Customer Reviews (1)

Wanderings:
This book arrived in good shape, it was used to start with. I came in good time, only a couple of days.I bought this for someone else so have not read it myself. ... Read more

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This book contains a plot summary,using the novel in the classroom,background on the novelist,initiating activities,vocabulary,discussion questions,writing ideas,activities,and post-reading extension activities. ... Read more

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Beloved storyteller Chaim Potok and Pulitzer Prize-winning ilustrator Tony Auth craft a many-layered tale about a boy who learns to soar above his fear. When Brian's uncle offers him a ride in his glider plane for his birthday, Brian is afraid he'll never make it. Once he's airborne, the worry that he will crash or fall takes a back seat to the pleasures of flight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

very entertaining
Like always, Chaim Potok's THE SKY OF NOW was very entertaining.It was very interesting for me (a reader of Potok's adult novels) to read a story aimed at a much younger audience.Five stars to THE SKY OF NOW! ... Read more

Product Description
Since the publication of his first novel, The Chosen, Chaim Potok has been regarded as one of the most important Jewish-American writers of our time. In that 1967 landmark work, in its sequel The Promise (1969), and in the other works that followed, Potok has explored the conflict between Jewish values and the secular American culture against which these enlightening stories are set. This full-length critical study introduces students to the powerful fiction of Potok. By examining in depth not only the spiritual elements but also the literary components that make works such as My Name Is Asher Lev (1972) best-sellers, this Critical Companion helps readers gain an appreciation for the considerable literary achievements of Potok. A close reading is given for each of Potok's eight novels, including his most recent work set in the Korean War, I Am the Clay (1992). A full chapter on each title examines character and plot development, major themes, and stylistic features. A discussion of the historical context as well as a close critical reading further enhances the understanding and appreciation of each work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Athorough and useful guide to Potok's novels
Sanford Sternlicht's CHAIM POTOK: A CRITICAL COMPANION is part of the Critical Companions to Popular Contemporary Writers series put out by Greenwood Press. Having worked at a public library reference desk, serving high school students in very real need of in-depth sources on modern writers, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.It admirably and thoroughlyfills a serious scholarly gap for students needing information on Potok, one of our greatest modern Jewish American writers. In addition, the book is an interesting and informative read on its own. What I found in the book piqued my interest and I plan to read at least three of Potok's novels.

The book leads the reader to an understanding of Chaim Potok and his works on many fronts. There is a short biography of Potok, an analysis of his literary acheivements and his sources of inspiration, and then an most helpful analysis of each of his eightnovels; each novel is assigned its own chapter.

A most intriguing feature in Sternlicht's book is his explanation of various styles of literary criticism, followed by an application of that style of criticism to a Potok novel (i.e., psychoanalytic theory is applied to The Chosen, reader-response criticism is applied to The Book of Lights, feminist criticism is applied to Davita's Harp, etc.).Far from being a dry or dull, these discussions and analyses are clearly written and shed light on aspects of the novel that the reader may have never before considered.

Another fine aspect of the book is that Sterlicht providesthe historical background of each novel as well as character and plot development and thematic and symbolic elements. Each of these aspects of the novel being discussed is laid out in a clear, concise, and logical fashion, making the book very easy to use for students doing research on Potok's novels.

I don't think that anyone could ask for a clearer or more balancedanalysis of Chaim Potok's novelsthan what Mr. Sternlicht has provided in CHAIM POTOK: A CRITICAL COMPANION. It belongs in all secondary school, undergraduate, and public libraries, and in the private libraries of anyone who enjoys Potok, American literature, and/orjust a plain old good read.

Sternlicht's qualifications as a prolific author and as professor of both English and Judaic studies at Syracuse University are very much in evidence in this volume. He has performed a great service both to Mr. Potok and to lovers and students of literature everywhere.

Far More Than a Text For Students, But For YOU TOO!
This is a book that evokes the broad spectrum of books that Chaim Potok has written, but most especially The Chosen. Beginning with a history of the author and then a history of the Jewish-American novelist, Sternlicht gives us the advantage of his teaching in the Jewish Studies program at Syracuse University. Each novel is then adressed, with a careful description that brings back the delight of its original reading, and then followed by a discussion in its larger historic and ideational context. It is a most enjoyable and informative book, reminds one of the pleasure from earlier Potok novels, and I hope for more of the same from Sternlicht. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The fence of wisdom is silence.
"All beginnings are hard." So begins this novel of rich and spare prose.
Potok is a master storyteller, dealing with the pathos of rejection.

