[.ca] The Chosen (ISBN 0449911543)

From Amazon.com:
Few stories offer more warmth, wisdom, or generosity than this tale of two boys, their fathers, their friendship, and the chaotic times in which they live. Though on the surface it explores religious faith--the intellectually committed as well as the passionately observant--the struggles addressed in The Chosen are familiar to families of all faiths and in all nations. In 1940s Brooklyn, New York, an accident throws Reuven Malther and Danny Saunders together. Despite their differences (Reuven is a secular Jew with an intellectual, Zionist father; Danny is the brilliant son and rightful heir to a Hasidic rebbe), the young men form a deep, if unlikely, friendship. Together they negotiate adolescence, family conflicts, the crisis of faith engendered when Holocaust stories begin to emerge in the U.S., loss, love, and the journey to adulthood. The intellectual and spiritual clashes between fathers, between each son and his own father, and between the two young men, provide a unique backdrop for this exploration of fathers, sons, faith, loyalty, and, ultimately, the power of love. (This is not a conventional children's book, although it will move any wise child age 12 or older, and often appears on summer reading lists for high school students.)

The Chosen, Awesome read.:
I first received this book a couple weeks ago from my English 2 Preap teacher, since I'm a 10th grader, I didn't think much of it. When I started reading the story, it caught my eye about the friendship that was built around two complete opposites of "the world" per say. Then I became slightly confused with the story, not sure what it was trying to tell me, and I went in search of answers to my question. "What was this book truely about?" I found it out while talking with other students and teachers that had read the book and all found it interesting. Only one source truely helped me and I found inspiration in the story, though many still ask me what it was. Heh...I can't truely say what the moral of the story conveys, I believe you can only understand when you read it for yourself. It is worth it, definietly.

It deserves its designation as a classic:
I hadn't touched a copy of this book in thirty years, but I remember it with great fondness. And when I saw a stage production of this novel with Theodore Bikel as Reb Saunders, I felt I had to pick up a copy and reread it. This is the story of two boys growing up within the same religion, but with vastly different backgrounds, in a world that has become part of history, but which has not faded from the minds of men. Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders are, each in their own way, trying to become active members of the post-Holocaust world they find themselves in. Reuven has an easier time of it because of his father's opinions on the course world Jewry must take; Danny has a much more difficult time, because of his father's opinions on that same subject. Danny is also hampered because of his father's expectations for him, while Reuven's father is more accepting of his son's intentions. Potok takes these basic points and fashions a powerful story that comes along only once in a lifetime. In this case, twice in a lifetime - because its sequel, "The Promise", is every bit as good as "The Chosen".

Good.:
We had to read 'The Chosen' for a class in my senior year in high school. It is a good book about two Jewish boys growing up during World War II. One should definately read it, but the subject matter is a little dry.

Don't Miss The Opportunity To Read It!:
The Chosen by Chaim Potok is superbly done. For a fiction novel, this is a realistic glimpse inside of Jewish culture in the latter half of the 20th century (in New York). This book is not so much about Jews and the non-Jews, as it is about a Hasidic Jew and an Orthodox Jew (although within the same general religious camp to a degree). The book focuses on the internal Jewish community and how it deals with the various groups within. The Hasids could be seen as something of a successor group to the Pharisees of 2,000 years ago (for historical reference) but have major differences of course considering the time period. Danny, the Hasid (and heir to his father's religious dynasty) befriends Reuven in a very unlikely atmosphere of initial distrust (and perhaps even hatred). Oddly (although predictably and accurately) enough, the groups within Judaism are presented as feuding sects, which are feuding with each other as much as ever. The plot unravels seamlessly as the reader gets to walk along with Reuven from his point of view. The emotions tilt in several directions as he befriends Danny and is initiated into the religiously esoteric world of the Jewish Hasidic community in New York, New York. Here is an example of the intense emotional fluctuations: (p.187 of the Fawcett Crest edition) "I \oReuven\c sat there stunned and terrified, engulfed by his rage. His reaction had caught me so completely by surprise that I had quite literally stopped breathing, and now I found myself gasping for breath. I felt as if I were being consumed by flames. The silence that followed his outburst had a fungus quality to it, as though it were breeding malignancies, and I naked and violated. I didn't know what to do or say. I just sat there and gaped at him." This rich paragraph is a description given by the character Reuven in response to the outburst by Danny's father Reb Saunders when he did not give a sufficient answer to a question regarding religion. Chaim Potok's writing style, as seen above, is very well done with a certain rhythm throughout the whole book; making it easy to read and follow. He is Jewish himself and has a rabbinic degree, so this fictional story is perhaps loosely based on someone's true story (I would not be surprised, since the storyline is very believable). The Chosen is actually the first book in a duology. The concluding book is The Promise, which is a worthy conclusion, indeed. I also found some of the views held toward non-Jews to be interesting - if not particularly surprising - and the views about Jews who convert. While this is really not even a sub-plot per se, it is still a nice conversational addition to the characters to make them more rounded and believable. Quite well done. The interplay between the various groups within Judaism is interesting and informative (especially when Potok brings the plot through the formation of the modern state of Israel--Reuven's father is deeply involved). Pick up a copy of Chaim Potok's "The Chosen." Another book I need to recommend -- very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition," an odd, funny, highly entertaining little novel I can't stop thinking about.

An amazing tale of changing times and traditions:
I found this book to be both highly moving and extremely educational. The characterizations are vivid and truthful. This would be a wonderful text for an adept high school literature class, but that doesn't mean it shoudl be confined to that purpose. "The Chosen" is a book for everyone.