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My Name Is Asher Lev

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 19,297 ratings · 1,619 reviews

Asher Lev is a Ladover Hasid who keeps kosher, prays three times a day and believes in the Ribbono Shel Olom, the Master of the Universe. Asher Lev is an artist who is compulsively driven to render the world he sees and feels even when it leads him to blasphemy. In this stirring and often visionary novel, Chaim Potok traces Asher’s passage between these two identities, the...more

Paperback, 369 pages

Published March 11th 2003 by Anchor (first published 1972)

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Oct 21, 2008 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

I've heard good things about Potok's "Chosen" and it sounds like that's his book that most people have read. I enjoyed his style here and I suspect I'll pick up The Chosen to read later.

Content/Theme
Before commenting on anything else, I need to comment on the theme and content of the book.

This book is deeply entrenched in the Jewish culture and has many references that are likely very commonplace to those in the Jewish culture, but were very foreign to me. I got the general meaning of most thi...more

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May 26, 2008 Annalisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, literary, coming-of-age, voice, issue, favorites, cover

Powerful. This is the story of a Hasidic Jew who is a gifted painter, a talent not approved of among orthodox Jews. His life becomes a struggle between his father--who tries to stir him away from the arts to more traditionally accepted hobbies all the while trying to understand him--and his need to draw to express himself. I could sympathize with all the characters in the book: his father for trying to hold onto his religious convictions without dominance but love, his mother for trying to love...more Powerful. This is the story of a Hasidic Jew who is a gifted painter, a talent not approved of among orthodox Jews. His life becomes a struggle between his father--who tries to stir him away from the arts to more traditionally accepted hobbies all the while trying to understand him--and his need to draw to express himself. I could sympathize with all the characters in the book: his father for trying to hold onto his religious convictions without dominance but love, his mother for trying to love and encourage her son while staying at one with her husband, the mentor for his love and devotion to art, and especially Asher for trying to balance it all.

I loved that it wasn't a story about how his parents rejected him because he was different but tried to understand and love their son the best way they knew how and still maintain their faith. It was an honest parent/child relationship and I think Asher valued his faith and his parents more for their attempt at understanding him. I enjoyed learning about Hasidic Jews and understanding their religious convictions as well as experiencing the aesthetic pull to explain the world through art. The backdrop was so real to me that I could feel this boy's life. My one complaint would be that I still wonder what a few of terms mean. Like what exactly does Ladover mean?

Asher says this of painting: "I paint my feelings. I paint how I see and feel about the world. But I paint a painting, not a story." I absolutely loved that the writing style correlates with a painting style. Asher is non-descriptive about his feelings, only stating his replies to people's questions instead of delving inside his own emotions. Just a painting, the reader is left to interpret those for himself. The story flows through the years smoothly, but it is the writing style that puts it on a higher level. When style can add another layer by making you feel Asher's love of painting, it makes the book beautiful.

The reason this is one of my favorite books is that I connected with this book on a deeply personal level. As someone who dabbles with the art of writing and an extremely religious person, I often wonder how I would balance art and religion. I hate that it has to be a choice, but if you are going to commit yourself that deeply to an art, there will come a time when you have to pick your art or your faith. I hope I would pick faith, but where I draw the line may different than someone else's and therefore I run the risk of offending. Part of being an artist is coming to terms with this displacement. It is the reason I empathized with Asher and come back to his story time and again in my own quest to balance it all.(less)

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Jan 29, 2009 Lucy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Chaim Potok is a brilliant author who refuses to write a page-turning book. I can't tell you how many bad books I have finished hoping for a Potok-esque finish...moving depth that justifies the slow pace of his books.

This was a book I had a hard time finishing. It was too easily put down and, to be truthful, I didn't even like this book until about 3/4 of the way into it. Now, I emphatically say that it is one of the best books I have ever read.

