Feb 27, 10:10 am ~~ Review asap.

Mar 1, 8 pm ~~ This is the fourth title in my Chaim Potok project, and the second of two about the main character Asher Lev. In "My Name Is Asher Lev", we were introduced to Asher and his family. We witnessed his growth from a child with a remarkable gift for art into a man who struggled to understand how that gift fit into his complex world.

This book is set twenty years later. Asher Lev is now in his mid-forties, married with a daughter and a son. Their return to Brooklyn is prompted by the news of his uncle's death. From this seemingly simple beginning, a story unfolds that delves into a wide range of life's issues, not only for Asher but also for his wife, parents, and community. There are unseen yet palpable forces at play around him. Why is he suddenly unable to paint? What has become of his once-inspiring gift?

The book gradually builds tension to a point where I could hardly bear to turn the pages. I was aware that something was expected of Asher, but initially, I was misled about what it might be. When I finally deciphered the riddle, I found myself as conflicted as Asher about what should be done. I was like a pendulum, swaying between different desires on each page. The scene that reveals the solution to the dilemma is powerfully intense and masterfully executed. I am still at a loss for words, but since this review has been sitting for a few days, I felt compelled to express what I could, even though it feels woefully inadequate.

This is the tense and complicated sequel to My Name Is Asher Lev.

Asher, now married with children, returns with his family to Brooklyn, NY from a village near Nice, France to attend his uncle’s funeral. It has been 20 years since he was exiled by the religious leader of his strict Hasidic community due to his controversial crucifixion paintings. What was supposed to be a ten-day trip turns into months, filled with numerous surprises and twists, starting with the reading of his beloved uncle’s will.

I favored the first book, which focused on Asher’s boyhood as an only child and his journey from making childish drawings to becoming a world-renowned artist. It intertwined the world of art museums and art dealers with the “helpless, self-centeredness of the artist’s soul.” This sequel delves more into the dynamics of Asher’s Ladover community in Crown Heights, his marriage to a Holocaust survivor who spent two years as a very young child in a sealed Parisian apartment, his parents’ first chance to bond with their grandchildren, and the strict, controlling rituals and demands of his faith.

Both novels are outstanding and significant works of Jewish literature. As the Rebbe said, “A man does not always remain at the same stage. He is always ascending or descending. When he reaches the top, he must concern himself with the probability that he will fall. When he reaches the bottom, he must strive once again to climb to the top. That is the nature of man. When the soul of a man is in its darkest night, he must strive constantly for new light. When one thinks there is only an end, that is when one must struggle for the new beginning.”

Brilliant!

And now, I have an intense desire to go back and read both novels back to back.

The ending of this particular one holds a special allure as it would, without a doubt, shed a great deal of light on them both when considered together.

It's as if the conclusion of this novel is a key that unlocks a deeper understanding and connection between the two works.

By reading them consecutively, I anticipate uncovering hidden themes, parallels, and nuances that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.

This exploration promises to be a fascinating journey through the literary landscapes created by the author.

I can't wait to embark on this reading adventure and discover the new perspectives that will surely emerge.

As this is my fourth novel by Potok, and my fourth five-star read by him, I suppose it's safe to say he's become a true favorite.

He has an incredible ability to cut through the surface and直达 the human heart. I am truly in love with his characters for their remarkable realism. They are so tender and lifelike that you simply can't help but fall in love with them.

Asher's family is splendidly written, especially his marriage, which adds another layer of depth and complexity to the story.

The Gift of Asher Lev is not only a little mystical but also a profound meditation on the cost of art and the artistic process. It approaches these themes in a different way from My Name Is Asher Lev.

Throughout most of the novel, Asher finds himself in some stage of artist's block, yet it is not presented in a frustrating way to the reader.

Only Potok has the talent to write a novel as exquisite as My Name Is Asher Lev, which stands perfectly on its own, and then freely give it a sequel, almost as a gift of grace.

His writing is a true masterpiece that continues to captivate and inspire readers.

Acting Into a New Way of Thinking

“What a person does is what he is,” states the father of Asher Lev. This serves as the central theme of Potok’s book and, in a sense, it encapsulates the essence of Judaism. How one behaves and the ethical impact one has on the world defines everything significant about a person. ‘Deeds not words’ might seem like a mere cliché until it is taken as seriously as it is by the Hasidim. For them, even the tiniest and seemingly insignificant human act, such as entering a room, switching on a light, or greeting one’s spouse or parents, holds cosmic significance. In Hasidic Judaism, it is punctilious behavior towards others and the world – not belief, not intent, not doctrinal thought – that is the sign and carrier of one’s religion and thus of one's self, one’s family, one’s society, and one’s world.

In other words, Judaism, not Ancient Greece nor medieval Christianity, is the origin of what is now known as ‘virtue ethics’, the concept that one can act oneself into a better state of being. Simply put, the only way to be a better person is to behave like one. And ‘better’ has a practical meaning in Orthodox Judaism – that which brings the world closer to being a suitable abode for the Almighty in the form of his Messiah. This is the world of the Torah, a world of hope and trust, not of blind faith and formalized dogmatics. The difference is crucial. The Torah, and thus God in the world, lives as it is put into action.

