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Title: Old Men at Midnight by Chaim Potok ISBN: 0-345-43998-8 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 30 July, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.27 (11 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: The Master and His Art
Comment: To read the words of Chaim Potok is to be in the company of true greatness. "Old Men at Midnight" is no exception. Three beautifully crafted novellas with a cameo or more in each by Davita of Potok's splendid novel, "Davita's Harp," that examine the horrors of war and yet do so in a poetic, beautiful manner. A feat only a few authors can accomplish. Every work of Chaim Potok is important. This seems to be especially important now in light of the current world situation.
Thank you, Mr. Potok.
Rating: 3
Summary: Not up to his usual high standard
Comment: This book is not really a novel at all. It is three novellas, each told by a different man to Ilana Davita Chandal Dunn, the heroine of Davita's Harp. I would much rather have had a novel about Davita's life after the prior novel about her than have her as as the fairly invisible ear for the three stories. In fact, I was frustrated at the glimpses of her life this book gave!
The three stories are well written and riveting. I gave this book three stars, though, because the three stories were all highly derivative. It is true that they were reminiscent of Potok's own earlier writing, but this detracted from their originality. In style they were similar to the stories in Zebra; in content they borrowed from several of his other books (most notably, The Book of Lights).
Potok is one of the great writers of our time, with The Chosen and In the Beginning as true classics, and with all of his other books at a profound level of excellence as well. (I except I am the Clay, which was far below his other books in quality.) I will look forward to his next book!
Rating: 5
Summary: Outstanding Trilogy for Riveting One's Imagination!
Comment: In spite of some good reviews,'Specially by Francis McIn_______I am prone to add accolades to off-set those reviewers who are not riveted in their imagination. The ten reviews at the beginning of my copy from such diverse places as Rocky Mountain News; Book Magazine; St.Louis Post-Dispatch; New York Times...Plus New York Jewish Week all point to Potok's historical, literary approach!
I began with reading The War Doctor and was quickly mesmerized by the surgery of Doctor Rubinov. As he had performed drastic surgery on the Cossack, Trotsky, he gave extra care to our hero, actually an officers' orderly. It seemed obvious that Chaim Potok returned to his early novels. He pictured Doctor Rubinov caring for the orderly; Possibly due to being taught the Holy Words of Hebrew Prayers. Not solely a good reason to promote him to a Comrade Lieutenant Shertov! Rubinov took the risk of giving him legal papers that sufficed for insurance back to his hometown village.
I was again mesmerized by Potok's wonderful description of Benjamin Walter in his third story of the Trope Teacher. "He was sixty-eight, and ailing. A tall, lean, stately man, with thick gray hair, a square pallid face split by a prominent nose and large webbed eyes, brooding behind old-fashioned spectacles." Again I was hooked by his mystical reputation as a writer. It seemed odd, seeing Ilana as I. D. Chandal in the driver's seat of narrating the longest, most detailed of all the trilogy stories. Throughout his narratives, Chaim Potok places Jewish characters as if they are both Holcaust survivors and members of human history and literature.
After what I expected to be his greatest writings of The Chosen, The Promise...Asher Lev, here is his mountain peak of writing in the newer genre of short stories. They appear to become riveted into whole creations, yet also Holy Creations! May they reach into hearts of more and more hopeful believers!
Retired Chaplain Fred W. Hood
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Title: The Gates of November by Leonid Slepak, Vladimir Slepak, Alexander Slepak, Maria Slepak, Chaim Potok ISBN: 044991240X Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 08 September, 1997 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Book of Lights by Chaim Potok ISBN: 0449245691 Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 12 September, 1982 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: I Am the Clay by Chaim Potok ISBN: 0449221385 Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 04 December, 1993 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok ISBN: 044921978X Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 30 June, 1991 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Zebra and Other Stories by Chaim Potok ISBN: 0375806865 Publisher: Laure Leaf Pub. Date: 12 September, 2000 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
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