The Promise

Rating:
Summary: A fine sequel to THE CHOSEN
Review: In THE PROMISE, Potok further develops the characters from THE CHOSEN; they remain true to their younger selves while reflecting a growing maturity and complexity. The fascinating exploration of religious intellectualism and its perils continues as well. At the same time, Potok introduces elements readers may not expect; these themes unwind with power, conviction, and authenticity. If you liked THE CHOSEN, be sure to read THE PROMISE.

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Summary: Further adventures of Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter
Review: It's nice when you can finish a book you like, and find that the major characters reappear in a later book. You really have to read The Chosen first, to meet the teenage Danny and Reuven. The Promise gives us a second chapter of their lives, when they are on the brink of beginning their chosen careers, Danny as a psychologist, Reuven trying to become an ordained rabbi.

There are two storylines going on simultaneously. Most of our time is spent on the conflicts between Hasidic doctrine and modern thought. The conservatives (Hasids) are like fundamentalist Christians in the sense that they believe every word of their holy books, literally. The moderns (including Reuven Malter and his father) apply their intelligence, and evaluate what they read. Perhaps the biggest conflict is when the Malters point out errors in the holy books, and arouse the fury of the Hasids. Will Reuven still be allowed to become a rabbi, even though he is a bit of a dissident?

The other storyline centers around Danny, the psychologist, taking on his first challenge. Michael is a mentally sick little boy, and it is up to Danny to crack the case, find out why he is sick, and find a way to cure him. In today's world we would be thinking in terms of lithium and various drugs to try to straighten Michael out, but this isn't that kind of book. The answer here has nothing to do with medicine or drugs. In Potok's world, Danny must find what is troubling Michael.

One weakness of the book is that the psychology seems extremely oversimplified, and not believable. We have to keep in mind that this isn't a psychology book. It's a story. And it really is a pretty good story. Even when I praise a book, I like to present the negatives, for the sake of fairness.

Potok gives us an interesting new character named Rav Kalman. In a sense he is the "bad guy" because he is the conservative who is making life difficult for the Malter family. But he is also described as a man who escaped from a German concentration camp twice, joined the partisans, and killed many Germans. This is a man of action, not just a teacher and rabbi.

Rating:
Summary: Potok's continuing masterwork touch's the soul.
Review: Mr. Potok's understanding of the fundimental questions of life is evident in his sequal to his masterwork "The Chosen". Mr. Potok pours his soul out as he search's in such an honest. gut-wrenching way for the answer's to those questions. Please read this and "The Chosen". The world will be a better place if you do!

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Summary: If you enjoyed The Chosen, read this!
Review: Not as good as its predecessor, but still quite amazing, this novel is a must read. Seeing the characters go from boys to men is a deeply emotional experience. Once again Potok works his magic.

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Summary: A Lesson On How To Write A Novel
Review: One of the most important aspects of Potok's novels is the conflict between traditional, Orthodox Judaism and the modern world of ideas that infringes upon it and challenges its authority. The conflict may be within Judaism (as in "The Promise's" battle between old and modern Jewish scholarship or "The Chosen's" consideration of Hasidism vs. modern Orthodoxy) or from outside of Judaism (art in "My name is Asher Lev" or politics in "Davita's Harp).

What makes Potok's novels so compelling is that he frames these battles with skillful and deft plotting and beautiful heartfelt language. This aspect of his work reaches its apex with "The Promise", his most brilliantly constructed novel. From the first chapter, he skillfully interweaves the characters' struggles so that they relate to each other in a very meaningful way.

In addition, not since Carson McCullers, has a writer dealt so sensitively and realistically with the mind and struggles of youth and adolescence. Potok takes great pains to delve into the troubled Michael's psyche and helps us understand his demons. His other novels also share this sensitive dealing with youth and with the often stormy relationship between parent and child.

Danny Saunders, the Hasidic Jew we first encountered in "The Chosen" is, ironically, Potok's most "enlightened" creation. His is firmly rooted in his tradtions (in this case, Hasidism) but is also open to new ideas from the "modern world". He becomes a Psychologist, weds a woman outside of Hasidism, and dresses like a modern Jew. He is the realization of Potok's wish: the ability of man to be grounded in and love his faith without being rigid and intractable and intolerant of other ideas and opinions. It is the absence of this tolerance that causes much of the conflict in Potok's novels.

Although "The Chosen" may be his most moving, "Davita's Harp" his most lyrical (large portions of it are like reading poetry), "Asher Lev" his most powerful, "The Promise" is his most skillfully written. It is like a textbook lesson on how to write a novel. It firmly establishes him among America's greatest writers.

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Summary: A fantasic story of conflict!!
Review: Potok caputres the essence of the Jewish customs and conflicts and puts them in laymen's term. Follow Reuven Miller in his choices between traditionalism and his feelings.

