Book Review #122 : A Man From Mandu

Title - A Man From Mandu
Author - Manoj V. Jain
Genre - Fiction
Publisher - Notion Press
ISBN - 978-1-64587-162-0

This is the third book of Manoj V. Jain that I have read apart from Dystopia & THC.

Wondered how Dhongi babas would picture in this digital era? ‘A Man from Mandu’ is a book of deception, transformation and growth.

We have seen gurus promoting their brand of spiritual wisdom or flooding our timelines and WhatsApp with spiritual messages. Author Manoj Jain picks up on this trend to spin a never-told-before tale about a 'sadhu of stories' in this novel. 

The story is told through the perspective of Tarini who needs a 'project' to revive her corporate career. She uses her marketing skills to create Brand Avishkar Baba! But who exactly is Avishkar Baba and what is his game? Is he a conman, a storyteller or the real deal - a true spiritual leader? And what will happen to Tarini? The story takes you on a ride as to how one becomes a Godman, what are the pros and cons of becoming one, how is the branding done and so on and so forth.

The author reveals the story through the Baba's sermons - which are told in the form of short stories. Each of these stories is engaging and has got a message in itself which makes it stand apart from others. Moreover all these short stories are different from each other in terms of concept. These would also make it a perfect bed time stories for kids; 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.

Talking about the writing style and storyline, it is simply beautiful and gripping. There is wisdom lying all over the pages in Manoj’s books. He is one among the few authors who has always given a different subject rather than sticking on to a single genre. Both the lead characters, Tarini, and Dhawal a.k.a. Avishkar Baba have been well-crafted.

What I liked the most about the story was the characterization and the sequence of events are so perfectly woven that you don’t feel isolated with the story and narration even once. Each chapter begins with a quote from none other than Avishkar Baba himself. After completing the book, I read those quotes again and I must say, some of them really brought changes in me.

The climax of the book is so nicely closed that I was just getting emotional yet happy to have read such a book which leaves you with so many questions and answers at the same time. The author has embedded philosophy, spirituality, love and struggles- all into this small story of 170 pages and the amount of beautiful moments and messages it gives you throughout stay with you forever!

The best part is, there is no space for unwanted text in the book. It's full of twists and turns and once you start reading you won't realize when you completed it, it's definitely that gripping.

The book is light, innovatively written and extremely entertaining! Definitely recommended!

P.S: This book was provided to me in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

RATINGS : 4.75/5