The book touched me on many levels. It is the story of Asher Lev whose artistic talent seeps out of every pore. As a young child, drawing pictures came to him naturally. Instinctively, he then sought to embellish them with the materials he had at hand. He used cigarette ashes as one would use chalk. He used sand to create texture. Next, he began to see the small differences in colors, shadows and light when looking at objects. Then, he trained himself to see planes and depth. All of this took place innately, self-taught. The progression was fascinating to read about. The most intriguing character in the book is the Rebbe, who has absolute direction over the lives of members of his community. He even ensures that Asher learns first French, and then Russian. Contrary to the wishes of Asher’s family, the Rebbe encourages his art and his studying under Kahn. The assumption is that the Rebbe has some insight into the will of “the Master of the Universe” which is denied to others, and members of the community do what he directs them to do. Per dipingere il mondo in tutta la storia dell'arte ci sono solo questi due modi: uno - il mondo della Grecia e dell'Africa- vede il mondo come un disegno geometrico; l'altro - il modo della Persia dell'India e della Cina - vede il mondo come un fiore. Ingres, Cézanne e Picasso dipingono il mondo come geometria; Van Gogh e Renoir, Kandinsky e Chagall dipingono il mondo come un fiore” . To touch a person's heart, you must see a person's face. One cannot reach a soul through a telephone" (117). You should make the world pretty, Asher.” What should and should not be depicted in art, do you think?

This book is populated by a wonderful variety of secondary characters that influence Asher: a Russian Jew who spent several years in Siberia before fleeing to the west, Asher's aged art mentor, Asher's Uncle who supports his art work while Asher lived with him, even the few times we see the Rebbe and his influence was interesting. So while the title of this book may be I am Asher Lev, it is also about all the other influences that made him the Asher Lev we see at the end of the book. I admit to not having heard of this book until I was looking for something to read that would fit an art challenge category. I don’t typically read books with an art focus so this would be new territory. Not to mention the fact that the main characters are Hasidic Jews, another topic that I know next to nothing about. So, I dove into this with eyes wide open not knowing what to expect. Considered one of Potok's best works, it has a sequel, The Gift of Asher Lev. The first "Brooklyn Crucifixion", a work by Asher which plays a central role in the novel's conclusion, is an actual painting by Potok, who was an accomplished artist as well as a novelist and rabbi; the second Crucifixion, which is described in the book as being superior to the first, does not have a real-life counterpart. After years apart, his parents attend Asher's art show, the culmination of his early career, and the issue of acceptance over conformity that has gripped and haunted this family comes to a head. Each family member then grapples with the consequences of their beliefs, and the results are profound. They’re not the truth, Papa; but they’re not lies, either.” How can art cross the boundary of truth and lie?

Success!

We see through Asher's eyes what it is like to have a talent that is beyond anything the people around you could ever imagine; a talent that scares people, but a talent that insists on being used. Asher was an artist before he ever knew the meaning of the word, but his ability made life hard for him. How can he learn to make his gift work for him without losing himself in the process? Forse Chaim Potok non si può definire un grande scrittore, ma è certamente un ottimo narratore. Costruisce sempre le sue storie come se fossero un terreno di incontro/scontro, come se fossero una scacchiera: da una parte i chassidim, strenui difensori del loro mondo e del loro modo di vivere la religione ebraica. Dall'altra una cultura laica, non importa se anche questa rappresentata da ebrei. Per la dottrina ebrea pensare di vivere per la propria passione, senza mettersi al servizio del proprio fratello è un male. E’ questo il primo contrasto da superare per Asher. E una volta che “ il mondo” prende atto del suo non poter far diversamente, Asher si dedica alla sua passione. Ma ogni quadro è un tormento, un voler esprimere se stesso e andare allo stesso tempo contro le sue origini, la sua tradizione, le sue radici. Vive cercando di trovare un equilibrio fra le due parti di sè, non tradire e non tradirsi fino ad una rottura finale.

