Name: The Golem and the Jinni
ISBN: 9780062110831

Helene Wecker

Chava, a golem brought to life by a disgraced rabbi, and Ahmad, a jinni made of fire, form an unlikely friendship on the streets of New York until a fateful choice changes everything.

The Golem and the Jinni

Laura Mei

lianna

Reconciling herself to the night ahead, she sat before the mirror and began to brush out her hair. Her maid had already laid out her gown, a new wine-red silk. She had to admit that she was looking forward to wearing it; the season’s new fashions were quite flattering to her figure.

Something moved at the edge of her vision. She turned, startled. A man was standing on her balcony, just beyond the French doors, peering in through the glass.

She jumped up and nearly screamed, clutching her dressing gown to her neck. The man raised his hands and looked at her pleadingly, plainly asking her not to raise an alarm. She squinted at the glass, past her own thin reflection, and realized: it was him, the man from the park.

She goggled. How had he gotten onto the grounds? Her room was on the second floor—had he scaled the wall, and then climbed across the balconies? She hesitated a moment, then picked up the lamp and stepped toward the French door, the better to see him. He watched as she approached. Through the distortions of the glass he seemed almost impossibly still. She paused a few feet from the door, debating. She could still scream.

The man smiled, and extended an arm. An invitation—to talk?

Heart pounding, she fetched a shawl and stepped out onto the balcony. The night air was chill, and smelled of rain. She did not close the door behind her but drew the shawl tightly about herself. “What are you doing here?”

“You’re trespassing on our property and invading my privacy, in order to apologize?”

“I could scream. I could have you arrested.”

He acknowledged this with silence. They stared at each other, across the few feet that separated them.

Finally she relented. “All right. I suppose that if you risk so much to apologize, then it is only fair that I offer forgiveness. So, there. You are forgiven. You may go now.”

He nodded once, bowed to her, and then, in the most graceful movement that Sophia had ever seen, placed one hand on the balustrade and vaulted up onto it. He looked across to the next balcony, and she realized he was readying himself to jump.

He froze, wobbling slightly, and put a hand out to steady himself; and she shuddered to think she might have killed him.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “it’s only—I just want to know—what is your name?”

There was a moment when he seemed to consider the question, and then he said, “Ahmad.”

“Ahmad,” she repeated. “Where are you from?”

“I would know it as Syria? What do you know it as?”

He stood nonchalantly above her on the wide balustrade, not seeming to notice the two-story drop beneath him. Again she felt that creeping sense of unreality, as though he’d merely stepped from a tale. As though none of this were truly happening.

“Ahmad. Will you tell me something? And for pity’s sake, come down from there before you fall.”

He smiled and jumped back down to the balcony. “What shall I tell you?”

“Tell me what it’s like where you’re from. Where did you live?”

She’d expected him to name a city, but instead he said, “In the desert.”

“The desert! Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Only if one isn’t careful. The desert is wild, but not impassable.”

“I’ve seen pictures,” she said, “in my father’s journals. But I’m sure they don’t do it justice.”

Both started at a sudden noise. Someone was knocking at her bedroom door. The man crouched, as though about to spring to the balustrade again.

Softly she crept back into the bedroom. She lay down on her bed, mussing the sheets so it would look as though she’d been asleep. “One moment,” she called, and then hung her head upside down and shook it vigorously, disheveling her hair and hopefully bringing a flush to her cheeks. She rose from the bed, adopted an air of listless ill health, and opened the door.

A maid stood in the doorway, with an armful of linens. She took in the sight of Sophia still in her dressing gown and shawl, and her eyes widened with alarm. “Miss Sophia, your mother says the guests will be here in a half hour.”

“Maria, I’m afraid that I’m not feeling well,” Sophia said. “I have a terrible headache. Will you please tell my mother that I must have a rest first, and then I promise I’ll come down to the party?”

“What?” cried a voice. Both women flinched as Julia Hamilton Winston, one of the most formidable doyennes of New York society, came charging down the hall in a billowing blue gown, her hair still tied in curling rags.

