Chosen: And Related Readings Book

"This is a man's world
But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing, not one little thing, without a woman or a girl
He's lost in the wilderness
He's lost in bitterness, he's lost lost"
(James Brown, of course)

This must have been one of the most solemn books I've ever read.
It's a poignant story about two teenagers, Reuven and Danny, who grow up in Jewish Orthodox families in Brooklyn, during the period between the end of the second world war and the creation of Israel.
Reuven is a Modern Orthodox Jew, and his friend Danny is raised in a Hasidic family.
The author explores their friendship, the relationships with their fathers, and the struggle between faith and secularity; Modern Orthodox and Hasidic beliefs.

These boys' lives seem to revolve around the study of the Talmud and orthodox scholarship, and there are extensive passages about it in the book. To my surprise, I quite enjoyed reading this as it immersed me in a world of logical reasoning and critical thinking, which to me have always seemed incompatible with the study of any religious texts, without losing your faith.

Zionism is also a theme the book touches upon, in particular the radically different views within the Jewish communities.

The story is told in a rather straightforward style, and has a sad tone throughout. I believe it were this tone and writing style that prevented me from really loving the book, although it's not always clear why I liked a book, but didn't love it.

The book immerses the reader not only in a fundamentalist atmosphere, but also in a man's world, in which women are almost totally absent. This book at least offers women a glimpse in these men's peculiar world.

"You ought to get yourself a girl, it's a wonderful tonic for a suffering soul"
This was by far the best advice Reuven gave to his friend Danny.

7/10