Judaism is, consequently, a remarkable ethos. It implies the ultimate salvation not of an individual but of the entire world, based on the dedication of a group of individuals who choose to behave properly towards one another. Salvation comes about not through one’s thoughts but through one’s relationships. That is to say, the spiritual force of redemption is present in human beings as a divine gift of creation, which is in a way reciprocated when it is acted upon. It is possible to reject such an ethos, but only by placing the power of human intellect above the claims of human responsibility to and for others.

Therefore, it is not inaccurate, although perhaps a bit unconventional, to say that humanity is the path through which God is redeemed within his creation. As one character remarks, “Without man, what is God? And without God, what is man? Everyone needs the help of someone to complete the work of Creation that is never truly completed. Everyone.” The awareness of this force in every act is the way in which the gift of free will is acknowledged and respected. The Messiah will arrive when the world is sufficiently prepared by human effort. Our responsibility as human beings is, therefore, to act appropriately. Thinking, believing, and theologizing are optional pastimes.

Nevertheless, even in Judaism, conscious action can degenerate into mere habit and stifling tradition. Behavior then becomes fetishistic ritualism, little more than a mark of tribal membership. Its usefulness then becomes that of a political weapon or a self-serving justification for pursuing personal interests. Such a fate probably threatens all institutions, not just religious ones. Doing things a certain way because they've always been done that way is more of an ideology than an ethic.

Asher Lev's artistic life follows a parallel evolutionary path to that of his Hasidic sect. Both strive for sameness for the sake of continuity rather than for improvement in the world's readiness for salvation. Redemption is never complete; to assume otherwise is arrogant – in both religion and art. Finding a way beyond the staleness of one's own conventions is as difficult for an individual as it is for a religious community. It requires a transformation, the force of which seems to come from elsewhere as a gift. We often call this gift ‘truth’, and it may not be easy to bear, so that it “must be uncovered slowly and with great care lest its fires burn and its power destroy.”

The form of this gift in Potok's story is literally a riddle posed by the Hasidic Rabbi. Acceptance of this gift – engagement with the riddle’s meaning – is also a return to its hidden source, through which both Lev and his sect are renewed – artistically as well as spiritually. Then again, perhaps these are two ways of expressing the same event of a regenerated ethical awareness brought about by acting differently. It’s certainly a lot more effective than trying to think your way into a new way of acting.

Postscript: Also see: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It was truly nice to witness what took place subsequent to the first Asher Lev book.

In my personal opinion, this particular book did not measure up to the excellence of the first one.

The most significant issue that I had was the fact that Asher Lev did not put up a stronger fight to enable his son to be able to select his own path. This is especially so considering that this is precisely what he himself had to do.

However, having said that, I do understand that it would be an extremely great honor for the family.

Moreover, it would be wonderful for Asher to regain the affection that he had lost from the Hasidic community.

Overall, while there were some aspects that I found lacking, there were also certain elements that provided food for thought and added to the overall narrative.

It will be interesting to see how the story progresses in future installments, if any.

I really wanted to like this book, because I had a deep affection for 'My Name is Asher Lev.' However, unfortunately, this book simply wasn't anywhere near up to par.

To start with, there is a distinct lack of action. Asher, the central character, is particularly static. Throughout the entire book, he suffers from painter's block, and as a result, he just mopes around, feeling depressed. A significant portion of the book consists of flashbacks (in the case of his wife, some of them are quite interesting and touching - her character is a nice new addition to get to know) or else Asher's intuition about the future. But here's the thing... the future never materializes, not even at the end of the book. The situation remains almost exactly the same as it was at the beginning. Oh, and for some inexplicable reason, Asher is now having hallucinations of old friends who have passed away and engages in conversations with them; he doesn't seem to find this at all strange.

Stylistically, I was truly bothered by the frequent shifts between past and present tense narration. Usually, Potok would at least wait until new vignettes to change the tense (there aren't many chapters, but they are divided into non-numbered subsections separated by a blank line), but sometimes he does it even between paragraphs, and on one occasion, even within a paragraph. Argh! Also, Potok's sparse writing style was interspersed with numerous attempts to describe random situations (such as a Paris street, for example) in "literary" detail. This didn't work very well.

The bright spots were the wonderful snippets of Jewish wisdom and theology that were discussed at a few points in the book, the new characters in Asher's young family, and on a few occasions, the talk about art had some valid points. But really, it's best to just stick with the first book and skip this sequel.

I finished this book before I even had time to add it to my "Currently Reading" list. It was that captivating. Potok's writing is truly a gem. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. The story unfolded in such a vivid and engaging way that I was completely immersed.

There will never be enough Potok in my life. His works have a unique charm that draws me in every time. I find myself constantly coming back to his books, eager to explore the worlds he creates and the characters he brings to life.

Each page is filled with rich descriptions, deep emotions, and thought-provoking ideas. Potok has a remarkable ability to make the reader feel as if they are a part of the story, experiencing every moment along with the characters. I can't wait to discover more of his works and continue this wonderful literary journey.

