naomi reagan books

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Naomi reagan books

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robynm

Thu, Dec 23 2010, 11:32 am

im curious to see if people are pro or against reading naomi raegan books?
did you read them? did you like them?

I read them all. and am in the middle of the new one. I think its called the 10th song?

I want to hear your opinion

saw50st8

Thu, Dec 23 2010, 11:45 am

I've read all the older ones.

I really love her books. I think they make you think deeper about issues within orthodox Judaism. I especially like her original "trilogy" (Sacrifice of Tamar, Jephte's Daughter and Sotah).

chocolate moose

Thu, Dec 23 2010, 11:47 am

I read them but I'm not proud of it.

blondebubby

Thu, Dec 23 2010, 11:51 am

I have read all her books. Except for "The Rabbi's Wife" which I thought was shallow, I found them all interesting, and good reading. If you haven't read her screenplay "The Women's Minyan" make sure you do! It's in the library and a very quick read.

cookiemilk

Thu, Dec 23 2010, 11:56 am

I like them. I love how she does not shy away fromt he difficult issues and the sometiems dark underbelly of our society. Alot of reasons why members of our community are miserable are not because they are rebeling against halacha and the 613 torah and mitzvos but because they are trying to escape societal pressures and censure. I also used to read what she wrote in the Jewish Press especially during the hard times, she was eloquent and moving in her support for Israel during the times of the Intafadas and the suicide bombings. She is actually not anti religious and rather takes a neutral stance as it were. She is very pro Israel and supportive of all the efforts made toward its continued security.

dee's mommy

Thu, Dec 23 2010, 2:37 pm

Personally, I don't like them. I read the first "trilogy" and "The Saturday Wife."

Now, there may have been a few elements I liked here and there when reading, but quite frankly, I am concerned about how they can be misinterpreted. I once had a co worker in a public library (who was not Jewish) tell me about these books and how she learned so much about Judaism from them. Once I had finally read them, I was horrified that at least one person was getting their picture of what religious Judaism was about through reading these books. I worry that the average reader thinks this may be the rule rather than the (unacceptable) exception.

I am not denying that such abuses occur in religious families. I just question having it presented in a mainstream novel in this manner.

The Saturday Wife was just not enjoyable to me at all. I didn't know whether to be embarassed or insulted. I think it was meant to be some sort of satire, but I just didn't think it was funny at all.

sequoia

Fri, Dec 24 2010, 12:09 am

I loved The Tenth Song! I met her and got all my books signed and we chatted. She is soo nice and grandmotherly and sweet! Even though she's lived in Israel for many decades, she still has a Brooklyn accent Smile

I also loved the deadly satire of The Saturday Wife, which we discussed in detail in another thread.

Probably my favorite book of hers, because it's the most emotional, is The Covenant. If you don't read any of her other books, read that one.

In my view she gets better and better as writer.

Also, she's MO, not just "not against religion."

grace413

Fri, Dec 24 2010, 12:14 am

I've read most but not all of her books. They are page-turners, good stories that make an enjoyable read.

That said, I'm extremely annoyed by the message I see coming through as "well if you quit being charedi and become MO everything will be fine and dandy." And I am MO.

dee's mommy

Fri, Dec 24 2010, 12:26 am

grace413 wrote:

That said, I'm extremely annoyed by the message I see coming through as "well if you quit being charedi and become MO everything will be fine and dandy." And I am MO.

Yes, I think that is what I find questionable about the books I have read, making me not enjoy them.

detroitmom

Fri, Dec 24 2010, 1:21 am

I read Jephte's Daughter, Sotah and The Sacrifice of Tamar when I was a teen. They made me question what I'd learned in Bais Yaacov and were definitely an influence in the change of my hashkafa back then.

I also agree with the other two posters: the message of her first few books was that if you would just be MO then everything falls into place and that it is the best way to be.

Now that I'm older I could care less what hashkafa anyone follows. Be Lubavitch, be Satmar, be MO, be Yeshivish, be whatever you want as long as it works for you, and you aren't snooty about it.

Personally I take a bit from everyone. If anyone asks if I'm MO, Yeshivish, etc I tell them I'm "halachic".

