Questions of Perspective is a work of literary style fiction penned by author Daniel Maunz. Exploring ideas of processing grief, reinvention and the psychological implications of self-discovery, this is an intelligent yet accessible work that limits its graphic content to make it suitable for most adult readers. Our protagonist is Dave Randall, who suffers terribly when his dear friend John Manta disappears. During this period of loss, Dave struggles to handle the lack of knowledge about John’s fate and sets about trying to understand it and make some sense of himself, his own life and his place in the world along the way. What results is a strongly character-driven story with plenty of emotional and psychological heart.

Author Daniel Maunz taps into the deepest elements of the human psyche on this fictional yet emotionally realistic journey. Dave’s place in the world seems to be hanging by a thread at the novel’s opening, and the journey that the twisting corridors of the plot sends him on is no easy gauntlet even for someone who isn’t going through his traumas. The plot is well-paced to allow plenty of time to be close to the character and experience his most transformative moments, and Maunz’s narrative style allows readers to explore the character for themselves without being told where to look and what to think. This makes for an immersive experience and overall, Questions of Perspective is certainly a recommended read for fans of interpersonal and psychological dramas of a literary style.

Questions of Perspective by Daniel Maunz fits beautifully in the category of a suspenseful thriller. The narrator, Dave Randall, starts by bringing the attention of the reader to April 19, 2011, a day that will change everything in his life, but it is a dull day, unlike anything one expects for this time of April. His only friend and colleague, John Manta, disappears without a word and without leaving any trace. His quest to uncover the truth about the disappearance of his friend will change his perspective on life, uncover deeper meanings, and set him on a path to self-discovery; an odyssey of personal growth.

Daniel Maunz has crafted a book with strong spiritual underpinnings, yet one that tells a normal story. There is a lot that readers will enjoy. I particularly loved the depiction of the routine life of a lawyer in Jamaica, Queens, and the friendship the protagonist shares with his friend. Dave and John are friends, but their friendship is nothing close to what ordinary people consider friendship. But the friendship seems to have a powerful impact on the life of the narrator. The characters are elaborately developed and I loved the presence of Peaches, John’s cat, that accompanies the protagonist in his quest for truth. The author crafts interesting and engaging dialogues and creates scenes that are focused. The suspense moves the story forward and as readers follow the characters, they become intrigued by John and his eccentricities and wonder about his fate. Questions of Perspective is a great and entertaining read, deft and balanced.

Introspective and philosophical, Daniel Maunz’s Questions of Perspective is a thought-provoking tale of one man’s search for meaning after the protagonist, attorney Dave Randall, loses his esteemed colleague and friend John Manta. This tragic loss drove him deeper into a life of legal preoccupation that triggered him to come up with questions that most people wouldn’t bother to ask. Fueled by an ardent desire for soul-searching and ontological answers, he ventures on a journey to uncover metaphysical mysteries and the core significance of losing John. With his trusted companion, Peaches the cat, Randall makes a reassessment of his life as he attaches meaning to his situation. Along with his search, he discovers hypothesized links of John’s fate to the effects of his searching process. From his exploratory stance, he will come to terms with the impact this loss has self-actualization, efficacy, and the achievement of his motives.

Daniel Maunz has created a character through a concept of intellectual size in Dave Randall, and this size increases through emotional and mental experience in his adventure. He is not unexpectedly plunged into serious personal conflict as it is made clear at the very beginning why April 19, 2011, was the most important day in the history of the world. The protagonist gains magnitude in his search and is cast into immediate complexity yet is still grounded. Questions of Perspective manages to magnify the dramatic from what started as a mundane life. With a large-sized character at the helm, it expands to a profound but uncomplicated narrative with an easy to follow plotline. We follow the story, not for amusement, but because there is something in it for us about a character who wants to change his life.