Review of Man Mission
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Shandre Michaels
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Review of Man Mission
[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]
Fifteen years. Four men. One, ever-evolving epic, Man Mission. In the book by Eytan Uliel, we follow the lives of four friends, as they embark on an annual adventure spanning countries and continents filled with “traditions” such as sumo wrestling and having steak dinners. Our protagonist remains nameless throughout the book and we see him attain everything he was led to believe would result in him living a “happy” and fulfilled life. We see him marry his dream girl, after which they move into their dream house and have a brood of kids. At work we see him put in the effort and eventually, he gets a promotion. All in all, he is living the sought-after dream. But as we get further along in the book, we come to understand that all of these things, wonderful as they might be, are not enough. We see him struggle with what society has taught him a manly man should be, we experience his war with his own emotions, needs, and wants and ultimately witness his breakdown and his tumultuous journey of recovery and rebuilding.
What I loved about this book was the fact that as the narrator remains nameless throughout this story, it allows the reader to fully immerse themselves into the character. It allows you to empathise on a deeper level. I think this book is an important literary work as it brings to light the importance of teaching men that having emotions is completely necessary and wholly okay. Another aspect that I quite enjoyed is that amid all these overtly manly expeditions, it would be juxtaposed with these moments filled with tenderness and care and blatant vulnerability. Seeing our narrator coming into his own and learning to heal is a journey that was beautifully written.
My only criticism regarding Man Mission (which is very critical) is that I didn’t find the font in which it was printed visually friendly. Other than that, this was a very well-written and edited book. This is a beautiful coming-of-age and accepting one’s humanness story.
I would rate Man Mission 4 out of 4 stars. It was very well written and edited. It found a way to deal with the real-world issues of infidelity, friendship, and family as well as the responsibility we have to ourselves as individuals and the responsibility we carry in terms of the other hats we might wear (husband, father, friend, lawyer, etc.). I found the book honest and relatable.
I would recommend Man Mission to anyone from all walks of life who are looking for an entertaining read. Simultaneously I would also recommend it to anyone, man or woman, who would be willing to call into question the lens through which they choose to view masculinity and what they think should define a man.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Fifteen years. Four men. One, ever-evolving epic, Man Mission. In the book by Eytan Uliel, we follow the lives of four friends, as they embark on an annual adventure spanning countries and continents filled with “traditions” such as sumo wrestling and having steak dinners. Our protagonist remains nameless throughout the book and we see him attain everything he was led to believe would result in him living a “happy” and fulfilled life. We see him marry his dream girl, after which they move into their dream house and have a brood of kids. At work we see him put in the effort and eventually, he gets a promotion. All in all, he is living the sought-after dream. But as we get further along in the book, we come to understand that all of these things, wonderful as they might be, are not enough. We see him struggle with what society has taught him a manly man should be, we experience his war with his own emotions, needs, and wants and ultimately witness his breakdown and his tumultuous journey of recovery and rebuilding.
What I loved about this book was the fact that as the narrator remains nameless throughout this story, it allows the reader to fully immerse themselves into the character. It allows you to empathise on a deeper level. I think this book is an important literary work as it brings to light the importance of teaching men that having emotions is completely necessary and wholly okay. Another aspect that I quite enjoyed is that amid all these overtly manly expeditions, it would be juxtaposed with these moments filled with tenderness and care and blatant vulnerability. Seeing our narrator coming into his own and learning to heal is a journey that was beautifully written.
My only criticism regarding Man Mission (which is very critical) is that I didn’t find the font in which it was printed visually friendly. Other than that, this was a very well-written and edited book. This is a beautiful coming-of-age and accepting one’s humanness story.
I would rate Man Mission 4 out of 4 stars. It was very well written and edited. It found a way to deal with the real-world issues of infidelity, friendship, and family as well as the responsibility we have to ourselves as individuals and the responsibility we carry in terms of the other hats we might wear (husband, father, friend, lawyer, etc.). I found the book honest and relatable.
I would recommend Man Mission to anyone from all walks of life who are looking for an entertaining read. Simultaneously I would also recommend it to anyone, man or woman, who would be willing to call into question the lens through which they choose to view masculinity and what they think should define a man.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Apocalypse Reckoning 2.0 by William Acie Singleton
