2063rd BLOG POST
15th Book of 2023
There are few
authors with whom you build a connection and end up reading their book just
after it releases. Manoj V Jain is one such author whom I have read couple of
times and always found his philosophical insights relatable. Repeating the
phenomenon, I picked up his latest fiction book named “The Hitman” and
completed it within couple of hours. This 125-pages book, I believe, is Manoj’s
shortest book till date and I am surprised to know that he had almost thought of
quitting but this story gave birth to his 2nd innings as an author.
Story-wise, the
book discusses about the protagonist, Vivek, who is going through the same
mid-life crisis as his 40th birthday is round the corner. He is not
happy with his job, life, family, city etc. and is generally not excited and
curious about anything. One day, a person promises him that if he doesn’t want
to live, he will help him die within a couple of weeks. He is been given a
deadline. The moment Vivek realizes that he has limited time to live, he tries
to change his lifestyle and perspective so that he can experience few things
and meet people before he is gone. While doing this, he finds many insights
which starts making him realize the beautiful moments of life.
Author, Manoj V
Jain, capitalizes on this plot and uses it to help us understand how we keep on
ditching life and its beautiful aspects without feeling gratitude towards many
great things happening with us. I liked the simplicity with which this book has
been written which helps you as a reader understand the unrealistic beginning
and accept it eventually. The character of Vivek is built up nicely and I
believe almost every reader will be able to relate with him. If not now, eventually
you will when you face the same mid-life crisis like him at 35-40. Haha!
Manoj’s intent is
very evident as he tries to display how egoistic and self-centered, we eventually
become that we never take care of giving any kind of relevance to our family
and friends. We end up blaming them without ever talking with the person we see
every morning in the mirror and ask what we have done for others. The way Vivek
realizes these small facts about himself and how he starts feeling bad about not
being able to live forever with these amazing people makes you cheer for him to
live and avoid being killed by the Hitman. This makes you keep on reading and turning
the pages until you finish the book. You just expect the story to end happily.
I would not reveal what happens in the end – you need to pick up the book to know
this.
This is a feel-good
novel which can be read when you are feeling sad or demotivated. It is a kind of
self-help book which will throw lights upon the fact about how simple life is
and how complicated we make it. I would also like to mention a fact here that
the story doesn’t have lots of elements or twists-and-turns hence from this aspect,
there’s a disappointment too. Also, I believe that there could have been lot
that could have been done with this plot but Manoj expected his readers to
understand the emotions between the lines which Vivek was going through rather
than deep-diving into it and getting spiritual about those events. I missed
that because that is how I identify Manoj- an author who speaks about
spirituality through fiction stories. He could have easily added 50-odd pages
and weave magic to the story.
Overall, the book
has a lesson and few quotes that you would love to read whenever you are
feeling down. I give the book 3.25* out of 5. Definitely, not Manoj’s best but a
one-time read, indeed.
Thanks!
WRITING BUDDHA
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