There is so much to say about this book. Throughou...more

13 likes · like · see review

Oct 17, 2011 Doug Cannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Over the years, my Dad and I would occasionally have a conversation about this book. It would invariably go something like this:

My dad asks, "You have never read My Name is Asher Lev?"
and I would reply, "No, I haven't"
"You are so lucky! Now you still have the joy of looking forward to reading the book."
"We've had this conversation before, Dad."
"Then why haven't you read it yet?"
"Because as soon as I read it, you won't say I'm so lucky anymore."

I think the risk was worth it to be "less lucky" an...more

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Jona Cannon I guess now I'm the lucky one! It sounded to me like a typical Jewish/dysfunctional family story. But you have me convinced that I will love this book...more
updated Oct 18, 2011 03:51am

Doug Cannon Jona wrote: "I guess now I'm the lucky one! It sounded to me like a typical Jewish/dysfunctional family story. But you have me convinced that I will l...more
updated Oct 18, 2011 07:02am

May 20, 2011 Joyce Lagow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-edition

Asher Lev is the son of a devout Ladover Hasidic family. His father, an important aide to the Rebbe, the spiritual leader of a world-wide community of Hasidic Jews, continues in the family tradition of serving the Ladover Rebbe through traveling--meeting with other Ladover community leaders, delivering personal messages, helping to found new Ladover yeshivas in war-torn Europe, and especially bringing Ladover Jews out of the Soviet Union and into the US. Born after WWII, Asher is expected to fol...more

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Nov 30, 2008 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: art

A tragically gripping, page turning work of total genius. I hate to even review it because it was that good and maybe just five stars would be better than me blubbering about it... I was completely engrossed and almost read 3/4ths of it one night, but stopped abruptly to have the novel follow me around the house and in my bag for another week because I didn't want to be through with it. I came back to it and finished it in one sitting. Some books change your life, some books are your life. Diffe...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Brent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This is a book I picked up in Marlborough, NH, at a little used bookstore, also while on my New England vacation. I'd heard many people say how much they loved this book, so when I found it waiting for me on a step stool, I figured I'd take it with me.
I guess it was a coincidence that "Any Bitter Thing" had so many Catholic themes while "My Name is Asher Lev" portrays the life of a Hasidic Jew who loves to paint. So, with that little sidenote, let me tell you what I thought of the book.
I have to...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Zinta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Every one of us has something holding us back to our past, to our roots. Whatever that might be (family; traditions, some of which have perhaps lost relevence; religious constraints; the pacing of our daily lives; unsupportive mates and colleagues; or a myriad of other possible constraints), it is for each of us a life struggle to free ourselves of whatever keeps us from fully developing our authentic selves.

This is the story told in "My Name is Asher Lev." A Hasidic Jewish boy is born into a f...more Every one of us has something holding us back to our past, to our roots. Whatever that might be (family; traditions, some of which have perhaps lost relevence; religious constraints; the pacing of our daily lives; unsupportive mates and colleagues; or a myriad of other possible constraints), it is for each of us a life struggle to free ourselves of whatever keeps us from fully developing our authentic selves.

This is the story told in "My Name is Asher Lev." A Hasidic Jewish boy is born into a family that puts a great strain on his artistic talent, not the least of which is the doting love of his parents. It is with love that they try again and again to deny their son's great gift, believing they are doing what is best for him, but the power of that gift is greater than any man to deny it expression.

Young Asher is a prodigy. Art is his lifeblood, and his gift develops early and with breathtaking leaps and bounds into his young adulthood. He follows his instinct and his bliss, and as he develops his gift, his family, his father especially, draw further and further away from him. Asher has broken with tradition. He has gone beyond religious beliefs in his family if not with outright courage than at least with respect for what so shines within him. He redefines his own boundaries, even when they must go against those drawn by his parents and religious authority figures.

Is this a sin?