“Mother,” Sophia pleaded as the woman advanced on them, “I’m really not feeling well. I’m sorry.”

“This is nonsense. You were well enough at dinner.”

“It came on suddenly, my head is pounding.”

Then take an aspirin,” her mother snapped. “I’ve certainly suffered through enough parties with headaches and morning sickness and any number of illnesses. You are far too soft, Sophia. And too eager to shirk your responsibilities.”

“Please,” she said. “Just a half hour, that’s all I’m asking. If I can sleep a bit, I’ll feel better. And I’m afraid if I stand up much longer I’ll be sick.”

“Hmm.” Her mother placed a hand on Sophia’s forehead. “Well, you do feel a bit warm.” She took her hand away and sighed, her face still registering distrust. “Half an hour only. Do you understand? And then I’ll have Maria drag you from your bed.”

She closed the door and listened as the women’s steps retreated down the hall, then went out once more to the balcony. He was where she had left him, wearing an expression of amusement.

“Very skillful,” he said. “Do you do that often?”

She blushed in the dark. “My mother and I tend to disagree,” she said. “We’re very different people. We want different things from our lives.”

“And what is it,” he asked, “that you want from your life?”

She did not move but made herself meet his eyes. She would not blush again, she told herself; she would not look away. “Why did you come here? Truly, I mean. None of this nonsense about apologies.”

“Because you intrigue me, and you are beautiful,” he said.

She did blush at that, and turned, and placed more distance between them. “You are rather more direct than most men.”

“No. Not as such. But I’m not accustomed to it.” She sighed. “To tell the truth, I am very sick indeed of men who are not direct. And tonight this house will be full of them.” She glanced over at him again. “Your home, in the desert. Will you tell me more?”

“One can travel the desert for days, months, years, and never meet another soul,” he said quietly. “Or, if you wish, you can seek out the company of the desert peoples, or attempt to trace the ways of those creatures who don’t wish to be seen, such as the jinn—although that,” he said with a secret smile, “is rather more difficult. If somehow you gained the power of flight, you could travel with the birds, the hawks and kestrels. Like them, you could sleep as you flew.” He paused. “Now I will ask you a question. Why will your house be full of men who aren’t direct?”

She sighed. “Because I’m coming of age to marry. And because my father is very, very wealthy. They’ll all be looking to make an advantageous match. They’ll compliment my good looks and my opinions. They’ll ask my friends about my tastes, and then affect them as their own. I’m about to become the quarry in a hunt, and it isn’t even me they want. I’m simply a means to an end.”

“Are you so certain about that? If a man tells you that you’re beautiful, do you doubt his sincerity?”

She hesitated, then took a deep breath and said, “I suppose it depends on the man.”

They were drawing closer to each other. The cypress trees that edged the garden were tall enough to screen out much of their surroundings; if she was very still, and kept her head at a certain angle, it was as though she was not in New York at all, but in a garden on the Mediterranean coast. The faint noises of the street behind them were the wash of a distant surf. The man beside her was a complete stranger. He could be anyone.

“Besides,” the Rabbi went on, “from what you tell me about this Anna, she sounds like a less than serious-minded woman. Perhaps she can learn from your example, even if it doesn’t come naturally to her.”

“Perhaps,” the Golem agreed. “She doesn’t seem to wish me ill as much as before. But then, she’s been preoccupied with her new suitor. She thinks about him quite a lot, and hopes he will walk her home from the bakery, so they can—” Caught up in her description, she bit back the words just in time.

“Yes, well.” The Rabbi had colored slightly. “She’s a foolish girl, if she’s given herself to him before marriage. Or at the very least, before a promise of one.”

“Because she has everything to lose. Marriage has many benefits, and one of them is the protection of a child, the likely result of their . . . current behavior. An unmarried man is free to leave a woman, whatever condition she may be in, without consequence to himself. And what of the woman? She’s now burdened, and may not be able to support the child, or even herself. Women in these situations have turned to the ugliest of crimes out of desperation, and then lose whatever virtue they have left. From there, it’s a short journey to disease, poverty, and death. It’s no exaggeration to say that a night of pleasure can cost a young woman her life. I saw it far too often as a rabbi, even among the best families.”

