I've heard wonderful things about Potok's "Chosen", and it seems to be the book of his that most people have read. I really enjoyed his writing style in this work, and I suspect that I'll pick up The Chosen to read in the future.

\\n  Content/Theme\\n

Before discussing anything else, I must comment on the theme and content of the book.

This book is deeply rooted in Jewish culture, and it contains many references that are likely very familiar to those within the Jewish culture but were quite foreign to me. I was able to understand the general meaning of most things from the context, but I still have a long list of terms, phrases, and actions that I need to look up and better understand.

This book also provides a great deal of detail about the art world. This is another area in which I am an inexperienced observer. I had a better understanding of art than Judaism, but there were still numerous names, periods, phrases, and theories that I didn't understand immediately.

One suggestion that added great depth for me was to Google the names of the various paintings, sculptures, and artists that are referenced and that Asher studies intently. Some are more important than others, but simply seeing what he is seeing and experiencing brought a whole new level of depth to the book.

\\n  Characters\\n

Obviously, Asher is the main character. He is a very complex character with a great deal of internal conflict and a lot of passion that he doesn't fully understand or know how to direct. His development throughout the novel is very subtle. I found it very interesting that he is portrayed largely as a pawn in his own life. Several times, he tells his father that he "can't control it", referring to his art. In much of the "dialogue" that occurs between Asher and most characters, he is largely a character who isn't in control of the actions in his world. He is often silent and allows others to make their assumptions and decisions. And yet, through that silence, he imposes his will on those who are closest to him.

Asher's parents are also very vivid characters. Asher's mother is passionate and torn between her devotion to her husband and her son. The final climactic work of Asher truly captures his mother's character. His father was also very well-portrayed. I found myself frustrated with him at times but also sympathizing with him. There was a section where Asher tries to explain art to his father, using technical artistic terms and phrases. That scene was a very profound description of the huge gap between their two worlds.

The other characters in the book served largely as tools for either Asher's own development or for exploring the gap between Asher's two worlds, art and Judaism.

\\n  Plot/Writing/Pacing\\n

There were times when I would have liked the story to move a bit faster. The descriptions were excellent (very artistic), and the depth that the scenes added to Asher and his family and friends was significant. I'm not sure which scenes I would have cut or tightened up, but there were times when I would have liked it to pick up the pace a little.

The plot itself was intense. The novel was divided into "books" that outlined different parts of Asher's life and development. Each "book" built on the previous ones, and none of the sections came to a final "conclusion" or at least a "happy ending". Even though I wouldn't want to see them split into standalone books, looking back, I can see that as a possibility. They each had their own rising action, climax, and hint of resolution. And together, through the course of the novel, they provided an overall rising action, with the final book having the greatest climax before the final "resolution".

\\n  Overall\\n

Even though this book focuses on the conflict between art and Judaism, it delves much deeper than that. I found myself relating to many of the things that Asher would say or think. He was conflicted between his religious heritage and the "carnal" world. He was conflicted between respecting his parents and becoming his own person. He was conflicted between Tradition and Growth. He was conflicted between two things that were both "good". So much of his character development embodies principles that apply to all of us.

The story and the writing were very interesting and thought-provoking. I enjoyed reading it. The final climax made my heart race as I realized there was no "happy" way for things to be resolved. I'm not one to demand happy endings, but after becoming so attached to Asher, I had hoped that things would turn out better. Still (not to spoil the ending), things didn't end up as bleak as they could have. I believe Potok wrote a second book about Asher Lev. I may have to read that as well to see what becomes of him after this novel.

The reading isn't overly "heavy", but the tone of the book is serious. But it is definitely recommended.

****

4 Stars

**Title: The Complex World of Asher in "Disegnare sulla Torah"**

Disegnare sulla Torah


The story takes place in the Hasidic Jewish community of New York and is extremely interesting as Potok belonged to it, so everything he tells is true and vividly recounted.

However, the reading has a much broader interest as it concerns all families and societies where the destiny of the young seems marked by the elders for various reasons.

