Skip to main content

Book Review of A Man from Mandu by Manoj V Jain

Spiritual messages flood our social media timelines. Gurus promoting their brand of spiritual wisdom have become a common feature on TV channels. Author Manoj Jain picks up on this trend to spin an intriguing tale about a 'sadhu of stories' in his latest novel titled A Man from Mandu.

The story is told through the perspective of Tarini who needs a 'project' to resuscitate her flagging corporate career. A wager with her best friend provides her with the challenge she needs. She uses her marketing skills to create Brand Avishkar Baba and justifies it to herself thus, "Film-makers call themselves Peddlers of dreams, she thought, and Writers claim poetic license. Then what is so wrong with what we are doing? We are, in reality, providing a service to the people. I have given them someone who will make their lives better."

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 author reveals the story through the Baba's sermons - which are told in the form of short stories. Each of these stories are engaging and have a 'magical realism' quality about them. Even though the book is a light and entertaining read, it does give you pause for thought. It's a book that captures the dilemmas of the times we live in.

You can buy your copy here.

*Disclaimer: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Comments

  1. Nice review, interesting plot indeed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a well written book and keeps your attention till the end. Do check it out. And thanks for reading my review and commenting. :)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree - Review of the International Booker Prize Winner

Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree My rating: 5 of 5 stars Geetanjali Shree's original book in Hindi is called Ret Samadhi and the translated version by Daisy Rockwell is Tomb of Sand. The writer's style is lyrical and captures the essence of an Indian family completely and evocatively. In fact the amazing thing about the author's style is that it goes above and beyond the cast of characters, roping in inanimate objects (like the door, for instance), the natural elements, crows and invisible things like borders. The story lies not so much in the plotline of an old woman and her journey to find the house and man she has left behind as in highlighting the nuances of families, countries, borders, neighbourhoods, galis and mohallas , the environment, the smells, sounds and landscape, the past and present and everything in between (including a delightful treatise on the silk sari as narrated from the point of view of a crow!) that makes up the heart and soul of India. The writi

Bombay Heights: The perfect Diwali read is now available in paperback

Reading romance during the festive season adds to the fun and sparkle, doesn't it? So, for Diwali 2021, I decided to bring out a Paperback edition of my rom-com Bombay Heights: Sleepless in the City of Dreams .  The best part is that the story takes place during the festive season. What's not to love! So, get ready to be immersed in the spirit of the festival of lights!  Blurb: Small town girl Sanjana Kale wants a fresh start in Mumbai. A challenging job and some much needed distance from her ludicrously over-protective family could get her life under control. Forced to team up with video game designer Ashwin Deo, who is too attractive for his own good, she finds life becoming a whole lot more complicated when he turns out to be her new neighbour. How can she maintain a professional distance with this charming troublemaker who believes in getting up close and personal? To make matters worse, her ex tries to manipulate her loved ones to work his way back into her life

Book Review of Where Did You Go? by P.L. Jonas

  The popularity of novels like Gone Girl and T he Girl on the Train with an intriguing premise, unreliable narrators and plot twists, has put the spotlight on psychological suspense stories. Such stories have a thriller like urgency about them and yet are rooted in familiar, real life situations. A well crafted, edgy psychological suspense can keep the reader hooked till the very last page.  The novella Where Did You Go ? by debut author P.L. Jonas begins with an intriguing set up. Sammy, a successful but reclusive ghostwriter, is offered a chance of a life time. The project involves completing a half-finished manuscript by her favourite writer, Margaret Mitchell, the celebrated author of  the all-time classic Gone with the Wind . Her brief is simple: she needs to follow the outline that the author has left behind and submit a draft within a tight deadline.  Her publisher, James, is confident that Sammy has what it takes to finish the novel. The chance of having her name on the book