A Man From Mandu by Manoj V Jain (Book Review- 4.75*/5) !!!

When you pick up a book to read on a weekend, you are serious about it and want it to be good so that this day which is meant for you doesn’t end up getting wasted. With similar hopes, I picked up Manoj V Jain’s 6^th book named “A Man From Mandu” published by Notion Press. After completing this book, I can surely not complain as this is one of the best reads of this year for me. Yes, this is the kind of book you wish to read regularly and curse the author that why did you not write something as beautiful as this. The book is not even 170 pages but the amount of beautiful moments and messages it gives you throughout are surely going to stay with you forever.

Starting specifics about the book, first of all, I would say that the blurb of the book is perfect. Also, this is one of the most unique topics that author has picked up and the kind of justice given to it right from the first page is immensely beautiful. The question always stays with you if the guy is a Guru or a fraudster. The protagonist of the book initially seems to be Tarini and the way it moves down to Dhawal and then his projection as Avishkar Baba is so perfectly woven that you don’t feel isolated with the story and narration even once. The characterization of all the characters are done so deeply and perfectly that you can actually imagine each one of them along with their body languages. I liked how author has written all the scenes keeping it precise and up to the point rather than giving useless detailing of natures and surroundings and then coming down to the point. There are very few Indian authors who are sure about their story that they don’t trap readers into these false set-ups.

The way all the chapters are classified and treated gives this book a sense of an anthology too. Every chapter has a quote in the beginning which is said by Avishkar Baba himself and then the whole chapter is based upon the same quote itself. After finishing every chapter, I read the quote once again and it meant deeper after it. After completing the book, I read those quotes again and I must say, some of them really brought changes in me. Then author has also told short stories in between through Avishkar Baba’s character and those stories are gems and USP of this book. All stories are so distinct from each other and none of them are boring, pretentious or half-baked. Those are the stories you would want to re-read to decipher more positives from it.

The way the timeline of the book shifts from the current set-up to the initial days when Dhawal and Tarini got together gives the book a new dimension altogether. It becomes a Surprise for the reader. Also, the climax of the book is so nicely closed that I was just getting emotional yet happy because the reader in me was delighted to have read such a book which leaves you with so many questions and answers that after finishing the book, I kept on talking with my inner self. The way author has embedded philosophy, spirituality, love and struggles- all into this small story of 170 pages is applaudable and I give this book nothing less than 4.75* out of 5. The book also discusses light insight into how someone is marketed and made a hype among people through social media and other strategies. I think I should now go on to read other 5 books written by Manoj V Jain as he doesn’t seem to be an author whose stories can be missed.

Highly recommended!

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA