Customer Reviews

The Promise

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With "The Promise", Chaim Potok continues the explorations of growing up Jewish in 1950's Brooklyn that he began in "The Chosen".

While this book brings more of the secular world into its plotline than its prequel, it does so in a way that is completely logical and understandable. As the country entered the 1950's, the religious and secular worlds started to undergo a change and a blending the like of which had never been seen before, and probably will never be seen again.

This process is seen in microcosm as Potok continues his story of Reuven Malter, now studying to become a rabbi, and his best friend Danny Saunders, the Hasid turned psychology student.

The most interesting thing about this story to my mind is that the roles of the two main characters are, to some extent, reversed. In "The Chosen", Danny was the religious one - rebellious in his own way, but still religious; and Reuven was the more worldly one. Here, Reuven is moving into the religious world, and Danny is becoming more and more secular - so much so, in fact, that he becomes engaged to and eventually marries a woman he falls in love with, rather than the arranged marriage that his family would have set up for him.

The secondary plots of Danny's prospective cousin-in-law and his emotional problems, and Reuven's conflict and bonding with his Talmud instructor, are also interesting, but it is still the interplay between Danny, Reuven, and their fathers that is the reason to buy this book. Even if you're not Jewish, this story will speak to you.

I really enjoyed this book. The novel contains concepts that will challenge both your intellectual and emotional self, but I didn't think it had the soul that "The Chosen" possessed. Also, the book was a little irritating in that Potok kept reiterating what happened in "The Chosen," presumably so that those who hadn't read "The Chosen" would understand what was happening. I can understand that, but for someone who read the first novel in the series, it was quite aggravating. Thankfully, this happened infrequently.
For sure, this book is worth reading. The few negatives I found are far outweighed by all the positives contained in this work. This novel has heart and Potok has done a service to us all.....

As a novel, The Promise is quite well written and has an intriguing plot. As a sequel, it has the potential to be disappointing. Its predecessor, The Chosen, is a deep, heartfelt novel about the struggles of overcoming a restricting community with a couple of lessons on Jewish history skillfully woven in along the way, but The Promise is a different kind of book entirely. The Promise seems to be more of a novel than The Chosen, which was more along the lines of a lesson on Judaism and humanity in the form of a story. So, the bottom line is, while The Promise is quite a good book in its own way and a worthwhile read, it is very different from The Chosen, and it's easy to be disappointed with it. I would actually recommend reading either just The Chosen or just The Promise rather than both- you don't really need to read The Chosen to understand the storyline of The Promise.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although I liked The Chosen better, this is also a very powerful work by a literally genius. The Promise continues with the lives of Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders during their college years. Reuven pursues his Rabbinical ordination at the Hirsch Yeshiva while Danny studies Psychology at the university. Potok's inclusion of Michael in the book brings Danny and Reuven even closer and helps each to use the skills they have been acquiring throughout their the course of the two books. If you have read The Chosen, this is a must.

David ben Ami

This book is a wonderful sequel to <i>The Chosen</i>. While it addresses different issues in a different time, the book is still deeply moving. I did not find the plot as interesting as the first, though I still very much loved this novel. I finished it the day it arrived in the mail. Like <i>The Chosen</i>, Potok uses many Yiddish, Hebrew and Aramaic words in his writing, but explains them so that even non-Jews can understand and enjoy the plot. If you loved the first book, this book is a necessary read!

In THE PROMISE, Potok further develops the characters from THE CHOSEN; they remain true to their younger selves while reflecting a growing maturity and complexity. The fascinating exploration of religious intellectualism and its perils continues as well. At the same time, Potok introduces elements readers may not expect; these themes unwind with power, conviction, and authenticity. If you liked THE CHOSEN, be sure to read THE PROMISE.

All of Chaim Potok's books teach you more than you could possibly aspire to learn. And in this book, Potok tells the story of the struggle between Jewish traditions and finding your own voice.

There are 3 main characters:
· Reuven, who is raised as an Orthodox Jew, and whose
studies are focused upon his becoming a rabbi.
· Danny, who was raised as a Hasidic (the most conforming
of Jewish sects, but becomes a Psychologist, who marries
a woman who is not Hasidic.
· Danny, who becomes hospitalized after his enraged
reaction to not having won a prize that he was due to
win.