Set in the period just before the Depression in the Bronx neighborhood of New York, the characters are mainly Polish Jewish emigres: the child, David Lurie; the mother who trips on her stoop when first coming home from the hospital with David, resulting in a deviated septum, and resigning the boy to a childhood of headaches and sickness; Max, the father.

David has frequent nightmares. He is quiet and brainy. As the story progresses into the Depression, the Am Kedoshim Society goes into bankrupty, and Max becomes angry and depressed--second guessing himself for having come to America. He even becomes delusional for a time after they are forced to move to lesser apartments--confusing his son David with his brother David, who was also brilliant.

David retreats into silence, only coming out of it after discovering truth in a photograph. He becomes the best student in his yeshiva, and goes on to the heartbreak of rejection by his faith community when he goes to study with the goyim at the U. of Chicago. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Guides/The Chosen
Not what I expected but the book was interesting to read.Disagreed with most of the comments.The Chosen, the novel, is a great book.

The Chosen Bloom's Guide is Listed Here Incorrectly
Amazon displays links, editorial descriptions and user reviews for the actual mass market paperback on the web page for the Bloom's Guide. Basically, the Amazon web page for the Bloom's Guide is selling Harold Bloom's in-depth, college level analysis of the book, not the book itself.

Yet, the identical information shown on this product page is displayed on the mass market Chaim Potok book pages - there is no distinction that these are two different books.

This was very misleading to my 15 year old high school student who needed the actual book for a school assignment and we purchased the Bloom version by accident.Bloom's analysis is of no use to her as it is over her head and won't help her achieve what her assignment entails.

Very disappointed in Amazon - I hope they fix this.

I read this while I was in middle school and now I understand why I didn't like it
The truth of this book, is that it is subversively against Chassidism. Chassidism is portrayed as just the opposite of what it truly is. It's portrayed as rigid and out of date and frankly not 'with it.' Of course Danny must be a genius if he wants to break free of the mold of Chassidism. I grew up in a secular house-hold, and it seems that the calls of chassidism were within me even then, because I had a distate for the book and felt it had a significant bias. While Danny longs to break free of chassidism, I have found that Chassidism has helped set me free. It seems to me that Danny was just the opposite of a genius, and Chaim Potok was capitlizing on the secular world's viewpoint to create a book that was not so subtly anti-chassid. It's only years later now that I realize why I had such a distaste for the book. The book points away from the truth, not towards it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Chosen script
A neat, concise little script from the novel by Chaim Potok. The only drawback I see is that the font size is about 11, and much of it is single-spaced and a little crowded in the layout. ... Read more

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Limited edition specially bound and signed by the author in a pictorial slipcase. All edges gilt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

History in a Nutshell
Most people associate Chaim Potok with novels and fiction books. This is not a book of fiction, neither is it a novel. Wanderings is a compact, easy to read, history book; how Judaism evolved from the ideology of the Maccabean rebels and its religious supporters, the Pharisees, into a world religion. How this ideology and its culture, religious and non-religious, moved against the tides of Christianity and Islam, its defense and contributions in European and World history.

Anthropology and History are still researching the era, BCE 2000yrs, prior to the Maccabees: the many metaphors and personifications found during this era must be taken with a grain of salt and pepper...knowing that by Judaic Laws, none of the biblical figures qualify to be Jews, except for Dinah, daughter of Yaakov, and the book of books doesn't give us the names of her children, the BCE era exposes the values of a myth. This becomes the basis of the Laws and Principles by which the religion and cultural values participate to generate the world we see today.The historic details of theCE 2000yrs, is a great work of precision, a fascinating history.

No time to spend on detailed history research...this is your book to read. ... Read more

Product Description
Get your "A" in gear!

They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes™ has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles.SparkNotes'™ motto is Smarter, Better, Faster because:

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And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else!



