"A superb mirror of a place, a time, and a group of people who capture our immediate interest and hold it tightly."
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THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
reviews
Oct 23, 2008
John
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For all those struggling through religious issues (especially my LDS friends) -- this book will put so much into perspective.
This book explains everything. And it has the potential to change a great deal.
I cannot recommend highly enough.
This book explains everything. And it has the potential to change a great deal.
I cannot recommend highly enough.
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Aug 25, 2008
Tora
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I thought The Chosen couldn't be beat, but this one did it. Chaim Potok draws you into the lives of the characters; Reuven's internal struggle to figure out just "what kind" of Jew he is while still remaining true to the faith he learned from his father, Danny's empathy with Michael's suffering and his desire to prove that choosing psychology was the right thing to do... but most of all it is tragic to see how much humans tear each other apart - in this book it's between Hasidic and ot
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(5 people liked it)
Dec 09, 2007
Lynn
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I first read this book in the late '90s, when I just wanted to see what "happened next" to Reuven and Danny from The Chosen, one of my favorites from American lit back in high school. A recent reread has shown me how timeless this work really is.
This is the story of a young man of faith who is thrown in with religious fanatics, and men who've lost belief in God, in the tumultuous decade after the Holocaust. He can understand, but not quite accept, both points of view, and More...
This is the story of a young man of faith who is thrown in with religious fanatics, and men who've lost belief in God, in the tumultuous decade after the Holocaust. He can understand, but not quite accept, both points of view, and More...
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Apr 20, 2010
Joyce
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The sequel to The Chosen follows Reuven Malter as he studies for ordination (smicha). It s the summer of 1950, 5 years after the end of World War II. On vacation, Reuven continues dating Rachel Gordon, the niece of a famous Jewish teacher and author who is considered heretical by the more traditional wing of Orthodox Jewry. Rachel, along with her 14 year old cousin Michael, is also vacationing at the same area as Reuven and his father. Rachel persuades Reuven to accompany her and and her 14
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Dec 17, 2008
Nola
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I cannot even begin to process the things I have enjoyed or picked up from this book. I marked several passages as I read that were especially thought provoking, but that doesn't even begin to cover the entirety of the novel.
I honestly felt like I shortchanged "The Promise." When I read "The Chosen," I did so with a pen and paper, taking notes, and I took so much from it. With "The Promise," I was more casual in my reading, didn't take any notes, and my More...
I honestly felt like I shortchanged "The Promise." When I read "The Chosen," I did so with a pen and paper, taking notes, and I took so much from it. With "The Promise," I was more casual in my reading, didn't take any notes, and my More...
Dec 12, 2008
Jenny
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This novel is set in the 50s, in the era of Joseph McCarthy, but it deals with another area of reactionary thought. It's about the Orthodox Jewish community in NYC, and how it is changed by the concentration camp survivors who make their way there after WWII.
The narrator, Reuven Malter, is a Talmudic student who is caught between the orthodox European Jews (who, after so much loss, can't accept any threat to their traditions) and the more liberal threads developing in the U. More...
Nov 02, 2011
Jessie
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The Promise is the second in the series by Chaim Potok. It starts with The Chosen. On the cover of the book it says, "The powerful bestselling classic of a young man's quest for meaning and fulfillment in a perilously changing world." Jews from concentration camps come over to America and teach in the old school method. Jews that have already been here teach with another method. I'm astounded by how much studying they do. I'm learning about Jews. I guess that I thought all Jews
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Jan 31, 2012
Flavia
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The Promise is a novel written by Chaim Potok and published as a sequel to The Chosen, published two years earlier. It was originally published by Alfred A. Knopf in New York. Although not quite as impressive as The Chosen, The Promise is still laudable, skillfully woven to a depth which many modern books tend to lack.
The Chosen takes place in Brooklyn, New York, amongst the various Jewish sects which resided there in the 1940’s. The book begins with Reuven Malter, a Jewish student and son More...
The Chosen takes place in Brooklyn, New York, amongst the various Jewish sects which resided there in the 1940’s. The book begins with Reuven Malter, a Jewish student and son More...
Dec 10, 2008
Emily
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I love reading Potok’s books for a variety of reasons, the least of which is that I always learn a tremendous amount about Judaism. I also like reading him from a Christian perspective and often wonder what he would make of messianic Jews (the Jews for Jesus folks). The Promise left me with many thoughts, not the least of which was what was the promise? Potok’s struggle to reconcile the various approaches to Judaism in 20th century America is insightful and refreshing. And it’s not limited to J
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Jul 16, 2010
Christina
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upon rereading (the chosen) for about the third time and reading the sequel (the promise) for the first time, i think chaim potok is now one of my favorite authors. a great storyteller. with seemingly simple sentences and straightforward descriptions, draws us into reuven and danny's world: a time and place and religion: brooklyn, world war i and ii, orthodox judaism. books that many may not pick up for the synopsis alone, but the stories resonate because they are really about friendship (how di
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Aug 29, 2009
Kirei
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I started reading this and at the beginning didn't love it, but then midway through I realized it was the sequel to "The Chosen" which I've never read. So I think I missed some nuances of the storyline.