The reader may decide for him or herself, but for Asher, art is what he holds most divine, and it is hard to believe a supreme and loving being would deny the gift He, after all, has bestowed. We feel the agony of his mother, pulled between her husband and her son. Asher is not unaware. His greatest painting eventually is of his mother being so pulled apart - as if on a crucifix, an image that horrifies his father. His father is a good man, working hard for others in need and under religious persecution, and so it is nearly impossible for him to understand why his son would choose to pursue art forms that appear, on the surface, to disrespect what he holds in such high esteem. Each, after all, is following their own heart and remaining true to their individual values. It makes for fascinating conflict.

Author Chaim Potok writes with his own evident gift. His passion becomes the passion of his characters. Perhaps the main message the author has meant to convey is that we are all to be true to who and what we are, and in so doing, we have done right. We have followed the path that is ours to walk. His story uplifts without making light of the struggles involved.

Highly recommended.
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Nov 25, 2008 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

My book club book. It's the story of Ascher Lev, an observant Jew living in Brooklyn. He’s an artist from his earliest days, a prodigy, but as his talent grows, so does his estrangement with this father and his community.

This book made me feel sad from early on, because I could tell it wasn’t going to end up all rosy. And, as I predicted, Ascher ends up in exile from his family and neighborhood. Granted, it’s to go back to Paris, to further his art studies, and he leaves an acclaimed artist, bu...more

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Apr 30, 2008 Skylar Burris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: judaism

My Name is Asher Lev is about, at its heart, "the unspeakable mystery that brings good fathers and sons into the world and lets a mother watch them tear at each other's throats." It depicts that unspeakable mystery in all its painful humanity, and as a consequence the book is moving and disturbing. Asher Lev is a Hasidic Jew who has a gift for painting, a "foolishness" his father cannot understand. Potok could have turned Asher's father into a villain; instead he makes him human and sympathetic....more

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May 14, 2008 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology-and-god, influential-life-changing-books, top-recommendations

PREFACE: I was believed I was first introduced to Chiam Potok my first year of college. I never had to read the The Promise of The Chosen in high school. However after starting on my Potok journey, I realized that the first works I read of Potok's were The History the Jews. His biographical, geographical, historical account of the Jewish race and through travel through time. I read this book before going to Isreal.

My all time favorite Potok book is My Name is Asher Lev, this book began my journe...more

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Jan 11, 2008 Jenn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Title: My Name is Asher Lev
Author: Chaim Potok
Genre: fiction
Pages: 384
Rating (out of 5 stars): *****
Description: Asher Lev is a Jewish boy in Brooklyn who has an incredible gift for art. Unfortunately, in his culture, artistic talent is viewed as futile at best and a curse from the "other side" at worst. His father is a very observant and dedicated Jew, and he especially finds Asher's "gift" revolting. Asher then has to struggle between his art and his religion, and he feels very strong pulls fr...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-must-read, coming-of-age, creativity, spirituality

Appeal: I cannot find the words
to explain the appeal of this book.
I find it terribly ironic that I
finished it today, on Easter, the
holiest day of the year for me as
a fervent Christian.
Comments: This book is buzzing around in my
head; it feels too fresh for me to
write any clear thoughts about
why it was so powerful. All I
can say is to read this book
for yourself. But be careful if
you do; it is not a book to be
read lightly.

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 05, 2009 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the insight into Jewish expectations and Asher's struggle to reconcile his religious upbringing with his deviant art. The book also renewed my appreciation for fine art; I was glad this book was fresh in my mind when I saw the Isenheim Altarpiece in France.

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Jan 22, 2013 Pat Loughery rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, novels-about-prayer-and-spiritualit, art-and-creativity, re-read

Another serious candidate for favorite read of 2012. Asher Lev was recommended to me by several friends when I was asking about novels that speak to prayer and spirituality, so I read it.

Oh my goodness.

This is one of the great novels. It’s the story of a brilliant young painter born into a Hasidic Jewish family in Brooklyn, and wrestles with questions of family, community, tradition, art and creativity. I loved this character and loved the way the story of his life was told.

