The Chosen (Ballantine Reader's Circle) by Chaim Potok
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Book Reviews of The Chosen (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Book Review: Warm Friendship Story/Sprinkled with Lectures
Summary: 4 Stars
Potok's look at how different sects of Judaism mistrust and sometimes actively dislike each other is spot-on accurate. I know because my family is representative of the Jewish sects depicted in Potok's book. One of my siblings has grown up to be Orthodox, another is Conservative, I'm reformed, and two other siblings are pretty agnostic. Potok's look at how two kids from differing sects become friends against the wishes of others in their communities is heartfelt, and full of moving scenes, set in such varied places as baseball fields, hospitals, synagogues, and college. The two main characters are very likable, and the scenes where they develop into friends are written magnificently.
However, Potok had another mission in mind. He uses the characters' fathers as vehicles to deliver lectures on the history of Judaism, and those portions of the text can be difficult to read through. That's why there's a Cliff's Notes version of this book. Because the main characters sit through the lectures delivered by their fathers, so must the rest of us readers.
Overall, this is an excellent book. It is worth reading/skimming through the lectures to get to the heart of the text.
Book Review: An interesting insight into a different culture
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm not Jewish but my co-worker who is Jewish recommended this book to me. I found it to be very engaging from beginning to end. This is a coming of age story of two teen-age boys who form an unlikely friendship set against the backdrop of the end of WW II.
The reviewers who called it boring apparently don't understand that good storytelling doesn't have to be all about slam-bang action. It's lamentable that popular culture has become so action-oriented that so many cannot appreciate a quiet, well-told story such as this one.
This book reminded me of "A Separate Peace", another novel that is often assigned for school reading. If you like the one, you will probably like the other and sadly, if your taste runs only to action and adventure you may not "get" either one.
Book Review: A delightful book that brings words and charactors to life
Summary: 4 Stars
Our 7th fomr English teacher gave us The Chosen for our chosen book to read for bursary.. Now I was not much of a reader, which is a bit unusal for NZDers. Once I picked up The Chosen I couldn't put it down. Danny and Reuven just seemed more than charactors held together by a bunch of words. They really came out to real life. I finished the book in 2 days and followed by reading the sequal, which I finished that week. I am so grateful for reading these books, as I have learn't a lot through the lives of these 2 people. I have also now recieved a passion for reading and learning more. Since moving to England I have now brought both The Chosen and the sequal, which I have read them many times.Book Review: Currently reading this book
Summary: 4 Stars
I am a student at Chantilly High School. I am currently a rising Senior, reading this book. I think that this book would be interesting if you try to have a picture of the events that are happening in the story. For me, it is hard to understand it, but I can imagine what is going on as I read through. It won't be as interesting if you weren't be able to picture what is going on, so you should try to picture some of the events of the story in your mind as you read it.Book Review: The book was enjoyable and an eye opening experience.
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Chosen" is a book that I typically would not read. It has subtle ways of making you think about what happens in a religion that can also be split. I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters, I felt they grew through time. They both gave eachother what the other needed