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prettyprincesscutie's review against another edition
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
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
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
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
adamrshields's review against another edition
4.5
Summary: A classic coming-of-age novel about two Jewish teens (one Orthodox, one Hasidic) who meet while playing against one another in baseball and become friends.
There are so many classic novels that I have not read. So many times I read one and wonder why I have not read it previously. No one can read everything, so I have to keep slowly working through the many classic novels I have picked up over time.
There is a reason this is such a beloved novel. It is well-written, and like I mentioned with Esau McCaulley's memoir, its particularity makes it universal. Most readers are not either Hasidic or Orthodox Jews. And readers today did not grow up in WWII, or the immediate postwar era where the Holocaust was discussed and the potential nation of Israel was debated.
But while the details are different, the potential to follow our own path or follow the expectations of those around us is common. The cultural differences between two different types of Jewish experiences can help illustrate how different experiences between seemingly similar groups work. The closer you are to the inside, the more those differences seem to matter.
This is a young adult novel, but not childish in orientation. I am interested in reading the second book (according to the extras, it was initially written as a single novel but was re-written to be two separate novels before publication.) The second book, The Promise, is about the two main characters, Reuven and Danny, as adults. I also have My Name is Asher Lev, which I will read after I read The Promise.
Originally posted on my blog at https://bookwi.se/the-chosen/
There are so many classic novels that I have not read. So many times I read one and wonder why I have not read it previously. No one can read everything, so I have to keep slowly working through the many classic novels I have picked up over time.
There is a reason this is such a beloved novel. It is well-written, and like I mentioned with Esau McCaulley's memoir, its particularity makes it universal. Most readers are not either Hasidic or Orthodox Jews. And readers today did not grow up in WWII, or the immediate postwar era where the Holocaust was discussed and the potential nation of Israel was debated.
But while the details are different, the potential to follow our own path or follow the expectations of those around us is common. The cultural differences between two different types of Jewish experiences can help illustrate how different experiences between seemingly similar groups work. The closer you are to the inside, the more those differences seem to matter.
This is a young adult novel, but not childish in orientation. I am interested in reading the second book (according to the extras, it was initially written as a single novel but was re-written to be two separate novels before publication.) The second book, The Promise, is about the two main characters, Reuven and Danny, as adults. I also have My Name is Asher Lev, which I will read after I read The Promise.
Originally posted on my blog at https://bookwi.se/the-chosen/
roseleaf24's review
4.0
What a beautiful book. It starts out a good coming-of-age novel, though one rich with a historical perspective I hadn't read before, even though I've read a lot of World War II. The ending is truly stunning, and I will be thinking about this packet is history, this friendship, these fathers and sons for awhile to come.