But she seems so happy, the Golem thought.

The Rabbi stood and began to clear the dishes from the table, coughing once or twice. Quickly the Golem went to help him, and they did the dishes together in silence. “Rabbi, may I ask you something?” she said after a while. “It might embarrass you.”

The Rabbi smiled. “I’ll do my best, but don’t expect miracles.”

“If the act of love is so dangerous, why do people risk so much for it?”

The Rabbi was quiet for a while. Then he said, “If you had to guess, what would you say?”

The Golem recalled what she knew of such longings, the nocturnal lusts of passersby on the street. “It excites them to be dangerous, and to have a secret from the rest of the world.”

“That’s one aspect of it, but not the whole,” said the Rabbi. “What you’re missing is loneliness. All of us are lonely at some point or another, no matter how many people surround us. And then, we meet someone who seems to understand. She smiles, and for a moment the loneliness disappears. Add to that the effects of physical desire—and the excitement you spoke of—and all good sense and judgment fall away.” The Rabbi paused, then said, “But love founded only on loneliness and desire will die out before long. A shared history, tradition, and values will link two people more thoroughly than any physical act.”

They were silent for a while, and the Golem thought about this. “Then this is what is meant by true love?” she asked. “Tradition, and values?”

The Rabbi chuckled. “Perhaps that’s too simplistic. I’m an old man, Chava, and a widower. I left this all behind years ago. But I do remember what it was to be young, and to feel that there was no one else in the world but the beloved. It’s only with the benefit of hindsight that I can see what truly lasts between a man and a woman.”

He trailed away, lost in memory, staring at the dish towel in his hand. In the light of the kitchen lamp, his skin looked sallow and spotted, and as thin as eggshell. Had he always seemed so fragile? Rotfeld had looked like this, she thought, pale and sweating in the kerosene light. She’d always known that she would outlive the Rabbi, but now the cold truth hit her as if for the first time. A pulse of grief ran through her. [...]

anybody kno how to do italics  nvm i figured it out

For a moment, he thought he saw something in the girl’s eye leaping toward him—

And then the thing was inside his head, scrabbling to get out—

Unbearable pain seared through his mind. All went dark.

He opened his eyes—and saw kneeling above him a woman whose face was thin and insubstantial as onionskin, with gaping holes where her eyes should have been. He screamed, turned his head, and vomited.

From then on, it was as though Saleh had stepped away from the world. An unreality permeated all his senses. His eye could no longer measure distances: he would reach for something and it would be nowhere near his grasp. His hands shook, and he couldn’t properly hold his instruments. Occasionally a fit would overtake him, and he would fall down and froth at the mouth. Worst of all, he could no longer look at a human face, be it man’s or woman’s, stranger or beloved, without succumbing to nauseated terror.

In a way it was exasperating: he hadn’t come to America to succeed, but it seemed that America would not let him fail.

He had not been honest with his daughter. The tales of the caravan and his father’s misadventure were true enough—but earlier that day, driving the sheep along the ridge, he had, for the briefest of moments, been blinded by a shining vision of a palace in the valley below. A blink, and it had disappeared. He’d stared at the empty valley for a long time, telling himself that the sunlight must strike the eye in a particular way at this spot, creating the illusion. Nevertheless, he was shaken. As his daughter had said, it had been no vague, wavering mirage—he’d seen impossible details, spires and battlements and glittering courtyards. And standing a little ways from the open gate, the figure of a man, staring up at him.

The air was a malodorous broth, and all labored to inhale it.

General opinion held that Radzin’s bread was good enough for the price, but that their pastries were the best in the neighborhood.

Immediately she knew the order as if the woman had said it out loud: 

“What would you like?” she asked the woman, feeling faintly ridiculous, since the answer was so plain.

