Scan barcode
jakub_oliver's review against another edition
emotional
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
From my Progressive Jewish background, I have long had a deep dislike for the Hasidic and Haredi Jewish communities. I feel there are many valid reasons to feel this way: their oppression of women, their cult-like separation from normal society, the fact that in Israel they form an impenetrable, cancerous voting bloc that always advocates for only the most despicably extremist legislation, and all underscored by an exclusivist, snobby attitude that they, and they alone, follow the sole correct type of Judaism. Moses, after all, famously wore a button-up white shirt and a fedora.
As it turns out, I share this attitude with Reuven Malther, the protagonist of Chaim Potok's The Chosen. The baseball match that opens the novel takes place between Reuven's Modern Orthodox Jewish school, and a Hasidic school, and (as the blurb of my edition says), "nearly becomes a religious war" as the Hassids call Reuven and his friends apikorsim, a derogatory term for a Jew that does not follow the commandments. But then, Reuven and Danny Saunders, the especially aggressive batsman of the Hasidic team, unexpectedly become friends. The way Potok paints their friendship is beautiful, and Danny Saunders is such a real and complex character. Over the course of the book, Reuven never entirely loses his distaste for Hasidism (and neither did I), but Danny, his Father the Hasidic Rebbe, and his followers are beautifully humanized to him and to the reader. Compared to, say, Netflix's Unorthodox, this felt like a much more nuanced and human portrayal of the Hasidic Jewish Community.
The writing style is very straightforward, and this irked me a little sometimes (I want to see the conversations, not just have them reported back to me!) But this is clearly a classic for a reason. (And I will forever be in awe of how Potok managed to make Talmud study seem cool and exciting.)
As it turns out, I share this attitude with Reuven Malther, the protagonist of Chaim Potok's The Chosen. The baseball match that opens the novel takes place between Reuven's Modern Orthodox Jewish school, and a Hasidic school, and (as the blurb of my edition says), "nearly becomes a religious war" as the Hassids call Reuven and his friends apikorsim, a derogatory term for a Jew that does not follow the commandments. But then, Reuven and Danny Saunders, the especially aggressive batsman of the Hasidic team, unexpectedly become friends. The way Potok paints their friendship is beautiful, and Danny Saunders is such a real and complex character. Over the course of the book, Reuven never entirely loses his distaste for Hasidism (and neither did I), but Danny, his Father the Hasidic Rebbe, and his followers are beautifully humanized to him and to the reader. Compared to, say, Netflix's Unorthodox, this felt like a much more nuanced and human portrayal of the Hasidic Jewish Community.
The writing style is very straightforward, and this irked me a little sometimes (I want to see the conversations, not just have them reported back to me!) But this is clearly a classic for a reason. (And I will forever be in awe of how Potok managed to make Talmud study seem cool and exciting.)
prettyprincesscutie's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
westceno's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jazose's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
protoman21's review against another edition
4.0
This was a novel unlike any I've ever read before. The exploration of two different Jewish sects in New York around the time of the Holocaust told through the eyes of two boys really opened my eyes to a world I have extremely limited knowledge about. I found the boys' devotion, commitment and study habits to be awe inspiring and felt shameful for my own lack of discipline. Danny and Reuven do not get upset at petty things, because their hearts are pure and their minds focused, and when something does upset or trouble them, you know it holds a deep significance and is worthy of much introspection. Danny's tortured upbringing is hard to come to grips with and the reader is meant to struggle with this alongside Reuven. In the end, we can only take solace in the fact that Danny does begin to hear something in his Father's silence, something beyond that of normal human thought which can only be achieved through such a radical method.
argilla42's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Excellent narrative that portrays the realities and difficulties of life, growing up and friendship in the lives of two Jewish boys in 1930/40s America.
baileyarnholz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
surcie's review against another edition
4.0
Great book! The kind that has stayed with me long after turning the final page.