The Chosen: Chiam Potok

“It is the now-classic story of two fathers and two sons and the pressures on all of them to pursue the religion they share in the way that is best suited to each. And as the boys grow into young men, they discover in the other a lost spiritual brother, and a link to an unexplored world that neither had ever considered before. In effect, they exchange places, and find the peace that neither will ever retreat from again....

“This is the odyssey from boyhood to manhood for two Jewish boys amidst the conflict between generations and religious traditions.” – courtesy of Barnes & Noble.com because my copy had no summary.

This book was an assigned reading for my Multicultural American Novel course.  I will admit that I was hesitant to begin reading it and—not to sound anti-Semitic (which I am not…I’m dating a Jewish man)—but I really did not want to read a book about Jewish children growing up during WWII.  I had absolutely no desire to read something on this topic.  As I read further, however, I did not feel as if I was reading an assigned book.  It was definitely the writing that encouraged me to continue on.  I even brought this book on vacation with me and found myself enjoying it.  The writing style was easy to read and kept me very interested.  Where I was pretty off-put by the subject matter, I grew a little more interested in the boys’ struggles as the book went on.  I even found myself asking my Jewish boyfriend for clarification on some words, teachings, and practices where my limited knowledge of Judaism failed me.  Therefore, this book exposed me to a whole new culture and made me interested without me even realizing it.

The contrast between Danny and Reuven was really what made the book.  Their characters felt so real that I couldn’t help but feel for them.  This book was truly artful and masterful.  The boys’ unlikely friendship was touching and made all the more interesting by its tumultuousness.  Some history-laden portions were a little bit slow reading, but—now that I’ve finished the book—I can see how integral they were to understanding the characters.  While I cannot say that I would necessarily choose to pick up a book on this subject, I did end up enjoying this piece.  Potok is a gifted author and one that certainly belongs in the greats of Multicultural American novels.