Why must you wear the veil by force even if you have left the rural village and live in Paris? Why must you get married and have many beautiful children even if you are gay and want to live with other priorities? Why does your father want you in his law firm but you want to be an architect? As a child, Asher has a heavy family situation and to escape, he draws everywhere, even on the Torah books. Now, for the Hasidim, an occupation is honorable only if it is related to the study and defense of the Torah and the people of the Book: drawings are not foreseen, not even if the artist is Chagall.

From my secular point of view, it is difficult for me to understand how a family with great culture like Asher's can have such narrow views and how one can suffer and make others suffer acutely just because a young person wants to follow his own path, without harming anyone and in an honorable way. Asher is supported morally and economically by his jeweler uncle - considered sufficient because he is a shopkeeper.

Between father and son is the mother, who has always been the mediator, tempering the dissatisfaction of the head of the family (“draw something charming?”). This idea is represented in a painting, the most appreciated in Asher's large personal exhibition in New York; a painting that causes a great scandal in the Hasidic community because it suggests an image of crucifixion.







Brooklyn crucifixion



The author of the painting is Chaim Potok and the book is partly autobiographical in the sense that Potok cultivated writing and painting while remaining in the Hasidic community.

Reading about Asher's trip to Florence had a strange effect on me: I almost don't recognize it. It is a city seen with completely different eyes from mine, partly because the book was published in 1972 when tourism did not have the current numbers, partly because what is daily for me was a trip to the Italian Renaissance for Asher, with the complication of having to get kosher meals.

It is a reading of great satisfaction for art lovers because Potok devotes ample space to the perception of the world of a budding artist, to his search for the way to express on paper or canvas what he has in mind.

The story of Asher is a complex exploration of identity, family, and the pursuit of one's passion within the constraints of a traditional community. It makes us think about the importance of respecting individual choices and the power of art to break boundaries and challenge conventions.

Potok's writing is engaging and his descriptions are so vivid that we can almost feel the emotions of the characters and see the world through their eyes. "Disegnare sulla Torah" is not just a story about a young artist but also a reflection on the human condition and the universal struggle for self-expression and acceptance.

Whether you are interested in art, Judaism, or simply a good story, this book is definitely worth reading. It will take you on a journey through a different world and make you see things from a new perspective.

GOOD

I thought, "What do You want from me? I'm just a ten-year-old boy. Ten-year-old boys play in the streets, chasing each other back and forth. They run through the hallways of apartment houses, full of energy. They ride up and down elevators, finding entertainment for the afternoon. They even run after cars along New York Avenue. If You don't want me to use the gift, why did You give it to me? Or maybe it came from the Other Side. The thought that my gift might have been given by the source of evil and ugliness was horrifying. How could evil and ugliness create a gift of beauty?" - 119

I didn't know what to say when he asked, "'How should a father feel in such a matter, Asherel?' So I remained silent. I had the impression that I wasn't expected to respond. But I wondered, how should I feel? Would he ask me how I felt? And why was it so dark outside? I thought, 'Asherel, you have a gift. The gift makes you think only of yourself and your own feelings. No one would care if these were normal times, Asherel.' But when have times ever been normal for Jews?" - 133

"Every great artist is a man who has freed himself from his family, his nation, his race. Every man who has shown the world the way to beauty, to true culture, has been a rebel, a 'universal' without patriotism, without a home, who has found his people everywhere." - 203

"It pleases me that you have chosen not to abandon things that are meaningful to you. I don't have many things that are meaningful to me. Just my doubts and fears. And my art... Asher Lev, sometimes I find your presence a little - upsetting. You carry with you too much of my own past. Come. Walk with me along the beach. We will look at your Hopper sunlight on the houses. You will contemplate God and I will contemplate futility." - 206

“Asher Lev,” she murmured. “Asher Lev.” That was all she seemed able to say.

It was as if those two words held a world of meaning and emotion for her. Maybe it was a name that carried a special significance, a memory that was deeply etched in her heart.

Perhaps Asher Lev was a person she had known long ago, someone who had made a profound impact on her life. Or maybe it was a character from a story or a book that had touched her in a way she couldn't quite explain.

Whatever the reason, those two words, “Asher Lev,” seemed to hold a power over her that was both mysterious and captivating. As she repeated them softly, it was as if she was lost in a trance, unable to break free from the hold they had on her.

One could only wonder what secrets and emotions lay hidden behind those simple words.

