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The Chosen Review
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL It is the now-classic story of two fathers and two sons and the pressures on all of them to pursue the religion they share in the way that is best suited to each. And as the boys grow into young men, they discover in the other a lost spiritual brother, and a link to an unexplored world that neither had ever considered before. In effect, they exchange places, and find the peace that neither will ever retreat from again.... User Submitted The Chosen ReviewsOctober 14, 2008 Very Educational Entertainment I read this book because it was on the reading list at George Wythe University. I loved this book because even though I wasn't familiar with baseball or Jewish religions, I could easily follow the plot and enjoy the strong characters, friendship and parenting styles behind the scenes. Danny and Reuven transformed strong hostility into friendship, which was amazing! How Danny was acting at the baseball game and his seemingly intentional injury on Reuven's eye would have been unpardonable. It wasn't intentional and Danny didn't even know why he wanted to kill Reuven. He gathered his courage and went to apologize to Reuven. It was of course a shock to Reuven, but with his father's kind guidance, Reuven developed listening ears not only to Danny but Danny's father later on. Danny's father and Reuven's father were both Jewish, but they had a totally different approach to find a meaning on the death of six million Jewish people. They both deeply loved those Jewish and wanted to do the best for them. Since Danny's father was in a very visibly respected position in his neighborhood, I was wondering if Danny's father was going to win the battle but it wasn't so. Reuven's father won more support by publishing his opinions and making public speeches. I myself should be more involved in the government, so they were good examples to me, no matter what the result, to fight for our beliefs. I didn't know much difference between "mind" and "soul" until I read this book, but the difference was a huge deal. Danny, an heir to his father's rabbinic position, has a brilliant mind with photographic memory, but not a soul to understand other people's anguish. Danny does not want to and cannot be a rabbi without a soul. But because of his father's intensive Torah education, Danny was able to become a tzaddik in the world, whatever he chose as an occupation. There was a constant criticism on Reb Saunders' way of raising Danny, but I wonder if Danny would have chosen to be a rabbi if he was raised by Reuven's father. As a parent, I do believe that parenting matters, but I wonder if things happen just because, like a fate. Like I said, characters in this book are very strong. I do not know personally anybody who is like a character in this book. Maybe Danny's mother and sister, maybe. I know now that I cannot stereotype Jewish people anymore. Since the description of everything was very intense, I was worried that the author was going to describe Reuven's injury intensely, but thank goodness, it was pretty much omitted out and I was not grossed out. I thought this book was very focused on emotions and very much in style ;) Over all, I was constantly entertained and educated throughout this book. I recommend this book with 5 stars. September 23, 2008 Another of my top ten I absolutely loved this book. I had to read it for my class, but I wanted to read it again the second I got done. It was the first book that I read that I got emotional about. I really recommend this book. September 8, 2008 slight damage my book came today, and it looked perfect EXCEPT the top right corner had signs of wear and possible usage. Along the whole top on the back half, it's black and some of the pages are worn down like maybe it touched a sander for a second. Overall great book great shipping, just slight damage! September 1, 2008 Amazing book! This book was amongst one of the very best books i have ever read. I honestly must say this books looks so well into the boys lives. The Choosen is amazingly insightful and Chaim Potok just has an amazing way with words. If you're looking for a book that will keep you drawn into the story, this is it. You will want to read it a million times. August 31, 2008 Masterful. The Chosen is a book that will, not only produce a full, rich, exhilarating experience, but stays with you for quite some time. There can be no doubt that this book, along with its author have reached the pinnacle of the literary world and achieved what few books can: Masterpiece. The book is set in Brooklyn and the premis is of two young boys who have traveled very different roads, who have seen life through very different views, come together at a baseball game where these two unlikely souls form a close friendship that lasts a life-time and shapes their path toward manhood. The time is set just prior to WWII and Reuven and Danny are Orthodox Jews who will capture your hearts as Chaim Potok pens his masterpiece. This is definetly one book that should find a home on everyone's must read list. August 24, 2008 The Chosen Bloom's Guide is Listed Here Incorrectly Amazon displays links, editorial descriptions and user reviews for the actual mass market paperback on the web page for the Bloom's Guide. Basically, the Amazon web page for the Bloom's Guide is selling Harold Bloom's in-depth, college level analysis of the book, not the book itself. Yet, the identical information shown on this product page is displayed on the mass market Chaim Potok book pages - there is no distinction that these are two different books. This was very misleading to my 15 year old high school student who needed the actual book for a school assignment and we purchased the Bloom version by accident. Bloom's analysis is of no use to her as it is over her head and won't help her achieve what her assignment entails. Very disappointed in Amazon - I hope they fix this. June 27, 2008 Worth reading - insightful I really liked the historical aspect of the book. Though a work of fiction, it helped me to understand many ideas among the Jewish followers. A little too slow at times for my tastes (particularly the Talmud discussions). A certain amount was necessary to comprehend the background and situation but it went a bit overboard for me. Overall I thought this was worth the time invested in reading it and I feel like a gained new insight into the Jewish faith and relationships in general. June 25, 2008 Growing up in NYC The chronological lives of Danny Saunders (Hasidic) and Dave Melter (Orthodox) as they graduate high school and then college in Brooklyn. We meet the boys' passionate families, watch their ardent study of Talmud, and perceive the clash between their beliefs and expectations as their steadfast friendship supports them through the late teen years. A peephole into the state of world affairs around 1945 that helps to explain the history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine today. June 9, 2008 The Chosen:Understanding in reading "The Chosen" i was very pleased with the book. The plot was very touching as we saw the boys (Danny and Reuven) grow from the grounds of a baseball field to the advanced college campus. Their friendship was very strong and was normally able to overcome most obstacles...except for the silence that Danny and Reb Saunders had between them. Mr. Malter brought Rueven up in talking, so Rueven began to hate the silence simply because he couldn't understand it. i believe that that applies to much of life. If we don't understand something completely, we tend to write it off as bad, hard, or tend to hate it. i would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good book for any occasion. June 9, 2008 The Chosen: Danny and Reuven's Interwoven Journey The Chosen is a capturing story of two boys as they grow and mature throughout their friendship and into adulthood. Reuven Malter is a secular Jew while Danny Saunders is a Hasid. The two are naturally opposed by their religion and unleash their anger toward each other in what is no ordinary baseball game. When Reuven is hit in the eye by a powerful ball hit by Danny, Reuven is rushed to the emergency room. It is while Reuven is recovering from the accident in the hospital that he and Danny official meet and begin their interwoven journey. Danny and Reuven soon realize that they are opposites from one another. Reuven wishes to become a rabbi after graduating from college, while his father hopes for him to become a mathematician. Contrastingly, Danny dreams of being a psychologist even though he is the rightful heir to becoming a Hasidic rabbi. They are also raised by fathers who have contrasting methods of bringing up their sons. Still, it is through these family difficulties, the devastating tolls of the Holocaust, conflicting religion, and Danny's own secret from his father, that create the powerful and unique bond between the two boys. Join them as they teach each other lessons they could not have learned anywhere else and grow into the young adults they strived to be. For more The Chosen reviews click here.
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