I have the utmost of respect for my pal, Johnny Rogers, who recommended this book to me. I think I’m just not as smart or as patient as he.

In the book, Asher is preoccupied with his gift of art. I can relate. He and his art are not fully understood by those around him. I can sorta relate. The part that kept me from getting further than half way through was that the author Chaim Potok didn’t further the story … at least not at a pace to keep my attention.

Part of my problem is that I think I prefer non-fiction. I was interested in the human elements surrounding the Jewish persecution but would have been more interested knowing it was historically accurate. I may have been but I don’t know. Once again, my ignorance revealed.

I’ve had other artists recommend this book so I really really fought hard to finish it, but it just wasn’t going to happen. I did, however, pull a Harry from “When Harry Met Sally” and read the last page. It was the same at the first half of the book. Asher, his art, his whining, his not being understood.

I guess one redeeming nugget from the book is that I need to spend less time reading about art and artists and more time doing art. Maybe then I’ll have a better basis for my criticism.

– Kyle Dreier