Hannah and her beautiful baby girl Kaylee came with me tonight, so that was fun. We had a very small group, only 3 other women, which is about half as many as we normally have (must be summer vacations or something) and they definitely missed out. The woman leading our discussion always amazes me (she comes every month) with how incredibly articulate and well read she is. She took this book to a whole other level for me and left me wanting to read more and think harder. Nice! By the way, she has 6 kids (3 of which are under 3) and a busy life, but still manages to be well read and interesting, she's inspiring to me.
Here are the quotes I loved from this book, I highly recommend it.
"How can you say something like that if you are not sure?
That is a terrible thing to say."
He was controlling his anger with difficulty.
"It seemed to be deliberate."
"Things are always what they seem to be, Reuven? Since when?"
page 51
"I lay on the pillow and closed my right eye. I found myself crying after a while, and I thought that might be bad for my eyes. I had always taken them for granted, the way I took for granted all the rest of my body and also my mind. My father had told me many times that health was a gift, but I never really paid much attention to the fact that I was rarely sick or almost never had to go to a doctor. I tried to imagine what my life might be like if I had only one good eye, but I couldn't. I had just never thought of my eyes before. I had never thought what it might be like to be blind. I felt the wild terror again, and I tried to control it. I lay there a long time, thinking about my eyes." page53
"My father doesn't write," Danny said, "He reads a lot, but he never writes. He says that words distort what a person really feels in his heart. He doesn't like to talk to much, either. Oh, he talks plenty when we're studying Talmud together. But otherwise he doesn't say much. He told me once he wishes everyone could talk in silence." page 72
"I wish I was outside now," I said.
"I envy them being able to walk around like that.
They don't know how lucky they are."
"No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate," my father said quietly. " That is the way the world is." page 73
That is a terrible thing to say."
He was controlling his anger with difficulty.
"It seemed to be deliberate."
"Things are always what they seem to be, Reuven? Since when?"
page 51
"I lay on the pillow and closed my right eye. I found myself crying after a while, and I thought that might be bad for my eyes. I had always taken them for granted, the way I took for granted all the rest of my body and also my mind. My father had told me many times that health was a gift, but I never really paid much attention to the fact that I was rarely sick or almost never had to go to a doctor. I tried to imagine what my life might be like if I had only one good eye, but I couldn't. I had just never thought of my eyes before. I had never thought what it might be like to be blind. I felt the wild terror again, and I tried to control it. I lay there a long time, thinking about my eyes." page53
"My father doesn't write," Danny said, "He reads a lot, but he never writes. He says that words distort what a person really feels in his heart. He doesn't like to talk to much, either. Oh, he talks plenty when we're studying Talmud together. But otherwise he doesn't say much. He told me once he wishes everyone could talk in silence." page 72
"I wish I was outside now," I said.
"I envy them being able to walk around like that.
They don't know how lucky they are."
"No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate," my father said quietly. " That is the way the world is." page 73
"You know what a friend is, Reuven? A Greek philosopher said that two people who are true friends are like two bodies with one soul."
"Listen to me. I am not talking only about liking him. I am telling you to make him your friend and to let him make you his friend." page 74
"Reuven, as you grow older you will discover that the most important things that will happen to you will often come as a result of silly things, as you call them -- 'ordinary things' is a better expression. That is the way the world is." page 107
"You think a friend is an easy thing to be? If you are truly his friend, you will discover otherwise." page 136
"Great men are always difficult to understand." page 141
"Six million of our people have been slaughtered," he went on quietly. "It is inconceivable. It will have meaning only if we give it meaning." page 182
"Do you know what it's like to be trapped? How could you possibly know? It's the most hellish, choking, constricting feeling in the world. I scream with every bone in my body to get out of it. My mind cries to get out of it. But I can't. Not now. One day I will though, I'll want you around on that day, friend. I'll need you around on that day." page 191
"Human beings do not live forever, Reuven. We live less than the time it takes to blink an eye, if we measure our lives against eternity. So it may be asked what value is there to a human life. There is so much pain in the world. What does it mean to have to suffer so much if our lives are nothing more than the blink of an eye? I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of life is nothing. But the man who lives that span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, so its quality is immeasurable though its quantity may be insignificant. Do you understand what I am saying? A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. It is hard work to fill one's life with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here." page 204
"Honest differences of opinion should never be permitted to destroy a friendship, haven't you learned that yet?" page 206
"You can listen to silence, Reuven. I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own. It talks to me sometimes. I feel myself alive in it. It talks. And I can hear it. You have to want to listen to it, and then you can hear it. It has a strange, beautiful texture. It doesn't always talk. Sometimes--sometimes it cries, and you can hear the pain of the world in it. It hurts to listen to it then. But you have to." page 249
"It is not so easy to be a friend, is it, Reuven?" page 252
"Reuven, when someone asks to speak to you, you must let him speak to you. You still have not learned that?" page 258
"A man is born into this world with only a tiny spark of goodness in him. The spark is God, it is the soul; the rest is ugliness and evil, a shell. The spark must be guarded like a treasure, it must be nurtured, it must be fanned into flame. It must learn to seek out other sparks, it must dominate the shell. Anything can be a shell, Reuven. Anything. Indifference, laziness, brutality, and genius. Yes, even a great mind can be a shell and choke the spark." page 263
"One learns of the pain of others by suffering one's own pain, he would say, by turning inside oneself, by finding one's own soul. And it is important to know of pain, he said. It destroys our self-pride, our arrogance, our indifference toward others. It makes us aware of how frail and tiny we are and of how much we must depend upon the Master of the Universe." page 265
