My Name is Asher Lev
"Memorable...A book profound in its vision of humanity, of religion, and of art."THE WALL STREET JOURNALHere is the original, deeply moving story of Asher Lev, the religious boy with an overwhelming need to draw, to paint, to render the world he knows and the pain he feels, on canvas for everyone to see. A loner, Asher has an extroardinary God-given gift that possesses a spirit all its own. It is this force that must learn to master without shaming his people or relinquishing any part of his deeply felt Judaism. It will not be easy for him, but he knows, too, that even if it is impossible, it must be done...."A novel of finely articulated tragic power...Little short of a work of genius."THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEWFrom the Paperback edition.
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What Hacker News says
- As an engineer raised by a doctor and a nurse, I've never been into art, but somehow I found "My Name is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok and that totally helped me understand art and artists better. Also a very interesting look into Judiasm and Jewish culture for me.
- I read multiple books together.
- My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok
Upbringing of a painter and the beginning of his journey in 1950s New York in a Hasidic Jewish family. Existentialism, art, passion.
- The Art of Doing Science and Engineerig, by Hamming
Surprisingly fresh and piercing, even today.
- Miracle of Love, Ram Dass
Stories about Neeb Karori Baba, as mentioned in Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs.
- The Name of The Rose, Umberto Ecori
Murder mystery in a famous library-monastery in medieval Europe. Amazing portrayal of that time.
I have a books site: https://ritoghosh.com/books
It's a few months outdated.
- > My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok
I love these types of books and learned there's a term for them. A bildungsroman about an artist is called a künstlerroman. I went on a künstlerroman kick a while back. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Martin Eden. Roderick Hudson. I'm aware of My Name is Asher Lev and meant to get to that one too. Thanks for the reminder.