Be that as it may, Naomi Ragen is an incredible writer and her books are compelling. I cried when I read the Sacrifice of Tamar, it was so sad.

shosh

Fri, Dec 24 2010, 1:39 am

I read Jephte's Daughter soon after it came out, and really hated it. I didn't read anything else by her till my mum gave me a copy of The Ghost of Hannah Mendes. I have to say that I found it delightful and very positive in terms of Yiddishkeit. But I don't know if I'd read anything else of hers, or certainly not any of her chareidi-bashing books. While I agree that the chareidi community has problems that need to be aired, I don't think that she goes about it in the right way at all.

sequoia

Fri, Dec 24 2010, 1:45 am

She doesn't bash. She writes stories. That's what writers do.

Seriously, from some of the reactions I begin to think of her as a modern-day Flaubert, even though I would never have thought it otherwise.

bigmomma

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 7:04 pm

I love her books. They are great reads and from the ones I've read, her heroines dont give up on Yiddishkeit rather they make it their own instead of not thinking at all and just following what they learned in school their whole lives. I've put on hold every one of her books and love them all. I have a few more to read but after that I'll need another compelling author to get me through long Friday nights.... I find her books riveting, hard to put down and I'm looking for more authors like her not necessarily on Jewish topics, just good reads. Any suggestions???

energy11

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 7:13 pm

I absolutely love her books.
You are going to kill me but Saturdays wife was one of the best!

chocolate moose

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 7:13 pm

I just read The Tenth Song. I didn't like it very much. then again, I'm not a fan of her books, so ....

saw50st8

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 7:51 pm

energy11 wrote:

I absolutely love her books.
You are going to kill me but Saturdays wife was one of the best!

The first time I read it, I really didn't like it. I think partially it hit close to home (I'm not super materialistic or anything, but I could partially relate to the main character's drive).

The second time, I was able to appreciate the satire much more.

sneakermom

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 9:32 pm

She sounds interesting. Will look into it. Thanks for the info.

bigmomma

Sat, Jan 08 2011, 9:43 pm

I did not at all like the main character in Saturday's wife, so superficial she was scary....but I still love her books.

mandksima

Sun, Jan 09 2011, 1:16 am

I just re-read Sotah. I was crying my eyes out and I think I chose that book for the release (I needed a good cry.) I really enjoy her books and I don't find them so charedi-bashing. I am reading them from a frum perspective though and I wonder what a non-religious person would think of them. That is the danger really, for someone to think these situations are the norm. How is it dangerous for a frum person? If it changes the way you think all frum people are, then you've had your head stuck in the sand for too long and it is good to have your eyes opened. In Sotah, the main character is still frum at the end even though she went through such trauma. So, not so controversial to me.

The Saturday Wife really opened up my eyes more than the ones that dealt with the ultra-ortho world. It was very different than the other books, for sure. I loved The Covenant. I haven't read the newest as I get books at gemachim and used book stores so I have to wait.

Jewish themed novels are my favorite now and I've so many good ones. It can be a different thread but here are a few titles- Drawings in the Dust, Rashi's Daughters (there are 3 books), The Red Tent, The Story of Hannah , and The Rabbi's Daughter. Take them for what they are, glimpses into what life might have been like for certain biblical/post biblical characters even though probably not accurate 100% or even close.

mimivan

Sun, Jan 09 2011, 1:20 am

grace413 wrote:

I hear you Grace
Naomi Regan is a writer I would love to read, because her prose is beautiful and her narrative technique is masterful. I very much enjoyed her articles on the Arutz Sheva site
but the ax she has to grind is so huge against anything remotely chareidi that I just find it painful to attempt to read it. It just smacks of the kind of sensationlism I hear about in the Israeli press about chareidim...that I really can't stomach reading her books. (and 1) I am Chabad, and do not consider myself chareidi in the sense that Chabad is usually set apart from chareidim in Israel, for our more open view of technology, communications, work and outreach and our desire to spread the message to Jews the world over rather than being insular 2) I do not mind writers having biases usually. Every great writer usually has had some kind of strong antipathy to a group or ideology or an ax to grind. It is just that the anti-chareidi propaganda is so monotonous, in my mind, that I don't want to spend what little leisure time I had drinking it in.

which is a shame because, as I said, she is an extremely talented writer most writers could learn from...
and I DO have MANY issues with chareidi society...but the bashing and the exaggerations and stereotypes just gets so OLD!
(and I have attempted to read some of her books, but have put each one down in sadness, regret, and utter frustration that I couldn't continue)

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