Rating:
Summary: Ok. But after The Chosen, this book is a real letdown
Review: Reuvan and Danny are still friends in this book. Danny is now studying psychology while Reuvan is at teh Yeshiva studying to be a rabbi, doing commentaries on the commentary of the commentary. Reuvan's father seems to be much better now than in the first book and Danny's father is maintaining that whole silence by disappearing from this book.

Most of the book is about Reuvan struggling with the tensions between Modern Orthodoxy and more strict Orthodoxy, but in this case the more strict rabbi is his teacher. What is nice about this book is that the teacher is not demonized. Like Danny's father, he is more conservative in observance and interpretation but he's still a human being. He is still given respect. (something that is not altogether apparent in modern Jewish relations where everyone is into each other's business and judging each other)

Most of the story is about the brother of Reuvan's girlfriend (then ex-girlfriend and then Danny's wife - both these books seem to be about how Danny ruins Reuvan's love life. First he introduces Reuvan to his sister who happens to be engaged already and in this book he steals Reuvans girlfriend.) and his psychological problems.

THere isn't anything boring or dull about this book too much, but it is a sequel to The Chosen and it can't live up to its expectations. It should, but it doesn't.

Rating:
Summary: A great book, exploring the theme of new ways
Review: The Chosen is perhaps more gripping, but this is the essential sequel and a also great book. The book explores the ways in which the characters come to grips with new ways of exploring the universe - psychotherapy, textual criticism of the talmud. (As a non-Jew, I also found the portrayal of orthodox Judaism a fascinating insight into another culture.)

Rating:
Summary: The Promise, An Inside Look
Review: The Promise by Chaim Potok is a novel about three young men named Reuven Malter, Danny Saunders, and Michael Gordon. It is the sequel to The Chosen which first features Reuven and Danny. Reuven and Danny were both Jewish, however Reuven was Orthodox and Danny was Hasidic, a much more serious form of Judaism. In The Promise, Danny had gotten a degree in psychology and Reuven was studying to get smicha, which would enable him to become a rabbi. At the starting of the novel Reuven was dating a girl named Rachel. One day, Reuven and Rachel went to a carnival with Rachel's cousin, Michael. When they got cheated out of winning one hundred dollars and a radio, Michael started screaming and acting crazy. It turned out Michael was catatonic, and he was put into the hospital were Danny worked. Michael resisted all forms of therapy, and after he tried to escape the hospital with five other boys, all carrying butchers knives, Danny decided to try a new form of therapy. Michael would be isolated in a room with only Danny allowed to visit or talk to him. Danny thought Michael would hate this type of therapy so much, he would open up and talk. For several months, Michael sat on his bed without moving or responding to anything or anyone. Long after Danny had started to have doubts about the experiment working, Michael asked to see Reuven, then went back to not responding. After this happened several times, Danny decided to let Reuven come see Michael. ...
I would definitely recommend this book to other people. It was very interesting with a plot that really captivated my attention. It also helped to broaden my understanding of the Jewish religion. The characters seemed real with real life problems, goals, and dreams. It had a very touching plot with a lot of righteousness that I felt was very compelling.

Rating:
Summary: Dynamic sequel to The Chosen
Review: The Promise continues with the two main characters of The Chosen: Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter, both in the throws of graduate school/seminary in this book. The tension between traditional ( read fundamental) beliefs... represented by Hasidism... and less orthodox Jewish practices and beliefs is not only hammered out intellectually but is embodied in characters in the book: teachers on the staff of the various yeshiva , Reuven's father who is a textual/critical scholar of the Talmud, and Gordon, a liberal scholar and writer, finally, the vitriolic East European Talmud teacher, partisan, and survivor of the death camps.

The value of the book reaches far beyond a sympathetic depiction of Jewery (thouge it paints a vivid picture of the very fabric of Jewish emotional and religious life ); it casts a bright light on the entire controversy revolving around textual criticism in religious study and and the sometimes bitter exchanges between fundamental scholars trying...{in this book} to rebuild the remnants of European Jewery and their devastated world following the holocaust) and the community of textual critics who are moving deeper and deeper into the sacred texts with their "destructive" academic tools. A must read for anyone interested in scholarship, belief, faith, psychology and the tensions that connect all thinking humans, no matter what faith.

Interesting sub-plot relates to Danny Saunder's treatment of an emotionally wounded boy and his rebuilding of his psyche with the techniques and tools he "learned" from his father, a Hadid tzaddik. Simply a wonderful book...worth crying over. The chain smoking, crooked fingered Rav who teaches Talmud and is juxopposed to Rev Gershon (also a Talumd teacher) is worth the read alone. All the characters are drawn with great sympathy.