Devo dire che è un libro scritto molto bene. Non so se l'autore, Chaim Potok, abbia seguito il consiglio di Cechov di scrivere soltanto quando si è freddi come il ghiaccio. Perché qui e là trapelano punte di nostalgia scottante, bollori e schegge arroventate di rivalsa personale. Ma gli ebrei scrivono sempre per espiare colpe come in un inferno, mai trionfalmente.

Non è quello che propriamente si potrebbe considerare un romanzo, con una trama vera e propria. Ma una specie di autobiografia artistica (fittizia) con tanto di anelito e di ostacolo. Numerose sono le frasi a uso dei giovani artisti presenti. Asher Lev si scontra con una tradizione, quella del suo popolo, per rimanere fedele a un'altra tradizione occidentale, quella della pittura e dei suoi soggetti. Questo lo spunto drammatico che ci accompagnerà per tutto il libro.

Così che si avvicina al soggetto per eccellenza, la crocifissione di Cristo. Perché il suo ebraismo è così ben assorbito che sa bene quanto la teologia ebraica sia solo una teologia negativa, come diceva Steiner. Persino il mondo divino dei greci è tanto vicino alle nostre sofferenze, poiché riempie la natura delle sue manifestazioni. Ma il monoteismo ebraico stacca come la vetta del Sinai, e solo una capacità estrema di astrazione potrebbe figurare quel dio ammonitore vicino a noi. Egli rimane lontano e non ci consola nei nostri piccoli tormenti quotidiani.

Però quanto più è lontano, tanto più invade il presente, in maniera insopportabile, come un occhio perennemente puntato, e sparge ovunque i suoi dettami, i suoi decreti, le sue regole e precetti. Castiga fino alla terza generazione. Potok, benevolmente, è affianco ad Asher Lev, a raccontare la sua piccola grande battaglia contro il dio invisibile.

“In the entire history of art, there are only two ways to paint the world: one - the world of Greece and Africa - sees the world as a geometric design; the other - the way of Persia, India, and China - sees the world as a flower. Ingres, Cézanne, and Picasso paint the world as geometry; Van Gogh and Renoir, Kandinsky and Chagall paint the world as a flower.”

A splendid journey in the Hasidic world, seen through the eyes of a child who grows up and becomes a man.

Asher is a special child. He lives the world with his eyes, feels the world through his gaze. And the pencil moves between his hands unconsciously, it is a primordial instinct for him. He draws and lives by drawing. He detaches himself from everything, he doesn't care about anything but his lines, his colors, the form that his hands give to his gaze. Despite everything, Asher is integrated into his world of observant Hasidic Jew, with a father who travels the world to create schools where he can teach and revive the Jewish traditions, and a mother with a broken heart who lives waiting, first for a husband to return from his travels at the window, then for a son, and who finds herself in the middle of the two, in their contrasts, in their different ways, yet so carnal and human of seeing life.

According to the Jewish doctrine, thinking of living for one's own passion without serving one's brother is a sin. This is the first contrast that Asher has to overcome. And once “the world” takes notice of his inability to do otherwise, Asher dedicates himself to his passion. But every painting is a torment, a desire to express himself and at the same time go against his origins, his tradition, his roots. He lives trying to find a balance between the two parts of himself, not to betray and not to betray himself until a final break.

“Become a great artist. It is the only way to justify what you do to the life of everyone.”

This is the first book I read by Potok and it was love at first sight. Powerful words that recall images, like the trees that turn black under the rain or the veil of water on the beach that describes an absence, and that have within them the history of his people. Hints, simple but painful, brief but effective. And the dissent that tears Asher's soul reaches us, in a feeling that makes us understand it and at the same time love it.

“If your enemy falls, do not rejoice.”

My mind completely came to a halt with that ending.

It was as if all the gears in my brain had suddenly seized up. I was left in a state of shock and confusion, wondering how the story could just end like that.

However, my disappointment was short-lived when I discovered that there is a sequel.

This revelation brought a sense of relief and excitement. Now, I know that there is more to the story, and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

I'm sure that further thoughts will be forthcoming as I delve deeper into the sequel.

I'll be able to analyze the characters, the plot, and the themes in more detail, and perhaps gain a better understanding of the story as a whole.

