Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I finally finished this one! Another you can't read a few pages at a time...really enjoyed the descriptions of life in the Middle East about 100 years after Christ's death--the Romans, Greeks, Jews and others had so much cultural conflict, and then there was conflict within Judaism--made evident in the portrayal of Elisha. Poor conflicted Elisha never had a chance to read "When Bad Things happen to Good People." His internal conflicts mirror the conflicts taking place around him. Language is a bit stilted at times but a good interfaith read.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
In the Roman times, Elisha, who started out the son of secular Jew who loved Greek philosophy, has become a respected sage in the Sanhedrin, ruling on all sorts of matters for his people. But he has doubts about revelation, which lead him down the path of heresy, to trying to prove through philosophy the laws of nature and belief.
Liked the part of it that I read, but it was long and I was borrowing Avir's copy and he wanted it back. Worth returning to in the future, but probably should restart at that point.
A beautifully stirring book; I’m especially glad that I happened to pick it up during Chanukah this year. Interestingly, I think there were a number of parallels to CS Lewis’s Till We Have Faces; both books deal so beautifully with struggles to maintain faith.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Takes the already fascinating Talmudic and historical character of Elisha ben Abuya ("Acher" to some) and turns his life story into one of the most emotionally compelling novels about a human being's search for meaning that I've ever read.
Interesting story, but the writing itself didn’t hold my attention all that much. Kind of lost me in the middle which is why I had a hard time finishing, but I’m so glad that I did.
The fictionalized account of Elisha Ben Abuah, with many of the pieces filled alternatively with actual accounts of the Talmud and product of a creative imagination.
Milton Steinberg has done a masterful work with bringing the tumultuous era of Talmudic times to life. The story drew me in and kept me there till the last page, where I sobbed and sobbed for the elusive peace Elisha never found.
Milton Steinberg has done a masterful work with bringing the tumultuous era of Talmudic times to life. The story drew me in and kept me there till the last page, where I sobbed and sobbed for the elusive peace Elisha never found.