But anyway the book got better and proved to be interesting. The "Michael" storyline started to bore me, although it did wrap up nicely. The "Judaism/Rav Kalman" storyline fascinated me.
I can't say I necessarily liked the characters, althoug More...
But anyway the book got better and proved to be interesting. The "Michael" storyline started to bore me, although it did wrap up nicely. The "Judaism/Rav Kalman" storyline fascinated me.
I can't say I necessarily liked the characters, althoug More...
Mar 02, 2010
Jason
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Potok's novel is set in the years after WWII when the bright and inquisitive minds of a new American Jewish generation clash with those of their tormented and grief-stricken elders. The former are adventurous and creative in their Talmidic studies. The latter are adamantly orthodox, their adherence to strict Biblical interpretation tempered by the blood spilled in its defense. These two generations share a love for their religion and a promise to pass on their people's traditions. But will t
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Dec 26, 2010
Cathy
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 02, 2012
Amanda
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A friend had recommended "The Chosen," which is the prequel to "The Promise." So after finishing the first, she lent me the second with a warning that she didn't like it as well. I found I like "The Promise" even better. The mental illness of a boy juxtaposed with the Jewish situation in America following WWII set an interest backdrop for the story. There were a lot of themes running through the novel, but it didn't become cumbersome or confusing. I would recommend
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Feb 27, 2009
Anna
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I read someone's review prior to reading this that stated that The Promise was even better than The Chosen. It is not. It is a very good book though. It was nice to see what happened to Danny and Reuven after all the adolescent drama of The Chosen.
The same reviewer also stated that they couldn't wait to read Davita's Harp and "finish the trilogy." I read the description of Davita's Harp and it doesn't appear to have anything to do with The Chosen or The Promise, so now I am a More...
The same reviewer also stated that they couldn't wait to read Davita's Harp and "finish the trilogy." I read the description of Davita's Harp and it doesn't appear to have anything to do with The Chosen or The Promise, so now I am a More...
Jan 09, 2009
Jorgina
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not sure i will finish this one, it is a hard beginning.
But well worth the struggle. An amazing book. I did not think "The Chosen" needed a sequel but, having read this, I am convinced it was very necessary. Mr. Potok's story-telling style of explaining Hebrew culture in 3 different factions of the Jewish faith added so much to this father/son conflict. The reintroduction of the rich characters was like hearing from old friends. I learned so much about child/parent relatio More...
But well worth the struggle. An amazing book. I did not think "The Chosen" needed a sequel but, having read this, I am convinced it was very necessary. Mr. Potok's story-telling style of explaining Hebrew culture in 3 different factions of the Jewish faith added so much to this father/son conflict. The reintroduction of the rich characters was like hearing from old friends. I learned so much about child/parent relatio More...
Aug 11, 2010
Travis
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I was a little disappointed with this book. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but, I think my expectations were unrealistically high because of how much I loved The Chosen. This is a sequel to that book, and while interesting, I felt like it didn't ever reach that same level of dramatic pitch. I was engaged, but not riveted or amazed. But, that's okay. I have decided to read all of Potok's books, because I just really like his subject matter, and I think he is a masterful story-teller. I'm
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Jun 04, 2009
Celeste
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I did not like this book as much as The Chosen, which this book is the sequel to. There is a lot more detail about the Jewish culture and the division of the different factions after World War II. That part was just plain sad, leaving me with a feeling of discomfort at the viciousness they attacked each other. One would think that they would band together, rather than split apart after all that the Jewish culture has been through.
The most difficult time I had with this book was the t More...
The most difficult time I had with this book was the t More...
