frogqueen's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
- ultra-orthodox jewish boy with a gift for painting struggles to reconcile his passion with his upbringing
- a really meditative novel, very slow and very focused on the question of how much does a person owe to their community and how much does a community owe to any given individual within it
- the ending was pretty unsatisfying as a reader but i think it fit well enough and gave enough resolution to the issue
- also i continue to be impressed with how expressive chaim potok can be while writing such short, dry sentences
- the biggest negative is how slow the book is. like really really slow. i get that that's just his writing style but my god can it be a drag. also made it feel like not much happened over the course of the novel.
nina_zenikwaffle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Read for English. Start was horrid but end was good
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
5.0
i worked for--what? how could i explain it? for beauty? no. many of the pictures i painted were not beautiful. for what, then? for a truth i did not know how to put into words. for a truth i could only bring to life by means of color and line and texture and form.it's near 2:30 in the morning here as i write this. g-d... this book was so much to deal with. i saw myself in asher in so many ways.
gray_ghost's review against another edition
5.0
An intriguing novel about the conflict between an artistic passion and that artist's conservative religious upbringing.
snow_leopard's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
sastolkarts's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jlem's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wendel's review
challenging
dark
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An immersive tale which is fit for rereading at different ages. Because, like with all good art, each time you will discover another layer. When I first read it, I was probably 16 and unable to grasp the many layers in this story. The style is ‘show, don’t tell’, so almost nothing is explained - except for some dialogues about art and expression. Asher’s story goes much deeper than having to choose between art, religion, family and community. It also gives a glimpse of how it must have been for many born in the US during or shortly after World War II, being raised by parents who are torn by what’s now called ‘survivors guilt’.