... Read more

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New in paperback: "His words have moved politicians and heads of state as eloquently as his fiddle playing has moved lovers of the violin."-Chicago TribuneThere is no more beloved musician in the classical world than Isaac Stern, revered not only as a great violinist but also as a generous personality and a crucial figure in the world of the arts. One of the few people who has known every major classical musician of the last two-thirds of the century, he shares his personal and artistic experiences in this warm, passionate account of his life: the story of his rise to eminence; his feelings about music and the violin; and his great friendships and collaborations with colleagues such as Leonard Bernstein and Pablo Casals. Stern the man, the musician, and the cultural institution come alive in the most readable and revealing musical autobiography of the decade.Amazon.com Review
The conductor George Szell once told Isaac Stern that if he spent less time doing other things and more time practicing he could be "the greatest violinist in the world." Since those "other things" included saving Carnegie Hall from the wrecker's ball, generously sponsoring young artists like Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman, and touring the world as an ambassador of American classical performance, music lovers can only be grateful that Stern settled for being one of the world's great violinists. His appealing memoir reveals a well-rounded man with a gusto for life beyond the concert hall that made his passion for music all the more fulfilling. Born on the Russian-Polish border in 1920, Stern grew up in San Francisco and by age 6 already displayed a precocious musical gift. His assessment of his abilities is refreshingly free of false modesty, while his enthusiastic appreciation for such fellow artists as Pablo Casals, Leonard Bernstein, and Rudolf Serkin keeps him from seeming like an egomaniac. Perhaps because of the contributions of coauthor Chaim Potok (author of The Chosen and other novels), the prose here is smoother and less self-conscious than in many performers' memoirs. It limns a vigorous, busy life dedicated to the idea that music has the power to break down barriers between people and nations. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Fiddler on the loose
I was surprised at how bad this autobiography was, considering that Mr. Stern ostensibly shared the writing duties with the great Chaim Potok.This being said, I was grieved to see (post departure) Stern's display of one of the biggest egos in the history of modern classical music.To me, as a player he was never one of the immortals like Heifetz, Oistrakh, Szeryng or even Menuhin, Perlman or Rabin.And yet, the enormity of his self aggrandizement would have you believe that he was one of the truly great performers of the 20th century.His political machinations and power wielding were legendary in his day and only appear more disquieting as time goes by.As a professional musician myself, I thank Mr. Stern in absentia for spearheading the work that led to saving Carnegie Hall and the discovery of numerous, wonderful young musicians.But his own estimation of his work as described in this book makes for an extraordinarily unflattering picture of a particularly detestable human being.

A Fiddler's Life
While pondering about how to write this review on "Isaac Stern:My First 79 Years," a thought came to my mind, "Our career is our gift to ourselves but our talent is a gift from God".Certainly Isaac Stern was one of those fortunate people who managed to use his talent from God to excel in his career and provide many "gifts" to the public and aspiring musicians.Not only was Stern a master violinist, he was also known as "The Man Who Saved Carneige Hall".With respect to his political life, Stern was a vocal supporter for the State of Israel and he served as America's musical ambassador during his world-wide concert tours for over 60 years.

In his autobiography written with the renowned novelist, Chaim Potok, Isaac Stern portrays himself as a consummate concert violinist who loved music, young talent, and good food.His "joie de vie", energy, and devotion to music comes shining through, from his descriptions of all-night jamming sessions to his fanatic concert schedule at a pace of over 100 concerts each year.Though he is not shy about his own accomplishments, Stern is even more enthusiastic when relating stories about his famous fellow artists and conductors including Pablo Casal, Itzhak Perlman, Bernstein, and Yo Yo Ma.

Even though Stern was quite successful professionally and socially, his family life suffered.Throughout the novel, hints of his non-involvement with his family come from the times when Stern was absent for the births of his children and other major milestones.The breakdown of his long marriage with his second wife, Vera, with whom he had three children, was inevitable.Not surprisingly, only after his health forced him to slow down in his musical career, was Stern able to develop a loving relationship in his seventies with his third wife, Linda Reynolds.

The consensus of our bookclub was that this novel provided a good synopsis of Stern's career but was not very revealing about his family and inner life.Baring his soul was clearly not the intent of this book.Instead, Stern gives us an accounting of his professional life and conveys his pride and joy of having the privilege to live the life of a fiddler successfully.

Disappointing, considering the author's life
I picked this book up as a used trade paperback, and I'm glad that I [didn't spend to much] for it.I was expecting much more.The narrative is quite choppy, with not much of a sense of continuity.Some of the critical issues/events, such as his refusual to perform in Germany and his divorce from his first wife are discussed with a severe lack of candor.The German thing bothers me the most, I feel like he felt the need to be politically correct - I would not fault him for feeling very negative feelings and being unable to overcome them even after many years.But he keeps saying that the Germans are a fine people, cognisent of their own history, and does not address his feelings on the matter in a fully satisfying way.I guess this is the flaw of the autobiography, though some authors have given their lives an unsparing look, to both their and the readers' benefit.There is much writing about his life of touring and of saving Carnegie Hall, but I never got a sense of the personal feelings and struggle that went into this staggeringly busy and full life.There are hints here and there, but it reads like an extended New Yorker puff piece much of the time.If you want an overview of a great life, but not much detail or meaningful introspection, then this book will serve your needs.For everyone else, wait for the first "unauthorized" biography.

