The Boy Who Looked

By Mr Hopes

Pre-Published and Signed Draft. Limited Run.

Fiction, nostalgic drama, with a nod to sci-fi. Think Trainspotting meets Black Mirror. Offensive at times, but will connect to the over 40s, especially men who struggle in silence, or the people they still support.

This is not a typical book, it's odd and enlightening. It gets to the light through the pain...

Happy human stories, really.

There is always a way out of the pit.

This is for the millions of middle aged-men that struggle, searching in silence.

Regrets and pressure fuel our dark fires, the beauty and solace of having responsibilities is eternally balanced with an ugly anguish within the heat. We look for sparks to fly with, away from the scorched ashes of our mistakes and desolation.

We know it’s the flames that carry life’s magnificence for the ones we love, so we need to keep jumping in, without getting burnt.

Friends, enemies, careers, hobbies, music, and films - for good or bad - all have influence. It is not difficult to understand that the people and things we spend time with shape who we become. It’s clear afterwards, but tough to feel at the time; everything has an impact, so let’s choose wisely, forever is a long time to deal with bad character and unhappy memories.

The Boy Who Looked is told through deep-delving flashbacks, from lost souls searching for answers, seeing life from multiple realities, perspectives, people, and cultures. All running over three decades of Christmas-time sadness and joy, each chapter is heard and played back to get us thinking about the impact we leave, and the paths we can build towards immortality.

These are tales gathered from around the world that begin by asking questions on adult life. Then, stepping back to young and wilder times lived by those ‘growing up’ in the chemical-filled 1990s, depicting how this weird era carved a generation’s traits, mental issues, and jumbled philosophies. 

This book is essentially a series of anecdotes about people doing dumb shit when attempting to build and navigate unique dreams, while working out how to fly within the terrifying infernos we create. It’s a spiritual ride for non-spiritual people, it’s language for the common man with aspirations to reach higher states.

It’s for the people who look.

About Mr Hopes

Weirdly, he's a man of few words, make of them what you will.

The mottos he tries to live by...

Middle age is where it’s at.

This shit ain’t easy, but it’s amazing.

Mess-ups through life have built us, use them.

Every single one of us has greatness to grab, beyond money. 

Lift spirits and look for answers.

Keep fucking smiling.

Don't be a c*nt.