A tragically gripping, page-turning work of total genius.

I truly hate to even attempt to review it because it was simply that good. Perhaps just awarding it five stars would be far better than my blubbering about it.

I was completely engrossed from the very start. One night, I almost read three-fourths of it, but then I stopped abruptly. I wanted to have the novel follow me around the house and in my bag for another week because I just didn't want to be through with it so soon.

Eventually, I came back to it and finished it in one sitting. Some books have the power to change your life, while others become your life.

Over the years, different art professors who meant a great deal to me, as well as friends, have all urged and recommended me to read this book. Interestingly, all the recommendations were given at different times and by people who were completely unrelated to each other. This held the title of the book in my memory for a long time as something of great significance, especially the way they told me it was especially for me.

But like trips to Paris and having children, some things take time to happen. The years passed, and a copy of the book never seemed to come my way. However, I'm so incredibly glad that it finally did.

It has been a truly remarkable reading experience that I will cherish for a long time.

I had once firmly believed that there was an inherent power within a drawing. I thought that the lines and shapes that emerged through my hand were somehow guided by the Master of the Universe. I truly believed that a simple drawing had the potential to better the world.

I first came across this book nearly ten years ago, and it had a profound impact on me, shaking the very foundation of my world. Recently, I reread it for the first time since then, and to my great delight, I found that it was every bit as poignant, if not more so, as I had remembered.

However, there was one aspect that didn't quite age well for me. The concept of 'whoring' or being a 'whore' was presented as the ultimate disgrace for an artist and a person true to themselves. I understand that Potok, as an observant Jew, was writing from his own moral perspective. But considering that the entire book is centered around the idea of an individual striving to free themselves from social and moral constraints that are, to a large extent, arbitrarily divisive, it seemed rather ironic that consensual sex/money exchange was made the absolute symbol of losing oneself. There are artists who have the financial freedom to depict whatever they desire, and there are 'whores' who have the financial freedom to see only clients whose company they truly enjoy. And then there is everyone else, who must earn a living wage, and yes, sometimes that means doing things they don't like, with people they don't care for. Artists, software engineers, and sex workers alike, all'sell themselves' in a way (if that means doing something they don't organically believe in).

ANYWAY, moving on.

This book remains an incredibly powerful and moving story about staying true to oneself, and it's not romanticized in the slightest. In the arduous struggle to paint as he wishes and what he wishes, to become 'good' according to a metric outside of what is permitted within his own religious and cultural boundaries, Asher Lev will sacrifice everything. His mother, his father, his community, his peace of mind, his health, and even his soul.

Or perhaps he keeps his soul and loses everything else precisely because'selling out' would mean forfeiting his soul. The beauty of this book lies in the fact that it doesn't sugarcoat the idea of being true to oneself. It shows that more often than not, being true to oneself means not even being certain if one has retained their soul because, at some point, the purpose of the struggle becomes lost. You have 'yourself' and 'what you stand for,' but you've lost everything else.

And you can no longer determine if that was a worthwhile exchange, but it has completed your journey, the Obsession, to be You.

An interesting and well-written fictional biography unfolds. The protagonist is born into the fictional "Ladover" Jewish movement. It's quite evident that "Ladover" represents the Chabad Orthodox Hasidic movement, which is currently one of the largest Hasidic movements globally. The central theme revolves around the difficulty he faces in realizing his dream of becoming an artist painter without abandoning his religious convictions. This is a "feel good" story that巧妙 manages to avoid becoming overly sentimental. It offers fascinating details about the Chabad way of life, such as their unique religious practices, community traditions, and the values that shape their daily existence. Through the eyes of the protagonist, we get a glimpse into the challenges and joys of living within this particular religious and cultural framework while striving to pursue a personal passion.

I know this book gets rave reviews that it probably well deserves. However, there are some aspects that I find hard to overlook.

First of all, I should mention that I really liked "The Chosen". But for me, the most irritating thing is the short, repetitive sentences used to describe either conversations or actions on Asher's part. I understand they were written with a specific purpose in mind, yet it's still difficult for me to fully embrace it or to like Asher. It's frustrating that he struggles to communicate effectively. Could this be an artist thing and thus, somewhat fitting?