Overall, I'm glad that there is a sequel, and I'm looking forward to continuing my journey with this story.

Many moons ago, my dear friend, Elyse (alas, she has left Goodreads and I truly miss her), strongly recommended that I read this book. At that time, I had never even heard of the book or its author. However, she assured me that it was truly marvelous. Having complete faith in her, I promptly bought the book. But, as is often the case with me, I easily got distracted. I set the book on a shelf and moved on to something that seemed to be twinkling brighter at that moment.

Asher Lev, a Hasidic Jew, was born with an extraordinary talent for drawing and painting. By the age of six, his uncle was comparing him to Chagall, and it was no exaggeration. Sadly, his father viewed drawing at best as a foolish pastime and at worst as a pull from the "Other Side," which was considered evil and ungodly.

Asher's father was a significant figure, not only in their Brooklyn community but also as an emissary for Hasidism worldwide. He came from a long line of such men and desired his son to follow in his footsteps. Asher was devout, yet he was uncontrollably drawn by his artistic gift. He simply could not refrain from painting; he had to express himself through art. He had little interest in his studies and only cared about learning everything there was to know about capturing light. The price of Asher's talent was high for all those involved, especially for his mother, who tried to bridge the gap between father and son.

Although much of what happened in the story was far beyond my own experience, as I knew nothing about Hasidism before reading this book, there was so much that was relatable to anyone who has struggled between pleasing the world and pursuing their own dreams and individuality. We are left wondering what we owe to our parents, society, and community. What do we owe to our ancestors, who may have sacrificed so much for us to be here and thrive? Are there aspects of ourselves that are beyond our control? Things that we are meant to be, regardless of the price we have to pay to achieve them? And, is there a point where we go too far? Are there limits to how much we should express our feelings to the world, out of respect and privacy for those who might be hurt by our openness?

While reading this novel, I couldn't help but think about Vincent Van Gogh. Although the situations were not the same, Van Gogh was also driven to paint, despite the lack of support and approval from the public or his contemporaries. His choice was painful for himself and for his brother, Theo, who could only watch his anguish and try to support him in any way he could. True talent can indeed be an obsession.

If you have ever made your father sad or ashamed, or your mother cry, you will understand the anguish of the choices Asher has to make. If you have ever felt the joy of doing exactly what you were born to do, you might be able to comprehend his drive. The price of greatness can sometimes be devastating.

This is my first encounter with Chaim Potok, but it will definitely not be my last. This is the kind of writing that truly touches the soul. I am eagerly looking forward to reading more of his works.

The book is renowned, in part, due to its captivating opening lines:

“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.”

A Jewish boy, the only child of parents belonging to a strict Hasidic orthodox sect, is born with a remarkable gift for painting. (The sect is named Ladover in the book, but according to wiki, it is the Lubavitch sect of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where the author grew up.) The story is set in the 1950s. His mother encourages him to paint ‘pretty pictures,’ while his strict father, a right-hand-man to the sect’s Rebbe, views it as childish and from the ‘dark side.’ However, his gift is so potent that by age 13, even the Rebbe eventually grants the boy permission to take lessons from a famous Jewish but non-conforming painter within certain limits. which the painter ignores and has the ten-year-old child painting nudes and crucifixions.

A significant event in his childhood occurs when his mother loses her older brother in a car crash. The brother had been a substitute for both mother and father to her. For over a year, the mother enters an almost-comatose mental and physical state, scarcely eating and not speaking. His father hires a nanny/maid to care for his wife and son. Eventually, she recovers, decides to continue her brother’s work, and receives the Rebbe’s permission to attend college (one of the few women to do so). She ultimately earns a doctorate and becomes a professor. She regains her health but fears for her husband’s safety as he travels first across the US and eventually undertakes long trips to Europe to rescue Jews from Stalin’s persecution in Russia, bringing some to the US and establishing schools and synagogues for the sect in the US and Europe.