Asher Lev is the son of an important emissary for the Rebbe of their community of Crown Heights in Brooklyn. In his work, he builds safe places for teaching the Torah throughout Europe. His way of life encompasses Judaism and the ways of the world do not match with his religious views. Asher is an art prodigy so throughout there is much about art and its technique as well as its history. Asher’s need for drawing and painting is evident but a part of me didn’t really understand this need. However, Asher’s talent is more than just a hobby or something that he does for fun, it is an innate part of him, a definer of his being, something that he didn’t really have control of himself but as if an insatiable appetite within him for his passion took him over.E lo scontro padre/figlio è perfino più forte e risoluto che nel suo esordio Danny l’eletto: direi che per Asher essere fedele alla propria anima è ancora più difficile che per Danny, quest’ultimo inseguendo la psicanalisi, l’altro invece la pittura. In the middle is Asher's mother, Rivkeh, who in Asher's early childhood was severely traumatized by the death of her brother, who was killed while traveling for the Rebbe. Rivkeh is only able to emerge from her depression when she decides to continue her brother's work and obtains the Rebbe's permission to return to college to study Russian affairs. Throughout the novel she suffers anxiety for her husband's safety during his almost constant traveling, and is frequently seen waiting at the large window of their apartment for her husband or son to return home. Ci sono sempre infiniti richiami alla religione ebraica, alle feste e i riti, e ai testi sacri di quella fede. Ci sono sinagoghe, rabbini, sabati, Talmud e Torah, kippah e tefillin. From the time Asher Lev is a small child, his entire life and identity is understood in terms of his vibrant, loving Hasidic Jewish community—not only his family life, but his ancestral memory and his expectations for the future. As his gift for drawing and painting becomes apparent, however, his art increasingly comes into conflict with his religious identity and the expectations of his community. Although Asher’s religious beliefs remain strong, and he even finds ways to reconcile his artistic calling with his religious calling, he is eventually asked to leave his Brooklyn synagogue community behind because of the pain some of his paintings have caused. Through Asher’s ultimately failed attempts to maintain harmony between his art and his religious identity, Chaim Potok suggests that, while artistic expression does not inherently threaten one’s personal faith, it can prove to be incompatible with the values of one’s larger religious community; thus, the two are not completely reconcilable.

Qui, in un certo senso, è come se Potok capovolgesse l’interrogativo: giova all’uomo realizzare se stesso se poi perde tutto il (suo) mondo? Aryeh Lev – Asher's father and an important member of the Jewish community. Deeply committed to his work for the Rebbe, he travels throughout Europe building yeshivas and saving Jews from Russian persecution. Aryeh holds a master's degree in political science [3] and speaks English, Yiddish, French, and Russian. [4] He highly distrusts gentiles due to his father's death at the hands of a drunken axe-wielding Christian. [5] Aryeh does not understand art and cannot comprehend why his son would spend his life making art. He gets in many disagreements over Asher's gift which causes him to dislike his son. Aryeh is close-minded, stubborn, and has difficulty with value systems other than his own. One suggestion that I would make which added huge depth to me, is to Google the names of the various paintings/sculpures/artists that are referenced and that Asher studies intently. Some are more important than others, but just seeing what it is he's seeing and experiencing brought a huge new depth to the book. Although Asher puts his art above every other consideration, he remains, in all other respects, a loyal and observant member of his community.un libro che procede lentamente, uno stile quasi freddo e distaccato, discorsi molto brevi e concisi; ciò si contrappone al linguaggio caldo e appassionato che si trova nelle descrizioni di quadri e artisti, e del tormento che Asher riesce a mettere su tela. È come se l'autore, con il linguaggio, seguisse gli stati d'animo di Asher. Then I thought it was about the pain and awkwardness of being a religious Jew right after the second world war. 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. We follow Asher as he grows and discovers answers to these and other questions that will shape the man he becomes by the end of the book. And for me the journey was spellbinding. The psychological ins and outs, ups and downs, questions sometimes with answers, sometimes not. The characters we meet, the ideas that are discussed. Absolutely hypnotic from beginning to end and very hard to put down. C’è una frase del Vangelo di Luca (Lc 9,25) che dice: “Che giova all’uomo guadagnare il mondo intero se poi perde se stesso?”.

Asher's mother begins contemplating a move to Vienna. Asher, however, refuses to go along. Rivkeh finally decides to move to Vienna without him, so that she can be with her husband. Asher meets with the Rebbe to discuss this move and his developing artistic talent. Around this time, Asher learns that he will one day have his own show. Asher moves in with his Uncle Yitzchok.Asher’s art is consistently represented as both great and dangerous. Could Asher be a great artist without causing his family pain? This book told the story of one particular Hasidic Jew, Asher Lev, his struggle with these questions, and the impact of them on those around him, especially his parents. There were many interesting passages about the nature of art and what it means to be an artist. Truth, beauty, and self-honesty were very fascinating themes throughout the middle and later parts of the book. Asher's father. A well respected, highly intelligent man. He is incredibly driven to work hard for the cause in which he believes. He has a strong sense of morality and is deeply committed to his religion. His son's misbehavior deeply disturbs and hurts him. Though he works with high-ranking government officials, he has a hard time relating to those, like Asher, whose value systems are different from his own. Rivkeh Lev