Review of Man Mission
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Alex Gewald
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- Latest Review: Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
Review of Man Mission
[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]
Man Mission is an adventure-packed novel written by travel-loving author Eytan Uliel. It tells the tale of four university best friends who, for 15 years, embark on annual trips to breathtaking countries all over the world. Their exploits include all sorts of physically challenging activities, such as hiking, cycling, kayaking, and sailing – to name a few. From hiking up the infamous Andes Mountains in Peru, to cycling across hilly terrains in South Korea, the men made sure that their trips were nothing short of memorable.
As the men get older, they dive into relationships, marriages, and jobs and take on the responsibility of raising children, all the things that are expected of them. They soon come to realize that these responsibilities are not a walk in the park and that alongside their duties, melancholic voids within themselves start to develop that aren’t so easy to fill. Towards the final years of their expeditions, the best friends eventually accept that their globetrotting is simply a way of escaping the real world and its challenges. Follow these adventurers as they try to figure out life and how to cope as men in a society that has constructed unrealistic standards designed for them to adhere to.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about this book is the descriptive way in which Uliel wrote it. The author portrays each destination in such detail and so beautifully that it feels as if the reader is right there with the characters at the specific locations. Another thing that stood out to me in this novel is that the author is so honest and sincere with his writing; he is forthright in his description of what goes through a lot of men’s minds. A lot of males in today’s society suffer through all sorts of challenges, like the pressure of being the breadwinner of the family, or the expectation of men to avoid being emotionally vulnerable. This can lead to the bottling up of their emotions and possibly result in anxiety and depression, as well as the feeling as though they have no one to talk to. This is exactly what the four best friends are subjected to in the book, especially Eytan, the protagonist, and first-person narrator.
One of my favorite things about this book is the ability of the author to admit to and be self-aware that ego drives men to do crazy things. It is also very endearing to see the friends use their annual trips as a way to strengthen the bonds between one another and become more unguarded when talking about their feelings.
There isn’t much I dislike about this book. The only thing that I think the book could have had less of, is swearing. However, it is understandable that the author makes use of so much profanity in order to illustrate a realistic view of the interactions between best friends in their day-to-day lives. It can be seen as banter and how they emotionally express themselves.
In my opinion, this book deserves a 4 out of 4 stars. It has all the elements of a great book: a captivating writing style, brilliant humor, realistic representation of life struggles, and thrilling adventure. This read is best suited to a more mature audience due to the abundance of rather crass profanity scattered throughout, as well as situations that an older group of people might only be exposed to, like marital problems. All in all, it is a book I would highly recommend other people to read.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Man Mission is an adventure-packed novel written by travel-loving author Eytan Uliel. It tells the tale of four university best friends who, for 15 years, embark on annual trips to breathtaking countries all over the world. Their exploits include all sorts of physically challenging activities, such as hiking, cycling, kayaking, and sailing – to name a few. From hiking up the infamous Andes Mountains in Peru, to cycling across hilly terrains in South Korea, the men made sure that their trips were nothing short of memorable.
As the men get older, they dive into relationships, marriages, and jobs and take on the responsibility of raising children, all the things that are expected of them. They soon come to realize that these responsibilities are not a walk in the park and that alongside their duties, melancholic voids within themselves start to develop that aren’t so easy to fill. Towards the final years of their expeditions, the best friends eventually accept that their globetrotting is simply a way of escaping the real world and its challenges. Follow these adventurers as they try to figure out life and how to cope as men in a society that has constructed unrealistic standards designed for them to adhere to.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about this book is the descriptive way in which Uliel wrote it. The author portrays each destination in such detail and so beautifully that it feels as if the reader is right there with the characters at the specific locations. Another thing that stood out to me in this novel is that the author is so honest and sincere with his writing; he is forthright in his description of what goes through a lot of men’s minds. A lot of males in today’s society suffer through all sorts of challenges, like the pressure of being the breadwinner of the family, or the expectation of men to avoid being emotionally vulnerable. This can lead to the bottling up of their emotions and possibly result in anxiety and depression, as well as the feeling as though they have no one to talk to. This is exactly what the four best friends are subjected to in the book, especially Eytan, the protagonist, and first-person narrator.
One of my favorite things about this book is the ability of the author to admit to and be self-aware that ego drives men to do crazy things. It is also very endearing to see the friends use their annual trips as a way to strengthen the bonds between one another and become more unguarded when talking about their feelings.
There isn’t much I dislike about this book. The only thing that I think the book could have had less of, is swearing. However, it is understandable that the author makes use of so much profanity in order to illustrate a realistic view of the interactions between best friends in their day-to-day lives. It can be seen as banter and how they emotionally express themselves.
In my opinion, this book deserves a 4 out of 4 stars. It has all the elements of a great book: a captivating writing style, brilliant humor, realistic representation of life struggles, and thrilling adventure. This read is best suited to a more mature audience due to the abundance of rather crass profanity scattered throughout, as well as situations that an older group of people might only be exposed to, like marital problems. All in all, it is a book I would highly recommend other people to read.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
