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bperl 's review for:
My Name Is Asher Lev
by Chaim Potok
I find I can only start to understand an author’s viewpoint after three full books. This, the third Potok I’ve read, is less enjoyable and more incisive than either “The Chosen” or “The Promise.”
I very much enjoyed his explanations and explorations of art, especially when it’s superimposed upon the iconographiphobic Judaic religion. I also realized something about Potok’s style - he intentionally draws only a bare sketch of his main characters, in order to allow the reader more room to inhabit that character. All the events happen to you, personally; you feel the brunt of the pain and joy Potok maps out for you. Each book becomes a commentary, not only upon the character’s worldview, but upon yours as well. Just brilliant.
Well-written, yet not as engaging. Art is, objectively, a subjectively divisive subject. Any book devoted to it must walk the line between preachy and dull. Potok stumbles sometimes here, but nearly always recovers before the topic closes.
Well worth the read.
I very much enjoyed his explanations and explorations of art, especially when it’s superimposed upon the iconographiphobic Judaic religion. I also realized something about Potok’s style - he intentionally draws only a bare sketch of his main characters, in order to allow the reader more room to inhabit that character. All the events happen to you, personally; you feel the brunt of the pain and joy Potok maps out for you. Each book becomes a commentary, not only upon the character’s worldview, but upon yours as well. Just brilliant.
Well-written, yet not as engaging. Art is, objectively, a subjectively divisive subject. Any book devoted to it must walk the line between preachy and dull. Potok stumbles sometimes here, but nearly always recovers before the topic closes.
Well worth the read.