My Name is Asher Lev
by Chaim Potok · first published 1972
3mentions
1recommended by
3HN commenters
2020–2026first – last mentioned
33% recommend67% neutral
"Memorable...A book profound in its vision of humanity, of religion, and of art."THE WALL STREET JOURNALHere 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
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As an engineer raised by a doctor and a nurse, I've never been into art, but somehow I found "My Name is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok and that totally helped me understand art and artists better. Also a very interesting look into Judiasm and Jewish culture for me.
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗I read multiple books together. - My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok Upbringing of a painter and the beginning of his journey in 1950s New York in a Hasidic Jewish family. Existentialism, art, passion. - The Art of Doing Science and Engineerig, by Hamming…
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗> My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok I love these types of books and learned there's a term for them. A bildungsroman about an artist is called a künstlerroman. I went on a künstlerroman kick a while back. A Portrait of…
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