**Any stand-out quotes for you?
Will you read this book?**
"Listen to me. I am not talking only about liking him. I am telling you to make him your friend and to let him make you his friend." page 74
"Reuven, as you grow older you will discover that the most important things that will happen to you will often come as a result of silly things, as you call them -- 'ordinary things' is a better expression. That is the way the world is." page 107
"You think a friend is an easy thing to be? If you are truly his friend, you will discover otherwise." page 136
"Great men are always difficult to understand." page 141
"Six million of our people have been slaughtered," he went on quietly. "It is inconceivable. It will have meaning only if we give it meaning." page 182
"Do you know what it's like to be trapped? How could you possibly know? It's the most hellish, choking, constricting feeling in the world. I scream with every bone in my body to get out of it. My mind cries to get out of it. But I can't. Not now. One day I will though, I'll want you around on that day, friend. I'll need you around on that day." page 191
"Human beings do not live forever, Reuven. We live less than the time it takes to blink an eye, if we measure our lives against eternity. So it may be asked what value is there to a human life. There is so much pain in the world. What does it mean to have to suffer so much if our lives are nothing more than the blink of an eye? I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of life is nothing. But the man who lives that span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, so its quality is immeasurable though its quantity may be insignificant. Do you understand what I am saying? A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. It is hard work to fill one's life with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here." page 204
"Honest differences of opinion should never be permitted to destroy a friendship, haven't you learned that yet?" page 206
"You can listen to silence, Reuven. I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own. It talks to me sometimes. I feel myself alive in it. It talks. And I can hear it. You have to want to listen to it, and then you can hear it. It has a strange, beautiful texture. It doesn't always talk. Sometimes--sometimes it cries, and you can hear the pain of the world in it. It hurts to listen to it then. But you have to." page 249
"It is not so easy to be a friend, is it, Reuven?" page 252
"Reuven, when someone asks to speak to you, you must let him speak to you. You still have not learned that?" page 258
"A man is born into this world with only a tiny spark of goodness in him. The spark is God, it is the soul; the rest is ugliness and evil, a shell. The spark must be guarded like a treasure, it must be nurtured, it must be fanned into flame. It must learn to seek out other sparks, it must dominate the shell. Anything can be a shell, Reuven. Anything. Indifference, laziness, brutality, and genius. Yes, even a great mind can be a shell and choke the spark." page 263
"One learns of the pain of others by suffering one's own pain, he would say, by turning inside oneself, by finding one's own soul. And it is important to know of pain, he said. It destroys our self-pride, our arrogance, our indifference toward others. It makes us aware of how frail and tiny we are and of how much we must depend upon the Master of the Universe." page 265
**Any stand-out quotes for you?
Will you read this book?**
21 comments:
This may sound bad but I usually can't read books about Jewish people because they're usually being mistreated or running for their lives and it makes me so sad. It's the same reason that I've tried to avoid books about slavery or the pioneers. I think it's because I know it's real, it's not fiction, and I start thinking about all the individual people caught up in the tragedy. I should give this book a try though, even though I'm sure it's going to make me cry.
This book sounds heartbreaking, could I handle it?
How fabulous that Hannah came with you! I noticed she said she was reading it but I thought it was a coincidence. Very fun.
I LOVE Chaim Potok! I read this book in high school but of course I can't remember it, so I'll have to read it again. I want my life to be filled with meaning and I want to be worthy of rest when it is over.
