Book Review by Lorilyn Roberts
The
Chosen was written in first person and the many themes were
handled realistically and authentically. I felt like I was reading a memoir
from the protagonist, Reuven. Chaim Potok writes in a matter-of-fact style with
a smoothness that is comforting and reassuring. I could relate to and understand
the protagonist’s problems as well as that of his friend, Danny Saunders.
The story was set during World War II in
New York. Potok wove the war into the story to magnify the issues of faith,
life, and death. Some of his references were very specific which intensified
the meaning and drama of The Chosen,
as if the name of the book had a double meaning; i.e., D-Day, President
Roosevelt’s death, the subsequent discovery of the concentration camps, the
horror of learning that six million Jews had been slaughtered, and the
determination of Reuven’s father to give the Jews a homeland in Palestine.
The conflict of Danny with his father was
the most intriguing theme for me: Would it be possible to never speak to my
father except when debating the Talmud? It seems improbable, but Potok did
succeed in making me believe it was true. The lengthy passages about how the
Hasidim sect began, the meaning of Apikorism, the finite differences in Judaism
between Danny and Reuven, the intensity of the meaning of their Jewishness, and
the biographical sketch of Reb Saunders’ history and family members (his genius
brother and what happened to him) helped to create the realism that he and
Danny never spoke to each other except when debating the interpretation of the
Talmud.
Pokok took a complex theme (family
relationships and faith) and wove the story into one that is universal,
particularly for the Jewish people, who have suffered for thousands of years as
God’s “chosen” people. I believe this type of book is important for the younger
generation where so much that is written is fluff and superficial. I believe
most adults tend to underrate what young people are capable of understanding
and embracing. The Chosen has raised
the stakes in challenging all of us to respect the difficult choices that some
young people must make when dealing with family, faith, values, and destiny.
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