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The Gift of Asher Lev
Chaim Potok Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Gift of Asher Lev
"This sequel to "My Name Is Asher Lev," finds the painter very successful and living with his family, a son and a daughter in France, and still practicing his orthodox religion. They go back to Williamsburgh in Brooklyn to the Chassidic community to visit his family. There the children become enmeshed in their roots. Asher's son is of particular interest to the chief rabbi, who is looking for someone to become his eventual successor. Asher's son is his choice, which will mean that the boy must stay in Brooklyn. Asher must choose whether to separate from his son for the sake of his religious group."
Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Gift of Asher Lev
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - very sensitive (sigh)
Time/era of story - 1960's-1970's
Inside culture (main char) - religious Jew
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society) - Jewish
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - artist
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Nationality - Jewish
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 60's-90's
Profession/status: - religious figure
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 (an average amount)
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast
Europe Yes
European country: - France

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to The Gift of Asher Lev
Acts of Faith by Erich Segal
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth
Chosen By God: A Brother's Journey by Joshua Hammer
Sotah by Naomi Ragen


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Chaim Potok Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Jack Goodstein  

SCHOLARS:
alyssa  Angela Allan  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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