I will read more Chai...more

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Jan 23, 2009 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

This was a re-read that I wanted to revisit after a friend's reaction to the book. I wanted to explore the book again, and try to analyze why I like the book as a whole, despite not liking the ending much. I guess it would be better to say I am not comfortable with the ending.
I could not read this right before Christmas, as I remembered it was a little too emotionally demanding for that. So I read it after Christmas. I still love the book. I don't know for sure whether it's related to my surviv...more This was a re-read that I wanted to revisit after a friend's reaction to the book. I wanted to explore the book again, and try to analyze why I like the book as a whole, despite not liking the ending much. I guess it would be better to say I am not comfortable with the ending.
I could not read this right before Christmas, as I remembered it was a little too emotionally demanding for that. So I read it after Christmas. I still love the book. I don't know for sure whether it's related to my survival from my own somewhat dysfunctional family, my fascination with reading about a "gifted" individual's struggles, or what, but this book has never failed to move me and provoke deep thought.
I spent a lot of time this time around pondering the differences between Asher, with whom I feel very sympathetic, despite my disagreement with his choices and especially his self-centeredness, and Danny (from The Promise and The Chosen) who is similarly profoundly gifted, and similarly rejects his Hasidic family in a painful way, but who on the whole seems to me more giving, better adjusted, less self-centered. Is this why Danny's father took the tremendously difficult step of treating his son with silence for years to teach him compassion? Does that explain the difference in outcomes? Or is it that intellectual giftedness in itself is more acceptable to the Jewish tradition than giftedness in art? Even though Danny leaves the Hasidic tradition that would have him follow his father as rebbe, and becomes a psychiatrist instead, his childhood brilliance earned him respect and honor in yeshiva and other areas. Could that be the difference? Or is Jacob Kahn correct, in that a great artist must be fundamentally selfish and self-centered? Is there, or could there have been, some way for Asher to reconcile his art with his family in a less painful way?
I don't know, but I am still deeply moved by this book, and despite my discomfort with the ending, I know I will read it again. I still hold that Chaim Potok is one of the greatest novelists of our century.(less)

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May 15, 2013 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this. Another compelling tale of conflict, balance, relationships, loyalty to self vs. family, etc. Part of a person always wants a happy ending, but then you're actually relieved when that happy ending doesn't come, if that's the way it would have probably really played out.

The idea that great artists live outside the moral world--as demonstrated by Jacob Kahn in the book--didn't work so well for me. Maybe that wasn't really what he was supposed to be portrayed as, but I felt th...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Brit Hunter rated it 4 of 5 stars

So, which is more important: being true to your traditions and religion and family, or to the talents you hold? It was interesting to watch Asher struggle between his devotion to the two. In the end, it appears he choose his talent for artwork.

Truthfully, I think I would have cheered more if Asher chose his religion and family. Yes, he is a protege, genius child, but does that warrant respect for him turning away from everything else to succeed as an artist? Personally, I'm Christian, but I hav...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Priscilla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This is about Asher Lev, a devout Jewish boy growing up in Brooklyn in the 1950s. The story starts off when he is four and ends when he is in his mid-20s. From the time he could remember, Asher loves to draw. As he gets older, Asher faces challenges in deciding who he should become. His mother supports his art, but wants him to draw pretty things, despite the very dark world they live in. His father is devout leader in their religious community and sees drawing as a waste of time. Asher's mentor...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Michele rated it 3 of 5 stars

I know this book gets rave reviews that it probably well deserves, but there are some things that I have a hard time overlooking. First I should say that I really liked The Chosen. For me the most irritating thing is the short, repetative sentences that describe either conversations or actions on Asher's part. I know they were written for a certain purpose, but it is still hard for me to like it or to like Asher. And it's frustrating that he won't communicate well. Is that an artist thing? and t...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Mariette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Honestly, one of the best books I've ever read. Anyone considering being a writer or artist must read. I understood so much about myself reading this book. I would love to write the story of my childhood, but I always hesitate. One of the reasons was that it would hurt people. It would hurt people and offend family members. Unlike Asher, I could not and cannot hurt the ones I love for the sake of art. That's what makes Asher a true artist. He abandoned everything, his mother, father, traditions,...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: when-reread, what-general-fiction, what-religion

Read in high school. I barely remember anything except that I loved it I need to reread.

