[.ca] The Book of Lights (ISBN 0449245691)

Unlike the others, but still very good:
The content was different than Potok's other books that I have read, but no less enjoyable. He writes with such a deep emotion, and I love his characters. I liked Gershon's Kabbalistic studies and how they coincided with the images of light throughout the book. I think this book was spurred by many of Potok's own experiences as a war chaplain in Korea. I am glad I was able to read it... anything by Potok is beautiful!

Potok's brilliant evocation of darkness and light:
Chaim Potok is one terrific storyteller. He tells big stories,of peoples,microcosemed in the stories of familes,mostly boys and men{though in Davita's harp, he steps outside,with interesting results}Th Book of lights is essentially the story of two friends, Gershon and Arthur.Gershon,alone attempts to understand the darkness swallowing the earth by studying kabbalah, the book of Jewish Mysticism. His friend is haunted by dreams of light, the brightest light men have yet discovered. Gershon becomes a chaplain in Korea,and contineus his journey. Arthur is haunted by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and especially Nagasaki.The title of the book is of course bouble edged, the book of lights and the balst of atomic weapons. There is little sermonising here. mr. Potok, as aleways, has kept to his storytelling genius. The debates among the rabbis at the Jewish Theological Seminary about the role of Kabbalh are very inereesting, and Loran's mystical encounter on a Brooklyn rooftop are moments of sheer poetry. This is a big book, rich, filled with ideas. In many ways, it is Mr Potoks most ambitious work of fiction. And very, very rewarding.

Painful luminescence:
The Book of Lights is one of those books that either captivates you, or bores you to death. I used to think that Chaim Potok must have written this book just for me, because I was the only person who read it. Or so it seemed. Gershon Loran reminded me of myself in seminary, a lackluster student with a spark for odd and heretical or mystical literature. Bored by normative religion, he seeks answers for the pain and suffering in his life in Kabbalagh, or Jewish mysticism. The reader sees the transformation of his soul into what his mentor, Dr. Keter, calls the next generation of Jewish mysticism: the Light of past wisdom and insight refracted through an American lense. Gershon is a mystic, and yet he doesn't seem to fully realize his potential, because it doesn't seem odd to him when G_d himself descends into his room, or he contemplates storming the throneroom of the Almighty.

Fascinating clash of cultures:
I read the Book of Lights in Korea where I was stationed (2nd Inf Div), and perhaps for that reason it really came alive for me. The Chaplaincy is a unique institution, in that military clergy provide ministry for all soldiers, not simply for those of one's particular faith group. Then add the Asian element, the post Korean war trauma, along with the personal struggles with faith, and the result is confronting conflicting cultures and ideas, and an internal struggle to find one's identity. A must for readers of Chaim Potok's novels.

Beautifully written, captivating story:
Dr. Potok's books are all beautiful and moving. This one is my favorite. I have read and re-read The Book of Lights too many times to count, and with each reading it moves me more. It is a rich tapestry of characters, woven with darkness and light. I highly recommend it to avid readers who seek out deeply developed stories and characters.