The Chosen

By: Chaim Potok

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Though they've lived their entire lives less than five blocks from each other, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders exist in very different worlds. Reuven blends easily into both his secular Jewish faith and his typical American teen life, while Danny's conservative Hasidic clothes and appearance make him stick out in any crowd. Their improbable friendship teaches them that the differences separating people through cultures and generations are never as great as they seem.©1995 Chaim Potok (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Anyone who finds it is finding a jewel. Its themes are profound and universal." (The Wall Street Journal)

A great look at personal religion & family effects

Where does The Chosen rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top. Realizing how much of a gift it was to be raised in a family with multi religious beliefs this was a fresh look at how overwhelming it must be for some families to only allow one view of religious beliefs. What a challenging gift is must have been for my family to allow me to search out my own personal relationship with religion.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Chosen?

At the dinner where both boys were put through a test.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Davis – was your favorite?

Danny's dad and how he promoted free thinking and tolerance in his son.

Any additional comments?

I hope when people read this book they are inspired to look at all walks of life with an open mind. That is what this book did for me.

Loved it, great moral

An amazing story. Great characters show hard lessons learned through many trials. Teaches us not to "judge a book by its cover". Even two boys from completely different walks of life can look last outward appearances and be best of friends. Teaching the reader that study is an important part of learning and learning is a life long effort.

Chaim Potok's Profound Classic Novel

"The Chosen" is a profound classic novel set in 1940s Brooklyn. It centers on an unlikely friendship that developed between two boys, a secular Jew with an intellectual Zionist father and the son of Hasidic rebbe and his hereditary heir.

Language

The language was more harsh than I prefer. There is quite a bit of swearing and the use the name of Jesus most, which is weird considering the book is Jewish.

Amazing story of a Father's love for his son

This book was a little slow but I feel like the ending is worth getting through the slower parts.