In The Golem and the Jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turn-of-the-century New York.
Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic and dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899.
… York harbor in 1899.
Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert, trapped in an old copper flask, and released in New York City, though still not entirely free
Ahmad and Chava become unlikely friends and soul mates with a mystical connection. Marvelous and compulsively readable, Helene Wecker’s debut novel The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable, into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.
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My book club selected this book as our monthly read, and at first I was skeptical. However, I was quickly pulled into the story, and I LOVED it! I don’t remember liking a book so much. I’m STILL thinking about it! It was a fantastic combination of historical fiction and fantasy. A stunning debut!
It’s been years since I read this, but the premise is a thing of beauty. Take two creatures from myths of different cultures and place them in the midst of the Melting Pot era in New York and what you get is two vastly different views that eventually find solace in one another as they fight for their own freedoms. Books and ideas of this caliber …
So creative – I loved that it incorporated both historical and fantastical elements, but also managed to be an interesting exploration of human nature.
This book kept me hooked better than any other I’ve read this year or even last year. With a world full of vibrant characters (especially the main two) and the turn of the century NYC brought to life in such a detailed way I was enthralled and I personally don’t care much for NYC as a setting. Loved this book.
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker takes 2 mythical creatures and moves them from Jewish eastern Europe and the Arabian Middle East and then drops them into NYC in the 1890s. The characters are not only “magical” but their stories converge in almost lyrically descriptive prose. Mixing such mythic fantasy with historical fiction was …
Such a magical story – sadness & joy, dark & light, beautifully written. Very difficult to put down – I felt transported. Consider one of my favorite books!
How fascinating to watch (the movie in my mind) these two ancient creatures learn to live and fit into the “modern’ world. This very entertaining story about a jinn, by nature a solitary, long lived and proud creature, quite flawed by human standards and the golem, historically created to need a master, learn, grow and develop their characters to …
This was a great read. The golem and jinn were such opposites but worked well together. Neither had a clue as to the era or society, but taught each other how to deal with the daily lives they were handed.
This is a great read rain or shine! The Golem is a woman of clay made as a bride for a man who is immigrating to America. She needs a master but ends up without one. The Jinni is a spirit of the air trapped in a human body with a master. The novel follows these two as they maneuver the human world of early 20th century New York with frightening …
Definitely recommend this book. A historical fiction mixed with magic. Following the life of a gollum and jinni living in old New York City was intriguing and kept me wanting more. Hope there is a sequel!
A magical-realism story set in early 1900’s New York, this novel explores questions about life, love, immortality, and control of others through two central protagonists: Chava the golem and Ahmad the jinni. The incorporation of early Jewish and Middle Eastern immigrant culture was stunningly managed and will appeal to anyone searching for …
Read 12.22.2016
I do not even know how to review this book; it was just so amazing.
To be honest, when I first started it, I was not captivated at all; I just could not get into it. Some of that had to do with what was going on around me at the time and some of it was the pressure of trying to read a 600+ page book in less than three weeks for my …
Here we have unusual juxtapositions of main characters, but this far-fetched tale of golem and jinni and the humans around them provides for interesting dilemma and questions.
Quite intriguing!
I so thoroughly enjoyed this book. So very beautifully written and so unexpected. I felt like I was plopped down in time and place. I cannot wait to dig into the next.
A sweeping, beautifully written book which makes me wonder why more fantasy authors aren’t tapping into the untold riches of Jewish & Arabic mythologies.
You’ll never read anything like this book, ever, anywhere. And yet this story of a golem and a jinni (genie) who meet by chance in NY City in the 30’s feels absolutely real, as if the author discovered their diaries. I couldn’t put it down. Go, read. Marvel.
Great book. Reminiscent in ways to Winter’s Tale. Very highly recommended.
Chava was created by an amoral man, one who dabbled in the forbidden arts. He was hired to create a perfect wife, one who was curious, amiable, and obedient. But shortly after her intended recited the incantation that brought her to life, he died, leaving her alone and rudderless as a new immigrant in early 20th century New York City.
Fortunately …
I found the book to almost be gothic in nature. It was way too long. The story, if shorter, would have been much more interesting.
Excellent book that shows us that humanity isn’t about who you are, but rather how you are. Magical realism at its finest.