Favorite Books: "My Name is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok

This isn't my first favorite book, nor the book that got me into reading. I don't even necessarily think it's one of the best books ever written. But it is a book that has deeply affected me over the years in a way that no other book really has. When people ask what my favorite book is, this is usually the first book that comes to mind.

I first read My Name is Asher Lev when I was going into my senior year of High School in 2010. It was my summer reading for my AP Literature course, so I waited until the last minute, read half of it the couple days before school started, and then bullshitted my way through the first two weeks of the class as I tried to catch up with everybody else.

I don't know if it was the way we talked about it in class (it very well could have been - I had a phenomenal teacher that I still keep in touch with) or the writing that drew me back; maybe it was the deep melancholy of the titular character, something I could identify with at the tender age of 17. Whatever it was, the book stuck with me despite not giving it my full attention the first time around. A few years later, I re-read it. Since then, I've read it 5 or 6 times. The most recent reading was a few months ago after a 3 year absence from the book, and that reading affected me more deeply than I expected it to. Each time I read this novel, I appreciate another facet of its storytelling, connect to a new character, and/or feel an entirely new emotion. It's not a fast-paced book with tons of plot points and intrigue. Rather, it's a quiet study of Asher across the formative years of his life as he grapples with who is is, who he is expected to be, and who he decides to be.

The premise of the book centers around Asher Lev, a Hasidic Jew living with his parents in Brooklyn in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust. His father, Aryeh, is a prominent member of the community who works closely with the Rebbe (the religious leader of their sect). His mother, Rivkeh, is a kind, sensitive, driven woman who - over the course of the novel - defies certain cultural norms and becomes integral to Asher's art.

Asher is born with a gift: he is an exceptional artist. This alone is enough to cause his parents alarm; art is not considered a worthy endeavor for an Orthodox Jew. When he becomes fascinated with Christian imagery and dedicates his art to exploring it, he experiences discord within himself, his family, and his community.

The main themes of this book - as I see them - are religious adherence, nature vs. nurture, responsibility to oneself, parental relationships, and the importance of self expression. Each theme is explored through Asher himself, but also the vibrant side characters. Each character, conversation, and image are integral to the plot and message of the novel. The writing is deceiving; it's straightforward in construction, propulsive in its ease, yet brimming with meaning.

Potok sets a melancholy tone from the outset. You get the feeling that this isn't going to be a happy book, and you're right. This isn't a joyful novel, but it somehow manages to be hopeful in its despondency. You close the book feeling hopeful that Asher feels fulfilled and loved, that his journey will not have been in vain, that his relationship with himself, his family, his community, his God, will survive. You're also left with the knowledge that some things are irreparably broken, that despite your tentative hope for the future of the characters, there is the possibility that nothing will be saved and nothing will be worth what Asher had to give up. It is a gifted writer who can leave the reader with both feelings simultaneously.

Something else I appreciated about this book is how much I learned about Judaism, especially Orthodox Judaism. Any understanding I have of the religion and culture has its foundations in My Name is Asher Lev. While I did do some googling, most of the information I gleaned is inferable within the text.

While I've read hundreds of books in my life, My Name is Asher Lev is the book I find myself connecting to most as I grapple with how I want to live my life. It is one of those books that demands reflection, that permeates your soul and leaves indelible marks. With each reading, I sympathize with Asher's father, then the Rebbe, then his mother, then his neighbor, then Asher himself. It is not a book where there is a clear villain or hero; it is a book where each character is simultaneously vindicated and worthy of chastisement. In opening the book, Potok writes, " "The fact is that gossip, rumors, myth making, and news stories are not appropriate vehicles for the communication of nuances of truth, those subtle tonalities that are often the truly crucial elements in a casual chain. So it is time for the defense, for a long session in demythology. But I will not apologize. It is absurd to apologize for a mystery". It is this sentiment that best captures the feeling the reader is left with; that everything is true at once.