Synopsis from Goodreads: 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 such a beautiful and well thought out book. I learned so much about Judaism from it. It's also a sad book. Oddly enough I never really though much before about how Jews in America felt during World War II. As I was able to learn from this book it was hard for them not being able to help their comrades and hearing about what was basically their family being slaughtered over in Germany.
But that isn't so much what the book is about as much as it is about a father and his son and another father and his son and how they interact. I'm not sure I can even begin to describe their relationships but I think we can just say they're complicated. Reuven and Danny's friendship was the best thing that could happen for either of them and was probably the best relationship in the whole book, though Reuven's and his Dad's relationship was pretty good.
I'd highly recommend this book as I'm not sure a review can give it full justice or really explain it.
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There's a book! I recently watched the movie, and I really liked it. Now I find out that there is a book!
ReplyDeleteThrough the movie, I found out a lot about Judaism in America too, which I found really interesting. I wonder how the book goes through the politics versus the movie, and I wonder how Danny and Reuven's relationship differs. I'm guessing that the book and movie are different, since they usually are. Usually, I have found that the book is much better than the movie, though. :)
There's a movie? What? How did I not know this?
DeleteI'm not sure how close the movie was to the book, but it was really good. One of the last scenes where the two boys are with Reuven's father was really touching. Just to let you know, there was one scene where the boys are at an art museum and they are looking at a statue of a nude woman. The camera circled around the statue, and I kept my eyes averted somewhere else besides the screen and looked back occasionally to see if the camera shot had changed and did not have the statue in it. That was the only thing that disturbed me in the movie. I'm not sure what your boundaries on movies are, but I thought I would let you know before hand. Other than that, it was great. :)
DeleteThank you! I'll have to check it out. I'd say from what you wrote that our boundaries are quite similar. :)
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