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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
One friend said she didn't like this book because it showed how you couldn't observe your religion and be professionally successful. Another friend looked blankly at me when I repeated that criticism and said that this book had taught her how artists see the world.
I'm not sure I approached this book from either of those aspects...for me what jumped at once were the similarities to The Chosen and The Promise - the tension in the father-son relationship (boy does Potok love a good father/son relationship filled with disappointment yet longing for reconciliation) and the tension between a Brooklyn Hasidic community and a brilliant Hasidic boy who just wants to express what this world, what God has given him. It's really interesting to me that Potok wrote this from the perspective of a painter - did he paint himself? Or talk to painters? Or translated how he felt about writing to painting? Ultimately I think the best part of this book is the deep tension Potok paint with psychological mastery between a young person and their parents when there is love and loyalty but also great differences and trauma and suffering in the past. Ok, yes, and how Asher describes his artistic vision. Maybe I'm not artist enough yet to fully appreciate that.
I'm not sure I approached this book from either of those aspects...for me what jumped at once were the similarities to The Chosen and The Promise - the tension in the father-son relationship (boy does Potok love a good father/son relationship filled with disappointment yet longing for reconciliation) and the tension between a Brooklyn Hasidic community and a brilliant Hasidic boy who just wants to express what this world, what God has given him. It's really interesting to me that Potok wrote this from the perspective of a painter - did he paint himself? Or talk to painters? Or translated how he felt about writing to painting? Ultimately I think the best part of this book is the deep tension Potok paint with psychological mastery between a young person and their parents when there is love and loyalty but also great differences and trauma and suffering in the past. Ok, yes, and how Asher describes his artistic vision. Maybe I'm not artist enough yet to fully appreciate that.
This book was beautifully written, but I had a hard time empathizing with Asher Lev's struggle. This is probably because I am not a painter, nor an artist, but I did enjoy it well enough.
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting, slightly disturbing, but it sucked me in and held my attention.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful prose that brings the book’s setting and characters to life. A wonderful experience of stepping inside the mind of a gifted artist and being able to sympathize with the demands of expressing one’s art despite cultural expectations and personal losses.
Re-read this one - one of those books that stuck with me since I read it in high school. Still holds up, and I picked up on some more nuances that I didn't relate to as much during my initial read.