I really liked the prequel “My Name is Asher Lev” and gave it 4 stars. However, this sequel is more of the same. It tells the story of what happened to Asher Lev later in life.

Since I was already quite familiar with, and somewhat baffled by, the Ultra Orthodox faith within Judaism, this story quickly became very boring and overly melodramatic for me. The writing style didn't help either. It was just a dry sequence of events, almost like a police report. The characters felt like cardboard cutouts, each conforming precisely to a well-known prototype.

The only positive aspect of this book is that it made me wonder how Judaism can be compatible with the veneration of a (dynasty of) Rebbes who are believed to have supernatural powers. This is a question that has always intrigued me and this book brought it to the forefront of my mind once again.

Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to others. It lacked the depth and complexity that I had hoped for and failed to engage me on an emotional level.

Something seems to be amiss with Goodreads in my account once again. Things are not posting accurately. The dates either don't function properly or don't stick, and sometimes they even disappear. I couldn't post the review.

Elyse, I do recall this book. And my memory isn't too bad this morning, although I did forget some details ;)). In all honesty, Elyse, I had a strong aversion to the book. It happens sometimes! You might not view it the same way I did. I would very much like to hear your perspective if you decide to read it.

It's the second part of Chaim Potok's Lev Asher's story. The first was written in 1972 and this one in 1990. I really liked the first Lev Asher book as it was all about the art world. I didn't like this one as much, even though it was based on a real-life event within a real Hasidic community. See the link below.

Asher's father and mother are now high up in the Reb's community and they engage in big politics where religion and state aren't separate. In my opinion, his parents are still selfish, manipulative, and narrow towards Asher. The Reb is getting old. He doesn't have a son to replace him if he dies. There is talk that his dad might become the next Reb.

The story takes place 20 years later. His mentor has passed away. Lev is married with a lovely and happy family living in the south of France. He still enjoys exploring art and is a well-known international artist. His uncle, who took him in when his father was so narrow-minded and always encouraged him in his artwork, has also died. Lev and his family return to Brooklyn for his funeral. Over the 20 years, his uncle has amassed an incredible art collection. In his will, he leaves it to Asher to manage and decide what to keep, what to sell, and when. His uncle's sons and aunt are furious about this and lash out at Lev. They believe the money should be theirs to open new stores. His mother and father want his family to stay there with them. And they play politics and manipulate his family. Politics and strategy are both their jobs for the Reb. His father wants his grandson to be his successor and doesn't care how his own son feels about this. And that part really bothered me.

I was relistening to a part of Sarah Ruhl's Smile a couple of days ago. She talked about how Tibetan Lamas were searching for a reincarnated lama and found a child. The mother gave him to them. When asked about it, she said she could do this because of her faith and the potential implications for the child if she didn't. I found this a very different way of looking at the situation compared to Asher's parents. It seemed more pure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name...

I read this one with the hope that there would be redemption for Asher and his family.

It wasn't as dark and depressing as the first one, yet it still didn't resolve things as I had expected.

This one indeed helps the reader better understand Asher's feelings and motives, as well as his relationships with his family.

Despite my disappointment in Asher, there were some great "nuggets" to be found in the book.

"A man should spend at least one hour each day alone in a room or a field, engaged in a secret dialogue with the Master of the Universe...All a man has in the world is the now, the day and hour where he is, because tomorrow is an entirely different world."

"Fatigue is from the Other Side. It sunders our partnership with the Master of the Universe and prevents us from participating in the daily act of creation...Fatigue is a wall to climb, not an emptiness in which to wallow."

And my favorite... "A leader should clarify, not deliberately confuse. He should bring light to the world...Look what has been done to the world and its people in this Godless century. It is a horror. Our task is to redeem this horror. We cannot redeem it by offering people ambiguity."

Think about the "leaders" that we have now and those who are proposing to lead. NONE of them clarify anything. Their whole agenda is to create confusion and strife.

That should be a big clue to us that we need to choose BETTER leaders! We should not settle for those who only bring chaos and uncertainty. Instead, we should seek out those who have the courage and wisdom to clarify, to bring light, and to lead us towards a better future.

Only then can we hope to redeem the horror that has befallen our world and create a more just and peaceful society for all.

Interesting reading - the characters seemed very real. It was character driven, yet the plot was quite slow moving. The story of "My Name Is Asher Lev" truly intrigued me. What touched me deeply was Asher's abandonment by his constantly traveling Dad and his mom who dealt with depression and then focused on college. When he became obsessed with his art, I had compassion for him and understood his self-centered decisions. After all, breaking away from parents is a natural phase of life, although Asher took it to an extreme.

However, when one becomes an adult and has brought children into the world, there is a responsibility towards them. I felt that Asher was abandoning his family. The book didn't fully show this, pretending that his wife and kids were happy in Brooklyn and didn't mind his constant absence. But this bothered me, and I couldn't sympathize with him. So, while this was an enjoyable book, I just didn't connect to it in the same way as "My Name Is Asher Lev".