The very last chapters are truly the best and are well worth reading if you can persevere and reach that part. I don't claim to know much about modern Jewish religion, but this book makes me question whether all their beliefs are simply based on years of tradition rather than what individuals truly believe to be true and right. I'm determined to find a Jewish person I can ask because I'm really intrigued by this.

Basically, I'm not saying it's not worth reading. In fact, it is, and I loved learning about Hasidic ways. Potok does an excellent job of building the tension within the family, making the climax of the book both believable and heartbreaking. All these are good aspects. But do artists always have to lead such sad and tragic lives? Maybe that's just the way it is.

**"Has anyone ever heard of a great artist who was happy?"**

Asher Lev is a boy with a precious gift - he can draw. He feels an irresistible need to express his emotions and feelings through painting. This would be a wonderful thing if he weren't Jewish.
His father is an important representative of the Ladover Chassidic community in Brooklyn, very religious and a strict adherent of customs, traditions, and usages. He is a good man but with narrow views. He sees art as something that distracts from the important things, which he believes are only religiosity, study, and prayer. A man who, focused only on fulfilling the obligations that God seems to have required of him, is unable to understand the son he himself has fathered.
Asher, who tells his story in the first person, thus spends his childhood torn between his need to express himself through art and the limitations imposed by his religious faith, which condemns figurative art as contrary to God.
Until he meets a mentor who makes him understand that art can only be free, otherwise it is just propaganda. And that:
"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."
An artist cannot be afraid to show himself; he must free himself from moorings, constraints, obligations, traditions. He must be free to innovate. Even if this causes him suffering. And indeed, "has anyone ever heard of a great artist who was happy?"
Throughout the first part of the book, we witness the continuous attempt to condition the boy: my father did this and my father's father did this. Aren't you ashamed to say that? What would your father say if he heard you? What would your father think if he saw you? Your father is a great man; what has he done to deserve a son like you? "Asher, honoring your father is one of the Ten Commandments."
"My name is Asher Lev," Asher replies. Which means that he is a different person. Which means the affirmation of the self. That we are all different; that we all must find our own way. That there are no pre-set paths. That we must forcefully affirm our individuality, avoiding succumbing to conditioning. Even if in doing so we end up hurting those we love the most. Everyone, in living, affirms their self and leaves victims in their path, even without wanting to.
Very similar, in some respects, to the concept of betrayal expressed by Oz in "Judah," innovation, change, seen as a betrayal of the values of the past.
The book also extensively discusses art, the concept of art in a broad sense. Art is not technique but a faithful transposition of the artist's inner world. Therefore, having to look within himself, the artist cannot be limited by any ideology but must look at everything and represent it without filters, without limits, without conditioning. Art must show things as they are, it must not cheer, nor convert, nor convince.
"The true art is closely related to pain. It causes pain, shows pain. It crucifies."
It must provoke a reaction, it must sting, it must not soothe. The concept just seen in Powers' "Orpheus" returns: "Is the purpose of music not to move the listeners? No. The purpose of music is to wake up the listeners. It means learning what to reject and when."
So many food for thought in this book: should we follow or not the path that our children want to take? To what extent is respect for traditions correct? Is it always right not to follow in the footsteps of our fathers? Is it right to believe "blindly" in a religion? What is the relationship between art and the artist?
And furthermore: the relationships between Judaism and artistic representation, between Judaism and Catholicism, the negative importance of the crucifixion in the Jewish religion (Jesus was crucified by the Romans and since then millions of Jews have died).
I believe that what Potok wanted to tell us in the book is to open our minds, strive with humility to understand the perspectives of others but always and anyway think with our own heads.
A great, splendid book, interesting, well-written, dense, flowing, profound, with magnificently characterized characters.

“Si è mai sentito di un grande artista che fosse felice?”

Asher Lev è un bambino dotato di un dono prezioso: sa disegnare. Sente il bisogno irresistibile di esprimere le proprie emozioni e sentimenti attraverso la pittura. Questo sarebbe una cosa meravigliosa, se non fosse per il fatto che è ebreo.