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Sep 04, 2012 Arwen56 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, romanzi

“Il mio nome è Asher Lev” è un romanzo riuscitissimo e potente, a suo modo. Dico “a suo modo”, perché, in effetti, dopo Shakespeare e le tragedie greche, non è che sia facilissimo dire qualcosa di originale. Quel che c’era da raccontare dal punto di vista della “sostanza” è stato raccontato, ormai. Non è che la gamma delle “passioni” degli uomini sia poi tanto estesa. Tendiamo ad essere un tantino monotoni e ripetitivi, diciamocelo. Ma originale può essere il punto di vista e il modo di narrare,...more “Il mio nome è Asher Lev” è un romanzo riuscitissimo e potente, a suo modo. Dico “a suo modo”, perché, in effetti, dopo Shakespeare e le tragedie greche, non è che sia facilissimo dire qualcosa di originale. Quel che c’era da raccontare dal punto di vista della “sostanza” è stato raccontato, ormai. Non è che la gamma delle “passioni” degli uomini sia poi tanto estesa. Tendiamo ad essere un tantino monotoni e ripetitivi, diciamocelo. Ma originale può essere il punto di vista e il modo di narrare, benché il tema possa essere più che noto. E qui abbiamo un’ottima struttura, un buon crescendo, delle ossessioni, uno scarno, ma efficace linguaggio e un finale irrisolto, aperto a qualsiasi ipotesi. Genericamente, potrebbe essere definito un “romanzo di formazione”, ma sarebbe riduttivo, a mio modesto avviso, definirlo così.

Asher Lev è un ebreo ortodosso di pochi anni al suo apparire in scena. Ed è un uomo ancora molto giovane, ma, forse, adulto, quando ci lascia per salire su un taxi che lo condurrà lontano da casa. In mezzo c’è una storia affascinante. Affascinante in che senso? Beh, se avete trovato avvincente “L’ombra del vento”, questo romanzo non vi piacerà. Se avete apprezzato “Il codice da Vinci”, lo abbandonerete dopo venti pagine. Se vi siete sperticati in lodi per i “I pilastri della terra”, vi annoierete a morte. Ma se volete sapere quel che, generalmente, accade alle persone qualunque che vivono la propria vita, allora è il romanzo giusto.

Beè, quel che succede è che si finisce per ferire chi più si ama. In un modo o nell’altro. E non importa che si sia ebrei ortodossi o no. Capita a tutti. Ognuno, semplicemente vivendo, afferma il proprio sé. E lascia “vittime” sul proprio cammino. Non lo si fa con premeditazione, non c’è alcuna volontà di fare del male. Ma lo si fa.

E’ una storia di molti dolori, questa. E nessuno veramente sanato. E’ la storia di una madre ebrea che il proprio figlio pittore rappresenta crocifissa al telaio di una finestra, in eterna attesa di un momento di sollievo che non giungerà mai. E’ la storia di un padre che, perso negli obblighi che un presunto Dio gli richiede, non sa capire assolutamente nulla di chi lui stesso ha dato vita. E’ la storia di un figlio che non si sa se troverà la “sua” strada. Ma ci prova.

E’ una storia che, inaspettatamente, visto che è stata scritta da un rabbino, ci dice di non credere mai ciecamente. E di questo gli sono estremamente grata.

E’ una storia per indurre a pensare. In assoluto, a mio modesto avviso, lo scopo migliore per scrivere un libro.

Il mio nome non è Asher Lev. Il mio nome è Luisa. E ci provo, sebbene abbia scarse speranze, a capirlo questo cazzo di mondo.

