A couple of weeks ago I mentioned on this blog that I participate in a monthly book club and was looking for some book recommendations. I got some great recommendations, sadly, I have only read one of them, but the others are sitting on my dresser waiting (thanks!).
I started with “The Chosen” by Chaim Potok, and it was a great place to start. I loved the book, but it was much different than I expected. I will say that generally I get through books quickly, some people eat as much as they can really quickly, me, I read quickly, coming up for the occasional meal etc- but this book needed to be “digested”, I read a chapter or two at a time and gave myself a day or so to absorb it before moving on (really it is a great one).
The book centers primarily on the friendship between two boys, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders, and their transition from boys to men, beginning when they are about 15 and ending with their graduation from college. Danny is a Hasidic Jew, the son of a famous rabbi, Reuven, is the son of a teacher and known Jewish scholar. The boys meet under less than ideal conditions, but overcome their differences to develop a friendship that transcends their religious and cultural differences.
The book had many themes, but the one that struck me most was the bond between parent and child. The book contrasts two parental relationships- the close relationship between Reuven and his father, and the somewhat strained and distant relationship between Danny and his father. I will admit that I spent the majority of the book disliking Danny’s father, struggling to understand why he would behave the way he did, and why he was so cruel to his own son. By the end of the book I began to understand Reb Saunders as a character, and even sympathize with him, wondering to what lengths I would be willing to go to ensure Michael’s future.
The book is thought provoking, well written, and worth the time it takes to read… read it slowly.
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