Il padre di Asher è un importante rappresentante della comunità dei Chassidim Ladover di Brooklyn. È molto religioso e rigorosamente applica gli usi, i costumi e le tradizioni. È un uomo buono, ma con vedute ristrette. Vede l’arte come qualcosa che distoglie l’attenzione dalle cose importanti, che lui ritiene siano solo la religiosità, lo studio e la preghiera. È un uomo che, concentrato solo nel soddisfare gli obblighi che Dio sembra avergli richiesto, non è in grado di comprendere il figlio che ha generato.

Asher, che racconta la sua storia in prima persona, vive la sua infanzia diviso tra il suo bisogno di esprimersi attraverso l’arte e le limitazioni imposte dal suo credo religioso, che condanna l’arte figurativa come contraria a Dio.

Fino a quando incontra un mentore che gli fa capire che l’arte deve essere libera, altrimenti è solo propaganda. E che:

“Ogni grande artista è un uomo che si è liberato della sua famiglia, della sua nazione, della sua razza. Ogni uomo che ha mostrato al mondo la via alla bellezza, alla vera cultura, è stato un ribelle, un “universale” senza patriottismo, senza casa, che ha trovato la sua gente in ogni dove”

Un artista non può avere paura di mostrarsi; deve liberarsi dagli ormeggi, dalle costrizioni, dagli obblighi, dalle tradizioni. Deve essere libero di innovare. Anche se questo gli causa sofferenza. E infatti, “si è mai sentito di un grande artista che fosse felice?”

Nel primo paragrafo del libro, assistiamo al continuo tentativo di condizionamento del ragazzo: mio padre faceva così e il padre di mio padre faceva così. Non ti vergogni a dire cosà? Cosa direbbe tuo padre se ti sentisse? Cosa penserebbe tuo padre se ti vedesse? Tuo padre è un grand’uomo; cosa ha fatto per meritarsi un figlio come te? “Asher, onorare tuo padre è uno dei Dieci Comandamenti”

“Il mio nome è Asher Lev”, risponde Asher. Questo significa che lui è un’altra persona. Significa l’affermazione dell’Io. Che siamo tutti diversi; che tutti dobbiamo trovare la nostra strada. Che non esistono strade prefissate. Che dobbiamo affermare con forza la nostra individualità, evitando di cedere ai condizionamenti. Anche se così facendo finiamo per ferire chi più amiamo. Ognuno, nel vivere, afferma il proprio io e lascia vittime sul proprio cammino, anche senza volerlo.

Molto simile, sotto certi aspetti, al concetto di tradimento espresso da Oz in “Giuda”, l’innovazione, il cambiamento, visto come tradimento dei valori del passato.

Il libro parla anche ampiamente di arte, del concetto di arte in senso lato. L’arte non è tecnica, ma una trasposizione fedele del mondo interiore dell’artista. Dovendo quindi guardare dentro di sé, l’artista non può essere limitato da alcuna ideologia, ma deve guardare tutto e rappresentarlo senza filtri, senza limiti, senza condizionamenti. L’arte deve mostrare le cose per come sono, non deve allietare, né convertire, né convincere.

“La vera arte è in stretto rapporto con il dolore. Causa dolore, mostra il dolore. Crocifigge.”

Deve provocare reazione, deve urticare, non deve blandire. Ritorna il concetto già visto nell’“Orfeo” di Powers: “Lo scopo della musica non è commuovere gli ascoltatori? No. Lo scopo della musica è svegliare gli ascoltatori. Significa imparare che cosa ripudiare e quando”

Tanti spunti di riflessione, quindi, in questo libro: seguire o no la strada che i figli vorranno intraprendere? Fino a che punto è corretto il rispetto delle tradizioni? È sempre giusto non seguire le orme dei padri? È giusto credere “ciecamente” in una religione? Qual è il rapporto tra arte ed artista?

E inoltre: i rapporti tra ebraismo e rappresentazione artistica, tra ebraismo e cattolicesimo, l’importanza al negativo della crocifissione nella religione ebraica (Gesù è stato crocefisso dai romani e da quel momento milioni di ebrei sono morti).

