BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Potok, C. (1972). My name is asher lev. New York, NY/USA. Fawcett Crest.
PAGES
369
369
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ANNOTATION
Asher Lev, and young Jew, tries to balance his love of art with his culture.
SUMMARY *Spoiler Alert*
Asher Lev is a young Hasidic Jew living in Brooklyn, New York with is mother and father in post World War II. He is dedicated to his religion, culture and parents. He is also filled with a compulsive desire to draw the world around him. He is an artistic prodigy. However, this is not well accepted by Asher's father, who does not see it as an honorable pursuit and a threat. His mother is less inclined to think this way and even subtly supports and encourages Asher's desire to create art.
Eventually, despite his father's objections and reservations, Asher is allowed to study under the esteem artist, Jacob Kahn, who is also a Jew. Asher is the first student he has taken on since coming to America. Jacob is a hard man and not easily impressed or pleased. He is a Jew but does not practice the religion any more. Asher works diligently while also trying to gain the approval of his father, who continues to distance himself from Asher. Eventually Asher's parents moved to Vienna, but Asher stayed behind to continue studying with Jacob, and he eventually moved in with Jacob and his wife, Tanya.
Asher's parents return to Brooklyn after some years, and at this point Asher has established himself as an artist. He has exhibited some of his work. After several successes and trips abroad, Asher decided to take a long trip to Europe. He says goodbye to his parents and watches them as his cab drives away.
MY REVIEW
If I were to give one word to describe this book it would be quiet. But it isn't as silent quiet. It is a deafening, pregnant, heavy kind of quiet. It is full of pain, frustration, fear, love, dedication, and loyalty, and it is done in a quietness.
I relate a lot to Asher Lev. Growing up in a religious home, having an artistic skill that is disapproved of by my father and many other in the religious community I was raised in. I understand the conflict of trying to find harmony in the home and community I lived in and my deep, burning, passionate desire to express through my artistic tendencies. This poignant story offers a deep look into the life of an artist. It is torturous, isolating, exhilarating, vulnerable, depressing, and enthralling all that the same time. It is a roller coaster going 100 miles an hour at straight vertical lines going up and down. This story captures what it means to be an artist perfectly and shares the soul of the artist's struggle with shocking accuracy.
It is not a story for everyone. Many may find it boring and slow. Others will find it excellently written and beautifully human. It all depends on the life experience we bring with us to the book.
RATING
Quality: Gold
Popularity: Emerald
Asher Lev, and young Jew, tries to balance his love of art with his culture.
SUMMARY *Spoiler Alert*
Asher Lev is a young Hasidic Jew living in Brooklyn, New York with is mother and father in post World War II. He is dedicated to his religion, culture and parents. He is also filled with a compulsive desire to draw the world around him. He is an artistic prodigy. However, this is not well accepted by Asher's father, who does not see it as an honorable pursuit and a threat. His mother is less inclined to think this way and even subtly supports and encourages Asher's desire to create art.
Eventually, despite his father's objections and reservations, Asher is allowed to study under the esteem artist, Jacob Kahn, who is also a Jew. Asher is the first student he has taken on since coming to America. Jacob is a hard man and not easily impressed or pleased. He is a Jew but does not practice the religion any more. Asher works diligently while also trying to gain the approval of his father, who continues to distance himself from Asher. Eventually Asher's parents moved to Vienna, but Asher stayed behind to continue studying with Jacob, and he eventually moved in with Jacob and his wife, Tanya.
Asher's parents return to Brooklyn after some years, and at this point Asher has established himself as an artist. He has exhibited some of his work. After several successes and trips abroad, Asher decided to take a long trip to Europe. He says goodbye to his parents and watches them as his cab drives away.
MY REVIEW
If I were to give one word to describe this book it would be quiet. But it isn't as silent quiet. It is a deafening, pregnant, heavy kind of quiet. It is full of pain, frustration, fear, love, dedication, and loyalty, and it is done in a quietness.
I relate a lot to Asher Lev. Growing up in a religious home, having an artistic skill that is disapproved of by my father and many other in the religious community I was raised in. I understand the conflict of trying to find harmony in the home and community I lived in and my deep, burning, passionate desire to express through my artistic tendencies. This poignant story offers a deep look into the life of an artist. It is torturous, isolating, exhilarating, vulnerable, depressing, and enthralling all that the same time. It is a roller coaster going 100 miles an hour at straight vertical lines going up and down. This story captures what it means to be an artist perfectly and shares the soul of the artist's struggle with shocking accuracy.
It is not a story for everyone. Many may find it boring and slow. Others will find it excellently written and beautifully human. It all depends on the life experience we bring with us to the book.
RATING
Quality: Gold
Popularity: Emerald
GENRE & SUB GENRES
Fiction
Classics
Historical
Historical Fiction
Literature
Jewish
Religion
Judaism
Classics
Historical
Historical Fiction
Literature
Jewish
Religion
Judaism
APPEAL FACTORS
This book provides a rare insider view into the life and mind of a prodigious artist who is caught between the desire to honor their heritage and family's wishes and to follow their heart and passion. It shows that excellence takes dedicated work, sacrifice, and even a degree of isolation. It is a story of love and loss.
Asher's conflict between keeping and honoring his religion and culture versus pursuing his passion and dreams as an artist.
Jocab and Tanya Kahn's cynicism of religion and God a common sentiment after WW II and increasingly so today.
The relationship between Asher and his father
Asher a metaphorical figure for love, tolerance, and acceptance
Asher's attmepts to keep the relationships within his community but also trying to be an artist
DISCUSSION POINTS
Aryeh’s religious beliefs clash with Asher's love of art. Why does Aryeh react the way he does, and how does his reaction impact his relationship with Asher?
What is the role of the Rebbe in Asher's life, and why is it important?
Jacob Kahn no longer an observant Jew. From what is implied in the book what do you think happened in Jacob's life to cause this?
Tanya said to Asher "The world is not kind to good people." What is the significance behind this statement based on Tanya's life experience?
WHY THIS BOOK?
I have an artistic background, though different than the artistic interests and talents of Asher Lev, that attracted me to this story. I also relate closely to the strained relationship that Asher experience both with his father and within the religious community in which he is raised and loves. I found the book profoundly personal for me.
THE AUTHOR
Chiam Potok
REVIEWS
The Family Moskat by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Souls of Fire Elie Wiesel
As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinburg
AWARDS
POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Religious conflict
- The price of artistic greatness
- loyalty to family and community
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