Manan by Mohit Parikh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“I need to be alone..... I need the sunshine and the paving stones of the streets without companions, without conversation, face to face with myself, with only the music of my heart for company.”

― Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer

What resonates with this quote while reading Manan is the music; the music of Manan’s heart; a cadence of childhood culminating into puberty. The music is ingenuously melodious; a lilt of pristine thoughts and emotions, honest and inviting. It flows through the heart, throbbing along awhile and when it leaves; it swipes the disquiet and makes way for a new world. A world which is innocent, open and fearless, which makes you want to believe that lost Paradise can be redeemed, if pursued earnestly.

Manan gives hope. A greater hope to the lovers of written word.

Carlos Castaneda’s quote at the beginning of the work sets the tone of the novel. It is a journey into self by a teenager, a journey of self exploration through a mayhem brought about by the first sign of puberty. The journey has its ups and downs, the moments of doubts and certainty. A turmoil, which disappears when confronted with the sincerity of an unspoiled mind; a mind ready to question and explore, a mind which is lucid and fearless. A mind, which reasons the prevalent notions of Society, of people, stereotypes, but also a mind, which is perceptive.

“He becomes solemn, available. As if all thoughts in his head have cowered into a corner upon realizing an imminent, immitigable threat. He consults his heart for guidance, for a way out, and a sound becomes audible; an otherworldly sound which does not seem to be propagating through materials in longitudinal waves, which is not coming from or going somewhere.”

What is beautiful is the style with which Mohit has achieved the intended impression. Simple and sincere. The term “Manan” in Hindi means to reflect, think over. We accompany Manan, the character, into his mind, experience his confusion, agree when he questions the long held beliefs and sometimes get surprised at the extreme ideas which we meet(well, I wouldn’t say it on behalf of every reader). But quickly we are reconciled with the unfeigned attempt on his part to understand himself. There aren’t many dialogues and we do not get to know other characters well but then this is the story of an adolescent looking at the surrounding world through his eyes, comprehending ideas, coming to terms with the changes inside him and trying to gain a hold on his own convictions.

“New ideas that are exciting should not be allowed to take over completely. They should be chewed over and allowed to settle, simmered down, to be picked again when they are calm and controllable.”

The end, where we witness Manan asserting his opinion, making a leap from being just a kid to a reasonable adolescent, is poignant in a manner and yet delightful and hopeful. This is the point where Mohit’s creativity is at its best in the work.

This novel is a delight to read. Congratulations to Mohit for having done a wonderful job with his very first work!

Highly recommended.


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