Credo che quello che Potok ci vuole dire nel libro è di aprire la mente, sforzarsi con umiltà di comprendere i punti di vista altrui, ma alla fine pensare sempre e comunque con la nostra testa.

Un grande, splendido libro, interessante, ben scritto, denso, scorrevole, profondo, con personaggi magnificamente caratterizzati.

This is an incredibly emotionally powerful book. At times, it is truly gut-wrenching. It is my very first encounter with a Chaim Potok book, and it has been an eye-opening experience. I had very little knowledge about the Hassidic Jewish faith before reading this, and I was quite astonished by the authority structure within the closed community. The Rebbe holds significant authority over the lives of the main characters.

Asher Lev is a child prodigy in the field of art. However, this talent of his does not blend well with either his father or his Orthodox Jewish religion. This is a captivating coming-of-age story of a young artist who is striving to make sense of his religion in relation to his artistic gifts.

The book also delves deep into the multi-generational pain that has been handed down through pogroms and anti-Semitism. It explores the profound impact that these historical events have had on the characters and their families.

In the end, it offers a searing and honest look at a family with all its flaws and problems. The mother in this story is a tortured soul, but then again, so is Asher and his father. The relationships within the family are complex and充满矛盾, making for a truly engaging read.

Asher is an Orthodox Jewish boy with a remarkable talent and a deep passion for drawing and painting. This talent will lead him to conflict with his parents and the community in which he lives. They view painting as a folly, a waste of time, and even as something evil because it is associated with the Christian tradition. However, Asher cannot hold back. It is in his blood. For him, it is a way of expressing himself. Everything he sees, he transcribes onto a blank sheet of paper, and every time it is a challenge to succeed, although he accomplishes everything with great naturalness. Once, he even uses the butt of a cigarette to achieve chiaroscuro in a portrait of his mother.

The book describes the inner turmoil of this boy who, on the one hand, wants to respect traditions, his culture, and his parents, but on the other hand, feels the need to express himself. Moreover, there is a very strong theme, the difficult relationship between the father, an observant Jew and a collaborator of the Rebbe, and the son. Asher does not want to disrespect his father, but being a painter is his vocation, and he feels the need for it.

"My name is Asher Lev. I am the Asher Lev you have read about in the newspapers and in the magazines, the one you talk about so much during your business dinners and at the cocktails, the infamous and legendary Lev of the Brooklyn Crucifixion. I am an observant Jew. Yes, there is no doubt, observant Jews do not paint crucifixions. In fact, observant Jews do not paint at all, at least not in the way I do."

It is a tender, intimate, and painful book at the same time, and above all, it is very beautiful, of the highest poetry.

Wow, what an amazing novel!

It has truly captured my imagination and left me eager to write a more in-depth review.

At the moment, I am still in the process of processing all the emotions and ideas that this book has evoked within me.

I want to take my time and really do justice to the story and the characters.

Moreover, I am also looking forward to listening to the Close Reads episode on the end of the book.

I believe that this will provide me with additional insights and perspectives that will enhance my understanding and appreciation of the novel.

I can't wait to explore this book further and share my thoughts and feelings with others.

Stay tuned for my upcoming review!

**The World in One’s Hands**

Sitra Achra, which means The Other Side in Aramaic, is the kabbalistic domain of evil. It holds what is false and impure, with the idea that evil is within the Master of the Universe being its most crucial component. This is not only impious but also the source of numerous horrors that prevent humans from grasping their own reality. The struggle against the Sitra Achra is the central theme of My Name Is Asher Lev, established from the start and continuously pursued throughout the book.

Evil is a complex theological issue. It is often rationalized away as only seeming to exist in a world under Providence or considered an aberration caused by humans in error. Judaic Kabbalah, unlike most religions, takes evil seriously as a fundamental and widespread fact. But it also avoids the Gnostic trap of including evil as part of the divine. Evil exists in a parallel universe lacking a crucial aspect of the divine and its Creation: language.