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Aug 31, 2012 Kathy Disanto rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

My name is Asher Lev, the Asher Lev, about whom you have read in newspapers and magazines, about whom you talk so much at your dinner affairs and cocktail parties, the notorious and legendary Lev of The Brooklyn Crucifixion.

This book and its sequel, The Gift of Asher Lev, should be required reading for every creative person, not to mention all those poor, bewildered souls trying live with us. As both a writer and painter himself, Potok more than understands eyes that see in unusual ways as windo...more My name is Asher Lev, the Asher Lev, about whom you have read in newspapers and magazines, about whom you talk so much at your dinner affairs and cocktail parties, the notorious and legendary Lev of The Brooklyn Crucifixion.

This book and its sequel, The Gift of Asher Lev, should be required reading for every creative person, not to mention all those poor, bewildered souls trying live with us. As both a writer and painter himself, Potok more than understands eyes that see in unusual ways as windows to a soul that, in order to thrive, must translate vision into form. One of his messages might be summed up as, “We who’ve been given creative gifts have to be true to our gifts or live as cripples.”

But, as we all know, living with creative people can be tough, bordering on impossible. Potok displays genuine compassion for friends and family struggling to understand a loved one driven by the creative process. The author doesn’t flinch. He grapples with the hard questions and forces us to grapple, too.

Where are the lines drawn?
Can the artist take others’ feelings into account and still remain true to his calling?
Does he have to stand for his art, even if that means he stands alone? Against the people he loves best? Against beliefs he has been taught to cherish?
Is art a magnificent obsession or self-indulgent self-absorption?
As he struggles to balance his art with his culture, Asher Lev obsesses over the apparently indissoluble link between the spiritual and the creative. Is art from Heaven or the sitra achra, the other side? He eventually comes down on the side of the angels, but wrestles with God as the Inner Power Who both compels the work and rejects artistic compromise. The Creative Force flowing through the almost helpless Lev out to an amazed world in unexpected, often unwelcome or misunderstood, ways.

Meanwhile, everyone involved—Asher, his parents, and the Orthodox Hasidic Jewish community–struggle with the concept of true piety. Does the pious man follow the well-worn path? Or is God deeper, more enigmatic, and infinitely more surprising than we could possibly imagine? Can we be humble enough to allow for the possibility that His call for one man’s life might astonish the rest of us?

Potok draws you into a culture and a conflict with skill and compassion. He draws you into the art—process, canvass, the artist himself—with mystical zeal.

Be you writer, sculptor, painter, poet, these books will speak to you … and to your gift.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Maureen Lang rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was a compelling book. I won't say it was a fast read or one that left me feeling happy, but it did leave me thoughtful. The writing style itself was almost like a character, it was so well done. Simple but powerful in the beginning, as seen through the innocent, simplistic eyes of Asher as a child. As Asher grew, both in life and in his art, the writing style took on the necessary sophistication and depth as if it was a painting itself—sharp, clear, but gradually deeper to represent the gr...more This was a compelling book. I won't say it was a fast read or one that left me feeling happy, but it did leave me thoughtful. The writing style itself was almost like a character, it was so well done. Simple but powerful in the beginning, as seen through the innocent, simplistic eyes of Asher as a child. As Asher grew, both in life and in his art, the writing style took on the necessary sophistication and depth as if it was a painting itself—sharp, clear, but gradually deeper to represent the growing depth of the character's point of view.

Asher Lev is born into a Hasidic Jewish family—but not just as an only child to a mother and father. He was born into a faith community, one that has its strengths and flaws just like the human beings who comprise it. On one level, his parents seem self-absorbed — the mother especially so, in her grief over a brother whose death left important work for their faith community incomplete. While his wife is unable to care for Asher because of her grief, the father receives help from their faith community to get Asher through that period, only to face another phase equally demanding of his mother's time and attention when she takes up the work her brother left undone. Meanwhile the father is eager to serve the faith community as well, and is most alive when he's traveling the world to to do the bidding of his faith leaders. While his parents are so busy otherwise occupied, Asher's gift as an artist takes on increasing importance in his life.

