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vivelarevolution's review
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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
1.0
The prose is wonderful and the book is well-written in the sense that it's engaging and reflective and interesting. Unfortunately, I simply could not enjoy this book as its essence is infected with several ideas that I do not and cannot support.
Firstly, the notion that all differences in belief should be tolerated. This is highlighted specifically through Danny's father and how he raises his son. The end of the book spends a good deal of words on justifying his parenting, and the ending lines support the idea that this treatment was acceptable and just:
"Danny," he said softly, "When you have a son of your own, you will raise him in silence?"
...
"Yes," he said. "If I can't find another way."
This "raising in silence" business is child abuse as far as I'm concerned. The explicit intent is to force the child to understand suffering and pain by experiencing it. I don't think that this behavior should be justified on the basis of accepting differences between peoples.
Furthermore, this is an incredibly Zionist book. As someone who supports everyone who lives in eretz yisrael, including the Palestinian people who are currently being massacred by medinat yisrael, I cannot accept the way that this book treats this issue.
There is conflict between the Hasids and Reuven and his father in this book because of their conflicting views on Zionism. However, support for or opposition towards medinat yisrael is treated as an exclusively theological issue: should we wait for the Messiah to bring about a religious nation or should we hurry to build a secular nation? At no point are the current occupants of eretz yisrael considered, other than in quotes like this:
"...a bus on its way from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem had been attacked by Arabs and seven Jews had been killed."
"Arabs were killing Jews, Jews were killing Arabs, and the British, caught uncomfortably in the middle, seemed unable and at times even unwilling to stop the rising tide of slaughter."
"They also announced that the Arab armies had begun their threatened invasion."
The "Arabs" are depicted exclusively as violent anti-Semitic operatives and never are their motives questioned. They are accepted as natural enemies of medinat yisrael and therefore natural enemies of the Jewish people.
This book has captured minds and hearts since its publication, but it is impossible to separate it from its Zionist propaganda. There are other issues with the book-the casual acceptance of sexism within the Hasidic community, the normalization of child abuse, the intense and frequent worship of Freud as some sort of genius-but the Zionism is in my opinion the most egregious.
Firstly, the notion that all differences in belief should be tolerated. This is highlighted specifically through Danny's father and how he raises his son. The end of the book spends a good deal of words on justifying his parenting, and the ending lines support the idea that this treatment was acceptable and just:
...
"Yes," he said. "If I can't find another way."
This "raising in silence" business is child abuse as far as I'm concerned. The explicit intent is to force the child to understand suffering and pain by experiencing it. I don't think that this behavior should be justified on the basis of accepting differences between peoples.
Furthermore, this is an incredibly Zionist book. As someone who supports everyone who lives in eretz yisrael, including the Palestinian people who are currently being massacred by medinat yisrael, I cannot accept the way that this book treats this issue.
There is conflict between the Hasids and Reuven and his father in this book because of their conflicting views on Zionism. However, support for or opposition towards medinat yisrael is treated as an exclusively theological issue: should we wait for the Messiah to bring about a religious nation or should we hurry to build a secular nation? At no point are the current occupants of eretz yisrael considered, other than in quotes like this:
"Arabs were killing Jews, Jews were killing Arabs, and the British, caught uncomfortably in the middle, seemed unable and at times even unwilling to stop the rising tide of slaughter."
"They also announced that the Arab armies had begun their threatened invasion."
The "Arabs" are depicted exclusively as violent anti-Semitic operatives and never are their motives questioned. They are accepted as natural enemies of medinat yisrael and therefore natural enemies of the Jewish people.
This book has captured minds and hearts since its publication, but it is impossible to separate it from its Zionist propaganda. There are other issues with the book-the casual acceptance of sexism within the Hasidic community, the normalization of child abuse, the intense and frequent worship of Freud as some sort of genius-but the Zionism is in my opinion the most egregious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Islamophobia
Minor: War, Ableism, Misogyny, Antisemitism, and Sexism
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Beautiful writing, but quite repetitive and plodding. It's almost all told through exposition and description than dialogue, which is central to the theme. Silence, vision, and hearing create the heart and soul of the novel. If I had to sum the whole book up in one sentence, it would be: It's about the way men experience trauma and the ways they do/do not process trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship
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