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naomiatwater49's review against another edition
4.0
I really love the themes in this book - finding meaning, understanding motivations, and illustrating worldviews. So interesting and creative!
My only complaint is how slow/drawn out the ending of this book is. It’s also very sad, which is not bad, but I feel could be shortened considerably and maybe leave a more dramatic ending.
My only complaint is how slow/drawn out the ending of this book is. It’s also very sad, which is not bad, but I feel could be shortened considerably and maybe leave a more dramatic ending.
mary00's review against another edition
3.0
Potok is a fabulous writer, but this was not my favorite of his works.
scytale's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
4.0
A rich, well-written and serious work that rewards your time investment. The conflict between the Orthodox Jewish friends and Davita's mother, who gave up her Jewish faith for Communism, is very well done. If you are not Jewish, get a Jewish friend to elucidate. Although I gave this book four stars I must also say this: I do hope Potok will never again attempt to portray the inner life of a female.
papidoc's review against another edition
3.0
Like many of Potok's novels, Davita's Harp addresses the juxtaposition of secular and religious life for a young Jewish child. In this case (and out of all his novel's, this is the only one) the protagonist is female. Thus, the role of femalke adherents in the Jewish faith is a central theme. Religious fundamentalism versus various forms of secular fundamentalism is another prominent theme. Like other Potok novels, the symbolism is complex yet engaging and thought-provoking.
blizzardprincess's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book got me back into reading! I learned a lot and feel very connected to the main character. She's wiser than me at 11.
bahoulie's review against another edition
4.0
This book is written in an interesting way. It's from the viewpoint of an 8 -11ish year old. So the sentence structure is simpler than Potok's other books. However, this is a very smart girl with parents who don't protect her from the horrors going on in the world, so she does have thoughts you wouldn't normally attribute to such a young girl. I thought it was a really good book, but I still kind of wish I hadn't read it. Reading how the Orthodox Jewish community in NYC during the 30s treat this extremely smart girl and let her know in ways large and small that she doesn't count because she's a girl was very difficult for me. It's easy, if you live within the Reform/Conservative Jewish world, to forget that so much misogynistic and heavy handed patriarchal attitudes are really fully part of Judaism. Kind of made me feel bad to be a Jewish woman. I guess I'm glad we've managed to change those attitudes for the majority of Jews, but still so many woman are getting squashed within the confines of Orthodoxy.
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
So many mixed feelings about this book. I its ideas, and Potok's writing style captivated me this time (it doesn't always). But, wow, does it suffer from Men Writing Women syndrome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Death, Grief, and Sexism
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Sexual assault, Body horror, Pregnancy, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Mental illness, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, War, Deportation, and Abandonment
Minor: Rape, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, and Panic attacks/disorders
laestaci's review against another edition
5.0
Of the four novels by Potok I've read so far, this one climbed inside my mind the most readily. Melancholy, intellectual, soul-stirring, hopeful. My favorite.