The boy is stubborn. He disappoints his parents by showing no interest in ordinary schoolwork, focusing only on painting. He refuses to go to Vienna when his parents wish to travel there, initially causing his mother to stay behind and later choosing to stay with an uncle instead of accompanying his parents. By the time he is old enough to attend college, he stops going with his family to the Berkshires for a month of summer vacation and instead goes with the artist to the artist colony in Provincetown. Since he has his own money from selling paintings, he sets up a studio in Paris on his own for two years. When he returns, they seem somewhat like strangers to each other. “Now they [his parents] possessed a language of shared experience in which I was nonexistent... Often I felt they were together now as they had been before I was born.”

In the end, He never reconciles with his father. In fact, things deteriorate, and all his father will do is shake his hand. His father now has the strength to be indifferent to his art. “He regarded me as if from a distance and disliked me without rage.” However, the young man remains religious, attending synagogue faithfully, eating kosher, wearing the proper garments, and praying with his family. But his famous painting, Brooklyn Crucifixion, depicting his parents as crucified against the backdrop of a window, is sold to a New York museum. The Rebbe says he has disgraced his family and the sect and orders him back to exile in Paris.

I rate the book a 4.5, rounded up to 5. There is a bit of repetition in the first half. Could we manage with a dozen references to the boy asking his father if he is going to travel again instead of 20? And the same for not wanting to go to Vienna? And perhaps five incidents of him getting into a funk while painting at school rather than 10 or so? But that’s just a minor quibble. I highly recommend this book and am adding it to my favorites. It makes a great companion read to the author’s The Chosen, which I also enjoyed.

Top photo, Lubavitch Jews of Crown Heights from almy.com
The Brooklyn Crucifixion painting by the author who was also an artist, from pinterest.com
The author, 1929-2002, from figtreebooks.net

I read this in February 2022. The dates didn't stick when I put them in!!!

This is a captivating story about a talented boy who is a remarkable artist and grows up in a Hasidic home in Brooklyn, NY. His father, who works for the Reb (the rabbi of this particular group), has different expectations for his son. He wants the boy to "put away the art" and instead follow in his own footsteps. The boy, who loves his father deeply, doesn't understand the harshness and the fact that his dad fails to recognize his artistic gift.

What intrigued me the most about this book was the events that unfold when the Reb finds a very well-known artist to be the boy's mentor. We witness the boy blossom and learn to adapt to the world outside the Hasidic community. We also see the choices he makes to maintain his faith. This story is set during the time of Picasso, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the boy's art training and how he progresses with it. It offers a unique perspective on the intersection of art, faith, and personal growth.

I truly hated to reach the end of this book, for I had fallen deeply in love with it.

It tells the captivating story of a Hasidic boy who has an intense passion for drawing and painting. He possesses the remarkable ability to evolve into a great artist. However, his father despises his obsession with art, believing it to be something from the so-called "Other Side" and thus evil.

I was completely enthralled by how this story effortlessly drew me into the daily existence of this young boy, his family, and his arduous struggle to become the person he was destined to be. I, too, have a natural gift for drawing and can vividly understand how utterly devastating it is to not only receive no encouragement but to be actively discouraged from engaging in the one thing that you love to do more than anything else.

Moreover, I also came to realize just how much I was ignorant about Judaism, especially Hasidism. I derived great pleasure from learning about their prayers, unique customs, rich history, and specialized vocabulary.

This is indeed a beautiful book. Interestingly, a sequel was written in 1990, and I am eagerly looking forward to reading it as well.

"My Name Is Asher Lev" has been on my radar for a very long time. I had a great affection for Potok's "The Chosen", and numerous friends have highly recommended "Asher Lev" to me. In many aspects, it is the classic work of the bildungsroman of the creative. Potok poses the questions that I encounter in the small and ordinary details of my creative life. And it is truly heartbreaking, being the story of a family that fails to understand one another. I will not forget the climax anytime soon, and I am certain that I will come back to this book again.

It is recommended to creatives, to be read for the sense of resonance. Even if you don't consider yourself creative, read it for the deeply human story.

"Then I turned away, terrified before such an act of creation. Master of the Universe, I did not mean to attempt to emulate Your power, Your ability to create out of nothing. I only wanted to make a few good paintings. Master of the Universe, forgive me. Please. Forgive me." (357)

"Master of the Universe, will I live this way all the rest of my life? Yes, came the whisper from the branches of the trees. Now journey with me, my Asher. Paint the anguish of all the world. Let people see the pain." (367 - 368)