The Chosen

Rating:
Summary: COOL!!!!!
Review: Well, this book was a reading assiment that I got in the 7th grade. I normally hate all of the books that the english teachers make us read, so I thought that this one would be no different. Then I started to read it about two nights before it was due. I stayed up all night reading it until I was done. This book is not just about religion or whatever, it's about friendship. A friendship that cannot be broken. The kind of friendship you have forever. It makes you think and believe in your friends more, and it was one of the best books I have ever read in my life!!!!! I even stole a copy of it from my english teacher (shhhhh don't tell) so I could read it over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: It did not keep me on the edge of my seat.
Review: The chosen was very boring and uneventful. It was this happens, then something else happens, then over and over again. The story of the friendship between Reuven and Danny is told well, but besides that, it was horrible.

Rating:
Summary: This Book was a slow-moving, rather boring story.
Review: This book was a required reading for my school, the book was too slow, and repetative at some points. It took to long to get from conflict to climax, to much beating around the bush.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read.
Review: I read this book for the first time in college and could not put it down. I finished it in a matter of hours. In my opinion, none of the other Potok books that I have read can hold a candle to this one, and that list includes The Promise, My Name is Asher Lev, The Gift of Asher Lev, and In The Beginning. As a student of Judaism, I found this book to extremely beatiful and moving.

Rating:
Summary: A delightful book that brings words and charactors to life
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Informative, innovating, a book for all kinds.
Review: A touching book which relates to all readers. The Chosen is a symbollic and uplifting experience. Chaim Potok succeeds in defining two different sects involved in Judaism. It possible for the reader to experience the problems each character conquers. The Chosen, although about Judaism, can be related to by all people which go through religious questioning. Chaim Potok shows that all dreams can come true. Overall, this book was the best I have ever read and I recommend it to all readers.

Rating:
Summary: The Chosen . . . a beautiful novel.
Review: I just finished reading this book for the third time. Each time I read it, I find something new love and appreciate about it. Reading it is a miriacle within itself. It teaches acceptance, appreciation, and friendship through example, not preaching. In fact, this book never preaches. It is, in fact, a book for everyone. I adore it. It is my favorite book. It's sequel The Promise is very good also.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book
Review: This book is one of the best books around today. I read it for a school assignment in tenth grade, and it is now one of my favourite books. Chaim Potok's writing is magnificent, and the theme of the book is universal. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: A genious story of relationships and religions.
Review: The Chosen is a wonderful story that changed the way that I think, forever. When I read this book, I was a "good" Catholic, but because of this book I questioned my religion and decided that I believed in Judiasm and not Catholicism. Because of this book, I realized that maybe what I had been told to believe all of my life might not be true. This is perhaps the greatest compliment that can be paid to a book: That it made me change my life.

Rating:
Summary: A very profound moral drama on many levels.
Review: Although often assigned to young adults, this book is really meant to be re-read throughout life, as it can be understood and enjoyed on many levels as the reader matures. The old "ParDeS" method of analysis (an acronym for Hebrew words meaning: literal, moral, allegorical, and mystical) can be applied to this story, and it is excellent on each of these levels. Literally it is a moving story about growing up, friendship, families, making choices, and finding one's place in the world rather than letting it be assigned by others. Morally, it shows different life choices in a remarkably non-judgemental way--the two diametrically opposed families each find a way that fits their character to make meaningful choices and contributions to the world without compromising their principles, and both are partially successful, but both pay a price. The sons must choose for themselves which elements to retain and which to reject from their traditions. Allegorically, it shows the tension between the interior life, symbolized by the Hasidic family, and the exterior life, symbolized by the politically activist Orthodox family. Neither way has all the answers, and both suffer (the Hasids mentally, both father and son; the Orthodox, physically, again both father and son). Each son has to learn to adopt elements from the other approach to grow up a complete person. It is on the mystical level, however, that this book touches me the most. The terrible silence of the Hasidic father, which seems so senseless and destructive to his talented but tormented son, is revealed to have a transcending reason. This is like the experience so many of us have with a God Who remains silent despite even the most desperate attempts to make contact with Him. We can't see why a supposedly loving God would be so cold and remote when we cry out to Him the most. This book provides a model which might apply to this, perhaps man's oldest and most painful question.