I first read this book in 1998, after reading one Potok book after another. And back then, I remember telling myself, "It would be nice if every man read "The Promise," and "The Chosen," so that they are able to break the father/son struggle to be human beings, without fear of being feminine.

Now, as I review my favorite quote from "The Promise,"

("I know what it's like to be inside a small room, fighting. I was inside a small room too. But I talked. I fought back. You have to learn to talk and fight back. You have to learn to do it even if it hurts people you respect and love. You're not anything unless you can learn to do that ... And sometimes you have to fight even if it means hurting people terribly. Sometimes you have to hurt a person you love if you want to be yourself.). I see that Potok's demonstration of how conflict between traditional Orthodox Judaism and modern ideas is but a ripple in the pond of every culture, every world struggle, and every relationship. This is a call for human beings to give others room to be authentic, without revenge.

The promise is to be a human being.

This is a great read starting at 10 years old. It will stretch who you are, and give you a voice unmatched by other stories.

4. The Promise by Chaim Potok is a novel about three young men named Reuven Malter, Danny Saunders, and Michael Gordon. It is the sequel to The Chosen, which first features Reuven and Danny. Reuven and Danny were both Jewish, however Reuven was Orthodox and Danny was Hasidic, a much more serious form of Judaism. In The Promise, Danny had gotten a degree in psychology and Reuven was studying to get smicha, which would enable him to become a rabbi. At the starting of the novel Reuven was dating a girl named Rachel. One day, Reuven and Rachel went to a carnival with Rachel's cousin, Michael. When they got cheated out of winning one hundred dollars and a radio, Michael started screaming and acting crazy. It turned out Michael was catatonic, and he was put into the hospital were Danny worked. Michael resisted all forms of therapy, and after he tried to escape the hospital with five other boys, all carrying butchers' knives, Danny decided to try a new form of therapy. Michael would be isolated in a room with only Danny allowed visiting or talking to him. Danny thought Michael would hate this type of therapy so much, he would open up and talk. For several months, Michael sat on his bed without moving or responding to anything or anyone. Long after Danny had started to have doubts about the experiment working, Michael asked to see Reuven, then went back to not responding. After this happened several times, Danny decided to let Reuven come see Michael. ...

The Promise by Chaim Potok is a novel about three young men named Reuven Malter, Danny Saunders, and Michael Gordon. It is the sequel to The Chosen which first features Reuven and Danny. Reuven and Danny were both Jewish, however Reuven was Orthodox and Danny was Hasidic, a much more serious form of Judaism. In The Promise, Danny had gotten a degree in psychology and Reuven was studying to get smicha, which would enable him to become a rabbi. At the starting of the novel Reuven was dating a girl named Rachel. One day, Reuven and Rachel went to a carnival with Rachel's cousin, Michael. When they got cheated out of winning one hundred dollars and a radio, Michael started screaming and acting crazy. It turned out Michael was catatonic, and he was put into the hospital were Danny worked. Michael resisted all forms of therapy, and after he tried to escape the hospital with five other boys, all carrying butchers knives, Danny decided to try a new form of therapy. Michael would be isolated in a room with only Danny allowed to visit or talk to him. Danny thought Michael would hate this type of therapy so much, he would open up and talk. For several months, Michael sat on his bed without moving or responding to anything or anyone. Long after Danny had started to have doubts about the experiment working, Michael asked to see Reuven, then went back to not responding. After this happened several times, Danny decided to let Reuven come see Michael. ...
I would definitely recommend this book to other people. It was very interesting with a plot that really captivated my attention. It also helped to broaden my understanding of the Jewish religion. The characters seemed real with real life problems, goals, and dreams. It had a very touching plot with a lot of righteousness that I felt was very compelling.

At first glance the book did not interest me. However, I LOVED IT!!! After reading The Promise I read the Chosen as well. Both excellent. Chaim Potok's prose is simply amazing--vivid and strong.
At the end of the novel I realized just how attached I had gotten to the characters. I wasn't ready to end the adventure with the characters. I became submerged in the plot. This insightful masterpiece was just the kind of book to remind me why people write in the first place. This just proves how amazing Chaim Potok truly is.