My Name Is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok

On the frontispiece of this book is a quotation from Picasso, "Art is a lie which makes us realize the truth." The same can be said of fiction. Asher Lev is a great painter and this novel tells his story, and the trials, tribulations and heartbreak on the way. Through the memories of a four year old Asher we are introduced to the very private world of a Jewish Hasidic community in Brooklyn in the 1950's. It is quite a culture shock and certainly a different kind of world, Yiddish words and phrases are used without explanation and a certain knowledge of Jewish traditions and festivals is assumed. It is possible to read the book by accepting ...  Read the complete review

I bought this book on a whim, skimming the back cover and believing it to be an autobiography of an orthodox jewish artist who painted an extremely controversial painting. It was only about a quarter of the way through the book that I noticed the name of the author, and realised that it was, in fact, fiction. The story is told in an autobiographical style, tracing the life of Asher Lev, a Hassidic American Jew, from the age of 4 to about 18. We see all the influences he comes under, combined with his natural gift for art. The story cleverly leads up to the events which result in Asher Lev's painting of "The Brooklyn ...  Read the complete review