe to find themselves. Along with the men of Man Mission you as the reader are also exploring a foreign land and discovering new things that make you squirm in excitement to read more. No one is immune to hard times and failures and that goes for the boys of this story, but this book shows that humour goes a long way when dealing with the hurdles of life.
This story is narrated by Eytan the main character and one of the two original creators of ‘man mission’. Eytan takes you on a wild ride beginning when he and his friends are mid-20 college graduates to middle-aged fathers with marital troubles, children, faltering jobs and dashed dreams sprinkled throughout. You never can predict what each expedition is going to bring and what revelations will be revealed as Eytan spends each year more and more uncertain of his future and the path, he feels was chosen for him.
This book was one I enjoyed immensely. As someone who has had some of these destinations on my bucket list for years, it was such a delight to read about them and learn about places I had only dreamed about. This book was perfectly constructed and edited with no errors whatsoever. Every single character was relatable and had qualities that you would look for in your own lifelong friends. The light-hearted tone was constant in every chapter, but it didn't take away from the other emotions that were felt throughout the course of this story such as sadness, disappointment, and regret.
The biggest thing I disliked about this book was the fact that it ended. I could have continued reading about the man mission adventures for many more chapters. Also, the whole story from beginning to end is told from only 1 of the 4 points of view. I would have liked to see maybe a switch of narration to get the other 3 characters' points of view throughout their journey.
I give this book a 4 out of 4 for multiple reasons. One is for the superb storytelling structure Etyan Uliel constructed. I love how he starts each chapter with a preview of what the next trip is going to entail and then rewinds back to the various things that had happened in the year between each mission. This method of storytelling makes it compelling and engaging. The editing was another factor; the professionalism in the editing was a welcoming feat.
I would recommend this book to the readers who like to travel and to the readers who also have had moments in their lives where they weren’t 100 percent sure that they were on the right path with their lives and are looking for ideas to escape reality for a bit. Honestly, this book could do everyone a bit of good, if not for the exploring of the different countries you get to go on through the beauty of storytelling, then purely for the feeling of knowing that if you have a few good friends and a map, then you always have a way to find yourself.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
In Man Mission, 4 young men fresh out of college are itching for an experience that will help shape them into manly men: grizzly, rugged, risk-taking, mountain males. On the cusp of the rest of their lives, whether it's pursuing law or business, they are desperate to get away and find their inner selves while having an experience of a lifetime. Thus, the idea of a man's mission trip starts to take shape. This is the beginning of an annual guys' trip that spans 15 years and takes the boys to New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, and many places in between. In this novel by Eytan Uliel, culture, tradition and language get explored as the characters traverse the globe to find themselves. Along with the men of Man Mission you as the reader are also exploring a foreign land and discovering new things that make you squirm in excitement to read more. No one is immune to hard times and failures and that goes for the boys of this story, but this book shows that humour goes a long way when dealing with the hurdles of life.
This story is narrated by Eytan the main character and one of the two original creators of ‘man mission’. Eytan takes you on a wild ride beginning when he and his friends are mid-20 college graduates to middle-aged fathers with marital troubles, children, faltering jobs and dashed dreams sprinkled throughout. You never can predict what each expedition is going to bring and what revelations will be revealed as Eytan spends each year more and more uncertain of his future and the path, he feels was chosen for him.
This book was one I enjoyed immensely. As someone who has had some of these destinations on my bucket list for years, it was such a delight to read about them and learn about places I had only dreamed about. This book was perfectly constructed and edited with no errors whatsoever. Every single character was relatable and had qualities that you would look for in your own lifelong friends. The light-hearted tone was constant in every chapter, but it didn't take away from the other emotions that were felt throughout the course of this story such as sadness, disappointment, and regret.
The biggest thing I disliked about this book was the fact that it ended. I could have continued reading about the man mission adventures for many more chapters. Also, the whole story from beginning to end is told from only 1 of the 4 points of view. I would have liked to see maybe a switch of narration to get the other 3 characters' points of view throughout their journey.
I give this book a 4 out of 4 for multiple reasons. One is for the superb storytelling structure Etyan Uliel constructed. I love how he starts each chapter with a preview of what the next trip is going to entail and then rewinds back to the various things that had happened in the year between each mission. This method of storytelling makes it compelling and engaging. The editing was another factor; the professionalism in the editing was a welcoming feat.
I would recommend this book to the readers who like to travel and to the readers who also have had moments in their lives where they weren’t 100 percent sure that they were on the right path with their lives and are looking for ideas to escape reality for a bit. Honestly, this book could do everyone a bit of good, if not for the exploring of the different countries you get to go on through the beauty of storytelling, then purely for the feeling of knowing that if you have a few good friends and a map, then you always have a way to find yourself.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Three loves and other stories by Lata Gullapalli
