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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Fantastic book. I read it first in my teens, and now again, and each time it has blown me away.
This book was phenomenal. A bit historical fiction, a bit coming-of-age.
This is a good book but it's solemn and sad. It's about two Jewish teenage boys and their fathers at the end of WWII and the years after. One is Hasidic (the very conservative sect who adhere to special dress codes and speak Yiddish) and the other is more modern and a Zionist. The boys become friends and discuss religion, the war, the changing world, and the paths chosen for them in life.
"...how will I teach this mind what it is to have a soul? How will I teach this mind to understand pain? How will I teach it to want to take on another person's suffering? How will I do this and not lose [him]?"
Simple, insightful story into a friendship between two Jewish boys that exposes them to important issues revolving around cultural customs, development of self and empathy.
Simple, insightful story into a friendship between two Jewish boys that exposes them to important issues revolving around cultural customs, development of self and empathy.
This was a wonderful book about friendship, relationships with parents, and the coming of age. The Chosen is my second book by Potok, and I was not disappointed. He writes so plainly about his faith and it makes me wish wistfully that someone would write fiction on a similar level about my faith. Who knows? Maybe they have, and I have just never read them. Anyway, it made me want to be a better friend, a better parent and a better person. I loved it. I'm sure I'll read it again. and again. and again.
Another beautifully crafted story from Chaim Potok. A delight from start to finish
Read this for my Classics book club. It hovers between three and four stars for me because the tone of the book changes so drastically throughout and some parts of the book were far less interesting than others. But it's powerful and a fascinating look into different ways of viewing the world and the impact of both parenting and friends. Also it made me more aware of how some events in history were connected, there are lots of events in the 40s and 50s that I knew about but never had been taught how they impacted each other.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Well written coming of age story about teenage boys, and their fathers, in 1940s Brooklyn. The characters are faithful Jewish and Hasidic people, and the story is heavily focused on their beliefs and culture. Although written from the perspective of a teenage boy, it dealt with mature themes and handled them well.
I have forgotten just how much I love this book. It is exceptionally well written because, logically, the friendship between two orthodox Jewish boys should not be so utterly enthralling- especially since for 90% of the book they're studying archaic Judaism.
And yet it is every single time I read it.
And yet it is every single time I read it.
I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the author and shaking his hand. He has a look that pierces into your very soul. His books do the same thing. Just read them. The book after THE CHOSEN, which continues the story, called THE GIFT OF ASHER LEV, is probably even better.