This book sounds great. I love books. I am almost done reading my first selection of Edgar Allen Poe. Good book.
Someday I hope someone describes me as 'well read'.
Thank you so much for inviting me- it was so fun to talk about the book and I totally agree that the lady leading it did so well- I love how she followed the themes.
After reading Asher Lev, and now this one, I feel the need to read everything else Potok has written. His writing is so inspiring.
I love this book! I read it years and years ago and still love it. It's definitely one of those books I need to read again--truly genius. I love Chiam Potok and his work--it's all so amazing. His other book "My Name is Asher Lev" is also just as good. I love how his books evoke deep thought and lead you to figure out what is really important to you.
I have recently rekindled my love of reading and am amazed at how therapeutic it is for me. I will have to read The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev. I know I have read Chiam Potok but have no recollection of it. Great review.
i've been curious about this one. i think i will give it a try. how fun to go with hannah and be inspired!
I am a huge Chaim Potok fan - I have read everything I could find by him, and am now ready to launch in again! Thanks for the summer reading inspiration!
You too are an inspiration for being involved in two book clubs. How fun Hannah and her babe joined you. Sounds like a wonderful evening out.
okay im BUSTING a gut over here with your "water" moment!! how freaking funny is that!!! im so glad you feel free to share those moments...thinking of you walking backwards and everything-oh gosh im dying over here!!! thanks for the good times from afar!!
I am going to add this book to my list. And a big thanks to you, my list has grown and I have much to read this sumer!
Love that Hannah went with you and that the lady leading the discussion did such a good job.
He was controlling his anger with difficulty. - this is going to be my new line when I get angry, i will say i am controlling my anger, but with difficulty.
"Honest differences of opinion should never be permitted to destroy a friendship, haven't you learned that yet?"
This quote is amazing to me - it really hit me - but what does the honest differences mean? when i am having difficulty controlling my anger i can't tell what are honest differences.
"Reuven, when someone asks to speak to you, you must let him speak to you. You still have not learned that?" - this is an interesting thought and one i totally agree with, but then goes back to the first quote i mentioned.
wow jill, i am actually thinking i might like this book.
"No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate," my father said quietly. " That is the way the world is."
i wish there was a way that this is not true. but i think we can appreciate things we have to a certain degree but untill something is completely taken away i don't know if we have the ability to really appreciate it.
i loved this quote!!!
"Great men are always difficult to understand." - i am using this line on jeff the next time he makes me crazy -it will be kind of like a compliment.
jill, really thank you so much for typing this up, i loved every minute of it.
and i will say, rebekah kind of put into words what i felt with out really knowing i felt it. i think i am like that too.
I love that book! I'm glad that your ward book club is going so well. Ours disolved.
I really like the quote."My father doesn't write," Danny said, "He reads a lot, but he never writes. He says that words distort what a person really feels in his heart. He doesn't like to talk to much, either. Oh, he talks plenty when we're studying Talmud together. But otherwise he doesn't say much. He told me once he wishes everyone could talk in silence." page 72
Interestingly enough, I have always wonder about those people that I have met that are bullet speakers; who only answer questions when asked, and never elaborate their answers, if this is how they feel, but have never been able to come to a conclusion! This quote makes me really think that maybe this is how they feel about talking out loud.
I am definetly going to read this book. My heritage is German Jewish, it intrigues me, but in such a heartbreaking way. I just don't do the Holocast stuff so readily since it resonates so deep into my soul, but this I think I might be able to do...
Our ward book club is not so varied in their topics, they only stick to Religious books. When we first started it, we read some really thought provoking books, that weren't so "CHURCHY", but now, they are, maybe it is because our sister are more elderly than in my age group.
I really need to find me a bookclub that cover all genres. Maybe I will start my own? Who knows. But for now,thanks so much for always inspiring me to read more of a variety of authors. I don't think I would have picked out this book on my own without someone telling me about it.
I love the quote about how the span of life doesn't mean much but the person who lives the span is worth something. I blogged to your sight earlier today, but didn't have time to post until now. It looks like a fantastic book. Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE this book as well. Have you read Chaim Potok's My Name is Asher Lev? Very good as well.
I think it's interesting how many quote related to friendship. Beauty within tragedy, I guess.
love the pic with hannah!
i love that you post quotes from books. i thought about that while i was reading recently and i think i might start taking some notes or assaulting my book with a pen more often. i miss taking the time to really enjoy it and learn from it.
The Chosen is one of my favorite books. I think its about time for me to go reread it. So much wisdom in that book.
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