A Glimpse of the Future by Mayank Manohar (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

  

22^nd Book of 2024

I remember reading Shadow of the Past published by FingerPrint publication exactly 5 years back and I had rated it more than 4 stars – quite much as I wouldn’t rate romantic books that highly because all of them sounded the same. After reading the amazing climax written by the author, Mayank Manohar, I had written the following in my review-

"Talking about the climax, the last paragraph is too open for you to be surprised and shocked for some time. I just couldn’t believe what I read which made me read the paragraph multiple times which made me realize that it’s an open ending and there’s a chance we can find its sequel soon. I would request author to bring it out soon as the way he is writing romance right from his 1st book itself is very promising and I would like to read him more."

 

Finally, after 5 years, author took the story ahead and published the 2^nd part of it named “A Glimpse of the Future” which also has the tagline that says “A journey of redemption and resilience”. I must say that the book exactly matches the vibes with its tagline because the way the characterization of Rehan moves on from where it ended in the first book, it’s all about his patience and expectations that sets the future of his life. Author tries to take us deep into the mindset of the person who has lost his first girlfriend and ended up ruining his relationship with his 2^nd girlfriend as well. Obviously, he is going through a lot mentally and it has come to a stage where he has to visit a rehab center as well to get back to his zone.

 

Author has very nicely narrated the whole section where Rehan meets with his ex-girlfriend again and gets a chance to revive his relationship. Reading about his past about how the relationship arc went through its ups and downs during the 2^nd innings makes this book interesting to read. The book is written in two timelines which are just couple of years apart but it tells about two versions of the protagonist- firstly, what happened with him in the past and secondly, where he is currently in his life due to his past which makes the book exciting as it’s not all-and-all a romance and break-up story but also about the mindset, philosophy and mental health a person has to go through after a big life-transforming event in their life.

 

Mayank makes this book sound like an autobiographical account where we get to read many entries such as diary scribbles where the protagonist writes what’s going in his mind. I felt like re-reading these pages. Then there are multiple sections wherein every sentence is quote-worthy and you feel like highlighting/noting each one of them. Not even once does Mayank gets carried away by the concept of his book and become preachy about mental health. It’s all explained only through the character’s pain and rehab stories.

 

The small catalysts that add up to one’s mental shift such as anxiety, helplessness, failure, rejection, hopelessness etc. are nicely conveyed. Author further tries to explain to his audience and clarify the fact that even after rehab, a person might end up in darkness for a long period of time. He keeps it evident that it doesn’t transform you immediately but things settle down gradually for someone who has gone through mental health issues.

 

In the last few pages, Manohar gives a glimpse into how two people who have walked a similar path in their respective lives related to heartbreaks and mental issues can understand each other through better communication and come together for a better life. Author has used this book to mention and explain every possibility that can lead a person towards a better future after a bad past or present. I am glad that this book shall connect with people who have been into isolation once and talked a lot with themselves. They’ll understand the big monologues where Rehan talks with himself quite often.

 

Overall, this book despite being 300-pages long keeps you invested. I must say that author could have edited it more to bring it down to 240-odd pages as it also become tiring to read the similar state of mind of the protagonist for a very long time. But yes, the book is a hopeful story and Mayank’s writing has only got better with time. I give this book 4.25* out of 5. It is as good as its first part. You can still directly read this book without having to read both the book to understand the story. Author has managed it very well. Go, get it!

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Thanks..

 

WRITING BUDDHA