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Mar 27, 2009
Michele
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"The Promise" is a poignant story about a young Jewish man living in New York City during the aftermath of WWII. Studying to be a rabbi, Reuven Malter finds himself caught between conservative and liberal Judaism, a tension that has especial relevance today both inside and outside the Jewish religion. The vivid cast of characters and the compelling storyline render Judaism, in all its theological shades and complexities, both understandable and sympathetic to the post-modern reader, an
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Jul 30, 2011
Vince
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A powerful story about identity and truth that had initial trouble transitioning out of the rich and layered intimacy found in its prequel, "The Chosen." Once Danny was engaged as a therapy resource for Michael, the troubled nose bleeding adolescent, the story came together for me. Potok skillfully wove the relevant aspects of the Malter, Gordon, and Saunders families to push forward a case for examining and questioning personal identity; how it often rubs against the grain of expect
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Jan 02, 2012
Gala
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This book, and its predecessor, "The Chosen," are fascinating in the way that text (Torah, in this case) becomes a forceful character as active as any of the human players. Having grown up inside a culture of The Book (the Christian canon, which is also Jewish in origin, of course), I loved how Potok's two volumes display the way that a sacred text operates inside lives, families and institutions. The tensions, the harmonies, the disagreements, the acquiescence, the variances of faith
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Aug 15, 2009
Marvin
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At first, I thought this sequel to the marvelous The Chosen was going to less satisfying, but I eventually got caught up in it, and I marveled, as before, at Potok's respect for the life of the mind and his amazing respect for very different approaches to the life of the mind in a world of conflict that makes the fundamentalist/modernist conflict among American Protestants seem simple and mild. At the same time, he tells a great story, though the technical aspects of this one probably make it so
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Sep 09, 2011
Ariel
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An excellent book. I was pleased to read more about Danny and Reuven, the two protagonists of "The Chosen." I was surprised that it delved so deeply into psychology and the feelings children, sons especially, may have for how their parents to lead their religious lives -- or more broadly how the parents may define themselves within their communities. At one point Michael says, "It's may name, too!" And in fact, although Michael -- the son of a very liberal/secular Jew -- migh
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Apr 05, 2009
Amy
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I was anxious to pursue Danny and Reuven's characters in this sequel to The Chosen. After reading both books back to back, I can hardly remember where one started and the other stopped. These are not books that are fast-paced or "exciting", but you know you're encountering something of substance.
The Promise is the story of Reuven's turmoil over finding his place among Jewish fundamentalists, moderates, and liberals. Each position is well-represented by different characte More...
The Promise is the story of Reuven's turmoil over finding his place among Jewish fundamentalists, moderates, and liberals. Each position is well-represented by different characte More...
Sep 18, 2008
Reshma
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I read this book immediately after I read The Chosen. As a sequel, the reader expects from The Promise "more of the same" or even less. While the novel is not as deep thematically and symbolically as the first book, it maintains the warmth and genuineness of The Chosen. I read this book becasue I fell in love with the main characters, Danny and Reuven. The Promise is again written from the point of view of Reuven, but seems to talk less about Danny and more about the newly introduc
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Dec 18, 2008
Trish
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Couldn't wait to buy this as it was the continuation of Reuven Malter's adventures as begun in The Chosen. Somewhat disappointed, mainly due to Potok's writing style in this one. Lots of run-on sentences, a style I didn't quite get and found distracting. It was worth a read and it was enough of a page-turner to keep me going all the way through, but I was somewhat annoyed. Guess I expected to be as blown away as I'd been by The Chosen. Oh well -- not bad, though!
Jan 02, 2012
Virginia
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Chaim Potok is a tremendous writer. The one criticism I have is that I wish there were a glossary of his Jewish words in his book. Usually, he defines the word the first time it is used, but there are a lot of them that are unfamiliar enough to me that I don't remember them.
I had no idea that becoming a rabbi was such an ordeal, but I guess I hadn't really thought about it too much. It is interesting to watch Reuven and Danny grow and mature, and to watch their friendship grow, to More...
I had no idea that becoming a rabbi was such an ordeal, but I guess I hadn't really thought about it too much. It is interesting to watch Reuven and Danny grow and mature, and to watch their friendship grow, to More...
Jul 30, 2010
Michelle
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This is the first Chaim Potok book that I didn’t absolutely love. I enjoyed it, but I just didn’t love it. I read it just as quickly as I read other Potok books and I was just as engrossed but now that I’ve finished it I’m not as sad that I’m done. That being said I’m thinking about the book a lot now that it’s finished so, love it or not, it’s clearly left me with a great deal to think about and that, typically, is the mark of a good book.
Oct 27, 2010
Daniel
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The sequel for 'The Chosen', 'The Promise' tells us about the university life of Danny Saunders and his best-friend, Reuven Malter. While Reuven is studying for ordination in a Jewish Theological Seminary, Danny does his graduate study in Columbia University for psychology. Having, again, struggles in facing the many faces of religion, they finally found meaning in all they have in helping a mentally-problem son of a 'heretic'. What a novel!
Sep 14, 2009
Michelle
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Another re-read for me. I keep coming back to Potok and learning more each time I do--something that cannot be said for more than a handful of 20th century authors. When Chaim Potok passed away, I remember being heartbroken that there would never be a continuation of the stories of these characters; I had kept hoping against hope. :-) IMO this book is a work of near genius; on the nth read, I still had trouble putting it down.