The book's a joy!
With the exception of Yehudi Menuhin, it's best to approach the autobiographical excursions of great musical artists with more than a little skepticism.How many disappointments have flown into the meadow by that route!This engaging effort by Isaac Stern is therefore a more than little delight, filled with the characteristically notable voice of one of the authentic humanists of the 20th century, not to mention one of the great fiddlers of all time.Stern's writing is great deal like his playing; verve and confidence riding the high clouds with surety and an unmistakably personal passion.I often thought, while reading this book, how no one in my experience plays Kreisler's 'Schon Rosmarin' like Stern -for all the salon qualities of the piece, it has a heart of pure gold-and this book resembles that little encore nugget in more than a few ways: true, one wishes at times that Stern would simply go on with his thought, go on with the memory at hand, even with the discussion at hand; yet in many ways he keeps up the flavor of his reminiscences by the succinctness, and at times almost the distractedness, of his writing/speaking style.I would argue that in fact he does give us quite a bit of his way of looking at not only his own life, but the wonder called the human experience, it's just that with this man one simply wants the conversation to go on and on.Even when speaking of his children (which he does often, even including charming transcriptions of little tape recordings of Daddyspeak for his wife and children when he was so often away on tour), Stern's power to captivate arises full from his honesty, indeed one of the great attributes of his music making.Chaim Potok's hand in the affair seems somehow deep under, and therefore probably pervasive and beautifully wise (as is every Chaim Potok effort!), leaving Stern's voice alive and vibrant, humanly awkward at times, and always surprising in its direct power- very much like the playing of this most gifted of musicians.Despite the obvious limitations that will always attend a book like this, it remains a delight, charming if not all revealing, even moving.Lovers of music won't be disappointed!

A MASTER MUSICIAN TELLING HIS STORY MASTERFULLY
What is involved in playing a musical instrument?What is needed to become really good?How should music affect you?All of these questions are answered very well and many times while reading this book. I welled upwith emotion within like you sometimes do while reading the Reader's Digestbecause of the content.I thought Stern's life was well presented in aninteresting manner and with great detail.Anyone interested in classicalmusic should truly enjoy this life story. ... Read more

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Jason is upset that he has to move for the third time in five years, but he gains comfort from his favorite tree and from the gift of a young tree that he can take with him to his new home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

About being uprooted -- and putting downnew roots
The "official" reviewers at Hornbook and Kirkus who didn't like this book must not have been uprooted as kids.I went to five different grade schools, so I could relate.

Yes, the story is slow-paced, and there are some loose ends that never get tied up, but that's the way real life is when your Dad gets transferred and you have to leave everything familiar behind.Life doesn't always move at the speed of a video game.The value of the book is that it acknowledges the sad feelings that kids have about moving.It squarely faces up to the impact of seeing your room disassembled into boxes, the friends who wave goodbye forever, a last visit to the family cemetery, the favorite tree you leave behind...

Ah yes, the tree.It's a big dogwood in Jason's front yard, where he likes to climb and listen to secrets whispered to him among the leaves.The tree is firmly rooted in the ground -- it's the tree of HERE, where Jason wishes he could stay forever. The gardener, Mr. Healy (nice reference to "heal") has taught him all about plants and how to care for them, and the tree is worried that Jason is leaving.Who will take care of it now?Jason reassures the tree that the new people will keep Mr. Healy on as their gardener.Then, just before Jason's family pulls away in the car, Mr. Healy gives him a wonderful gift -- a young dogwood tree to plant in the yard of his new home.Which he does.Both Jason and his little tree will put down new roots.(This I can REALLY relate to -- I planted trees in every place we ever lived.Sometimes I wonder if those trees are still there...)

All in all, I like this book a lot -- too bad it went out of print.The illustrations have a surrealistic quality in places, moving back and forth between what is going on around Jason, and the thoughts and feelings inside his Jason's head.There's one blooper, though.The story says that "a nest of robins" had lived in a hole in the big dogwood tree.Sorry, Mr. Potok, but robins don't nest in holes!It was a nest of starlings maybe??? ... Read more