The Golem hesitated, waiting for the second half of the order. But the woman said nothing. “And perhaps some strudel?” she asked finally.

The woman laughed. “You caught me looking, did you? No, I have to watch my figure. I’m not the slip of a thing I used to be.”

A few of the other customers were smiling now. Embarrassed, the Golem fetched the rye.

Someone had thought to accuse the strange Jew of witchcraft—rightly, as it happened, though in their zeal they’d also chased out a harmless old midwife and the village idiot.

He passed tattoo parlors, mortuaries, shuttered theaters, filthy cafés. A gaming house threw harsh and tinny music onto the street. Rats scurried at the edges of the gutters and darted off below the Elevated, into the murk.

For a moment, her mother’s face had turned sepulchral, the eyes like dark hollows.

He replaced her hand on his arm, as if to show that nothing had changed; and they walked the last block to her home as the most perfectly matched couple on the street, as with each step they both desperately wished to be elsewhere.

For a moment the two couples were gazing at each other as though in a mirror; and then the Jinni saw the beginning of something startled, even frightened, in the woman’s eyes. The same budding uncertainty rose in the man’s face—his hand tightened on the reins—and then they flew by, the horses drawing them away from their own eldritch reflection, the too-handsome man and the strangely glittering woman.

Relations between the two communities were cool at best, but egalitarian Maloof held himself above both.

On a cloudless night, ink dark, with only a rind of a moon above [...]

He smelled warm, like a stone baking in the sun.

Their horses strained white-eyed at their bits, kicking up dust from the macadam. At dawn he found himself at the amusement park at Fort George, its shuttered fairway eerie and silent. The wooden rides seemed skeletal, like the remains of huge abandoned beasts.

Sofia B

i think i'm still deciding how i felt about how everything came together + the ending. rating subject to change based on how i feel tomorrow

update we dissected the shit out of this book at book club but the consensus was that we still very much enjoyed reading it despite its flaws so i guess i'll leave my rating as is

i think i'm still deciding how i felt about how everything came together + the ending. rating subject to change based on how i feel tomorrow

update we dissected the shit out of this book at book club but the consensus was that we still very much enjoyed reading it despite its flaws so i guess i'll leave my rating as is

Monicap

Amazing book. Rich fantasy world with a vivid historical setting.

This book has everything. Two magical creatures that can turn violent, but contain themselves. A very well rounded world set in mostly in 1900, Lower East Side in NYC. Flashbacks are set in Syria around 900.

The book has two main narrators but we also get to peek into secondary characters’ minds. They all feel very real and well rounded. I would absolutely hang out at Maryam’s and get a coffee and go to the bakery where Chava works.

As far as I can tell most of the historical fiction is pretty solid.

The book has a nice ebb and flow of world building, dilemmas, tension and resolve. I both really loved the Golem and the Jinni.

I think this is a book I will come back to.

Suzanne

This book has everything. Two magical creatures that can turn violent, but contain themselves. A very well rounded world set in mostly in 1900, Lower East Side in NYC. Flashbacks are set in Syria around 900.

The book has two main narrators but we also get to peek into secondary characters’ minds. They all feel very real and well rounded. I would absolutely hang out at Maryam’s and get a coffee and go to the bakery where Chava works.

As far as I can tell most of the historical fiction is pretty solid.

The book has a nice ebb and flow of world building, dilemmas, tension and resolve. I both really loved the Golem and the Jinni.

I think this is a book I will come back to.

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master, the husband who commissioned her, dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York in 1899. Ahmad is a djinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Though he is no longer imprisoned, Ahmad is not entirely free - an unbreakable band of iron binds him to the physical world. The Golem & The Djinni is their magical, unforgettable story; unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures - until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful threat will soon bring Chava and Ahmad together again, challenging their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.

The Golem and the Djinni

Sandrin

MY TYPE OF SHIT

The Golem is a no nonsense kind of gal and the Jinni has just the right amount of fuckboi in him. Loved them so fuckin much. Would have preferred more flirting, though(hopefully, in the next book), and maybe for them to have met a little bit earlier, but thats just me.