This universe is, in a sense, inconceivable as there are no words to describe it. We can only call it ‘darkness.’ In this realm of darkness, chaos prevails. The darkness tries to overcome the light, in part by corrupting language. Stalin, for example, as part of the Sitra Achra, killed Jewish writers both for being Jewish and for writing, replacing divine truth with Soviet propaganda. There were even Jewish Communists persecuting other Jews. Ultimately, it was words - laws, commands, secret memoranda, and judicial verdicts - that caused the deaths of the writers, millions in Russia, and in the Holocaust, all in a language made unsafe by the Sitra Achra.

Kabbalah can be seen as a mystical way to purify language by turning it in on itself, using language to undermine its own pretensions when it becomes something it shouldn't be - lies, misrepresentations, distortions, and false claims to reality. Merely saying prayers like the Krias Shema before sleep, the Modeh Ani upon waking, or the many other prayers throughout the day is not enough. Even the language of these prayers must transcend language itself.

The artist in a Kabbalah-devoted community is in an ambiguous position. On one hand, through his pictorial interpretation of the world, even the world of darkness immune to linguistic description, he relativizes written and spoken language. This interpretation challenges existing representations of reality and is consistent with kabbalistic practice. On the other hand, it's unclear if any artistic innovation is yet another attempt by the Sitra Achra to dim the light of divine guidance. Is such art grace or heresy?

So, the issue raised by Asher Lev’s artistic talent is not aesthetic or even moral in the narrow sense. His painting abilities have profound significance, not just for the community but for the entire cosmos. An artist directly attacks the Sitra Achra by entering it with his art. His duty is to bring the Sitra Achra into the world of divine creation by giving it a language, a way to represent itself and see itself clearly.

This is a dangerous endeavor. The danger is that the artist might try to emulate the Master of the Universe instead of being His instrument. Does the artist represent light or darkness? Is his art a purification or a desecration? These questions are as relevant for Asher Lev as they are for his community in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights, where even “washing for meals was a cosmic enterprise.”

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

Do you understand Asher?

I see that you do not understand.

This particular one made me deeply miss Wheaton. This story, it was not just an ordinary story but rather a mythic journey. It had a unique way of stretching the canvas, making one point after another. It traced a line to connect those points, adding form, color, texture, and tension. It was like a beautiful painting gradually taking shape. And then, suddenly, I had this overwhelming feeling of wanting to cry.

Do you understand Lucy?

It's as if this story holds a special kind of magic that touches the deepest parts of my soul. The way it unfolds, layer by layer, is truly captivating. I find myself lost in its world, experiencing a range of emotions. Maybe you need to read it more carefully to understand the profound impact it has on me.

Do you think you could ever understand?

I read this book upon a recommendation, and now I am eager to recommend it to everyone.

I haven't delved into many coming-of-age stories, but this one truly stands out as amazing. Chaim Potok has done an outstanding job in crafting a character that you can understand, even if you don't have a direct personal connection.

Overall, the book vividly showcases the tensions that develop between numerous aspects, such as religion and the world, a boy and his father, and tradition and talent. These tensions are palpable, and Asher's struggle to balance them while still maintaining his love for his family and tradition is both beautifully and sadly portrayed.

I believe that "beautifully sad" is the most fitting way to capture the essence of this book.

Fair warning: this book will likely inspire you to pick up a paintbrush.

Here are a couple of quotes from the book:

"My father worked for Torah. I worked for —what? How could I explain it? For beauty? No. Many of the pictures I painted were not beautiful. For what, then? For a truth I did not know how to put into words. For a truth I could only bring to life by means of color and line and texture and form."

"Traditions are born by an initial thrust that hurls acts and ideas across the centuries."

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the complex themes of identity, family, and art.

From the very beginning, I simply could not bring myself to put down this book.

It exerted a strange and powerful attraction over me, pulling me in with an almost irresistible force.

Even though the religion described within its pages is vastly different from my own, I was amazed to find that the entire story felt so tangible and real within my soul.

It was as if the author had managed to touch upon something deep and universal, something that spoke to the human experience regardless of one's religious beliefs.

This book is truly a masterpiece, a work of art that has the ability to transport its readers to another world and make them feel as if they are a part of it.

I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone who is looking for a thought-provoking and deeply moving read.