Book Review: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Started in 2020. Finished in 2025.

Yes, you read that right. It took me 5 years to finish this one.

I first picked up Man’s Search for Meaning during the 2020 pandemic. The world was falling apart, and so was my reading habit. I got through the first few chapters, overwhelmed by the intensity, and paused. Life happened, work took over, and the book got buried under a pile of “someday” reads.

Cut to May 2025, I decided to restart it from page one. This time, I finished it and I’m so glad I did.

Frankl’s account of surviving Nazi concentration camps isn’t just about survival - it’s about finding purpose in the middle of absolute suffering. It’s dark, raw, and sometimes incredibly difficult to read. But it’s also one of the most life-affirming books I’ve ever come across.

This quote alone stayed with me long after I closed the book.

The first half reads like a journal from hell. The second half, though, gives you something to hold on to - a framework, a direction. He talks about his technique, Logotherapy. Logotherapy is a powerful framework to simplify the human condition. According to Logotherapy, we can endure a lot, as long as we have a reason.

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I won’t call this a “must read” lightly - but if there’s one book that reminds you why it’s worth waking up every morning, it’s this one.

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Stay curious, and keep turning pages.