"Memorable...A book profound in its vision of humanity, of religion, and of art." THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Here 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 ...
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"Memorable...A book profound in its vision of humanity, of religion, and of art." THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Here 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 REVIEW "From the Paperback edition."
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Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $9.26, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $9.26, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $9.26, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $9.26, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $10.24, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $10.50, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $10.50, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $10.89, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
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Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included.
Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $12.59, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of My Name is Asher Lev to cart. $13.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by Ballantine Books.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
The first novel I bought while recovering from a brutal crime was My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok (1972). I found it in a Goodwill Store. It's a treasure! I am the only daughter of a gifted, African American painter. This coming-of-age story of a young, Jewish boy's maturity into an artist is beautifully rendered by Potok. The descriptions of his Brooklyn community, education, and family background come alive. I found the themes on the value of mentorship for young people to be instructive. As a Christian raised on Bible stories, I looked forward to what Potok was revealing about how faith in or the rejection of God is personal and affects not only your life but other relationships as well. This novel is one that I would give or teach to teeangers or college students given its insight into American Judaism and timeless themes. A masterpiece!
Wouncer
Jan 19, 2010
Holy Cow
This book was recommended to me by my Rabbi (and friend) when I told him I didn't know why I made art - that I simply felt compelled to do it. Reading this book felt like looking in a mirror and seeing the other side of myself. The author so thoroughly unfolds a particular kind of artist's mind and experience, while at the same time imagining what it would be like for someone else to experience that artist. It's beautiful and painful, magical and real. If you're looking for an engrossing novel about family, art, religion, and the pain of growing - well, here you are.
aries
Sep 27, 2007
My Name Is Asher Lev
I was encouraged to read this by an extremely devout Christian. So it is not a had sell on Judaism. It's merely an understanding of another culture and by far the most powerful book on art I have ever read. The end is a "crescendo"!
BarbaraBranden
May 9, 2007
A Remarkable Novel
Asher Lev was born with a gift. The gift of experiencing the world in the manner of a painter, through line and color and shape and texture and composition. The gift of finding his spirit?s expression through the medium of paint on canvas. ?What color is feeling cold?? the young boy asks his mother. From early childhood, he is a member of the religion called painting.
Asher Lev, the son of devout Hasidic Jews, was born with a curse. The curse of loving the father who sees in the boy?s choice of a painter?s life the abandonment of his sacred heritage, and who turns from his only son. The curse of loving the intense and narrow world of the Hasid, its rituals and beliefs and passionate concerns, a world that turns against him as he follows the path of his gift.
He must learn to be true to himself, the young Asher knows. But which self?
This powerful novel, written with great beauty, subtlety, and exquisite simplicity, follows the destiny of the young man torn between art and religion, and we, the readers, follow the growth of a prodigy. But it is the story of a conflict between art and religion only on one level.. More profoundly, it is about a young man who must make a wrenching and life-altering choice between two passionate loves,