As a writer myself, this book made me wonder to what extent I would choose to serve my art — my writing. To be totally devoted to one's art comes with a certain amount of self-centeredness, serving the art rather than anyone around you. In a way, Asher's parents were perfect role models for him to completely devote himself to his art. His mother devoted herself to her grief for a time, then to the work she took up in honor of her brother. Asher's father took up the work that served the Jewish community, but he needed to devote his life to it at the expense of being with his son. And so perhaps Asher had no choice but to serve his art rather than anyone or anything around him, though like his parents that decision came at great cost.

So for the writing and the structure and the conclusion and the message, this book is a masterpiece. It's not entertainment in the way so many more recently written books offer. It could be considered a slow read, except that even in its simplicity and the fact that it's a character- rather than plot-driven book, it's still a consistently interesting read. But I failed to unconditionally sympathize, even like, the characters. It made me glad that my art, my writing, is in sync with my faith and my family, even as I wondered if I could be a better writer if I was more demanding of myself in that arena. But not if it's at the expense of my family.

Four stars rather than five, because despite the book working so splendidly on so many levels for me, I would have liked it better if the characters were less self-serving.

If you liked this book, you might want to read Martin Eden by Jack London, which explores a similar theme about how much a writing life can demand of a person.
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May 13, 2012 Francesca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-for-school

One of my favorites of the books I have read for school. Here is the facebook note, titled "Musings on My Name is Asher Lev", I wrote while part way through it, as a way to process all that the book was making me think about:

I am part way through the novel I am reading for school, a book called "My Name is Asher Lev". This book is making me think and question, and I work out my thoughts best by writing them down. I thought I would do it here so I can share my musings and questions with you all,...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Shara Faskowitz rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful story told with great perception and feeling. If you aspire to any art, but certainly drawing and painting, you will be fascinated and moved by Potok's tale of creative genius so overpowering that it pulls the protagonist, an innocent Everyman at heart, past the mores and taboos of his ultra Orthodox culture. Every character, even the minor ones, are finely drawn and nuanced, from Asher's father who is often absent travelling for the Rebbe, to his mother who is torn between h...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Jerry rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a fascinating and engaging story which brings the reader into and an appreciation for the Hasidic family and its global community.

The novel is written from the perspective of Asher Lev who is the child of very devout Hasidic Jews. His father is a significant global leader of the Hasidic Jewish community. Asher Lev is expected to follow in his parents footsteps. While Asher is immersed within his faith community, he manifests the passion for and the ability to be an artist while attempti...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Patricia Burroughs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american, literary

"I love the feel and weight and smell of books."

"Save trees. Read ebooks."

"Philistine!"

"Luddite!"

Finally, in desperation, I shout back at those annoying voices in my head, Can't we all just get along?!?

And we can, because as you will discover once you own an ereader, too-- it's not a battle between ways of reading, it's not an either/or, but a brand new "AND" way to read books. A way to read books that allows you to adjust the font to the most comfortable size, that makes an entire library light...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Eva rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved the imagery and the flowing nature of this story. A gal I go to book club with said it was like reading art, which is very appropriate for a book about a painter. I loved the anguish and personal journey of Asher Lev. I ached for his parents, and considered their difficult position as Orthodox Jews, and what it means to have a son painting with Christian images.
I judge a book by how much it makes me think. I thought a lot about religion, a lot about what makes art "real," and if artists...more

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About Chaim Potok

American author and rabbi. Herman Harold Potok was born in the Bronx to Jewish immigrants from Poland.

His parents, Benjamin Max (d. 1958) and Mollie (Friedman) Potok (d. 1985), gave him a Hebrew name, Chaim Tzvi. His Orthodox education taught him Talmud as well as secular studies.

He decided to become a writer as a teenager, after reading Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.

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“Something that is yours forever is never precious” — 51 people liked it

“A life is measured by how it is lived for the sake of heaven.” — 24 people liked it

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