Also, the descriptions were quite vivid, and so beautifully done that you could easily immerse yourself in the diverse cultures, religions and magic. Reading this, you cant help but feel that the city is alive, filled with the colors, sounds and smells of the late 19th century. Truly, a very fun read.

hileahrious

Beautifully written. Beautiful character development. Beautiful descriptive writing; easily brought to life in the imagination (I could see it being a film). Beautiful ending.

I don't think I've ever read a book so fast of this size, not only because the story draws you in, but because it flowed so well, in terms of both literary style and plot. Love the historical aspect as well, and I never expected the book to delve into the philosophy of life and humanity's connection to religion (without boring the reader with heavy ideologies of course). Much and more than I could have ever imagined.

Kayleigh Septer

Tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York Harbor. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Struggling to make their way in this strange new place, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their neighbors while masking their true natures

Nora 

A wonderful love story exploring two mythic creatures from these areas, a Jewish Golem from Eastern Europe and a Syrian Djinni - bought who find themselves lost is 1899 New York. Though the historical aspect of where they are isn't fully explored, the examination of different myths provides and interesting characterisation of our protagonists. For those who enjoy magical realism similar to the style of The Night Circus, this is a fun read for you! A great first book from this new author!

Nikki Milton

Pleasantly surprised. Picked up the book based on the beautiful cover and design, interesting blurb and eye-catching title. Was not expecting much. Loved every minute of it. Alternate history of early immigrant-era New York City with supernatural beings and great characters.

The golem and the jinni

Colleen

3 Stars

I was intrigued when I first read the description of The Golem and the Jinni. The two things I complain most about the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres are how similar many of those stories are and how cheesy the writing often is. Well, The Golem and the Jinni is neither a copycat nor cheesy. It is actually a unique premise - the two main characters (if you did not guess from the title) are a Golem and a Jinni. I was interested in how these two concepts from very different mythology would meld together in one story. Initially, I dove into the story and was captivated. Unfortunately, that captivation wore off by about the second chapter. 

The problem was that the narrative was too bogged down by details which caused the pace to grind practically to a halt. The story veers off onto monotonous tangents and goes into minute detail of the background of almost every character mentioned - and there are a LOT of characters. So after the initial interesting start the story slowed to a glacial crawl. The book had that underlying sense that all of these people (and their microscopically described lives) were going to tie together in the end, and to be fair most of it did. But there was still a massive amount of unnecessary information that made the story hard to get through. I actually put this book down for months. When my copy from the library was due (after having renewed it twice already and still only having reached about page 100), I decided it was time for a break from it. I had other books I was more interested in reading. Honestly, I only came back to it because I am a little obsessive about finishing books that I start. In the end, I was glad that I revisited the book and finished it. But anyone considering this book should be forewarned to be patient because you have to trudge through massive amounts of minutiae before the pace picks up. 

It was interesting to combine fantasy with historical fiction. Usually fantasy stories are only set in medieval times. Instead, The Golem and the Jinni is mainly set in New York City in 1899. It was an appealing setting and well researched, but the groups of immigrants were portrayed too similarly. This may have been intentional to show that people are not so different after all, but it gave the characters and their neighborhoods a sameness. Chava's Jewish community and Ahmad's Syrian community were hard to tell apart at times other than which of the main characters is inhabiting them and maybe a few Yiddish words in the dialogue in the Jewish community.

The flashbacks to Ahmad's life before being cursed were chaotic and randomly lumped into the rest of the story. While I was curious about his past, the haphazard way that these flashbacks were dropped into the story often disrupted the flow of the narrative and were at times confusing particularly when it got to the big reveal. After such a slow build, the ending felt rushed, and there were a couple of things that I was unclear on.

Despite the book's description of "soul mates," I would not really call this a love story. Maybe there is love in it, but it was not overall the focus of the book. It is much more about identity and self discovery. Chava and Ahmad do not even meet until a good ways into the story. They represent two opposite extremes - one ultimate obedience and one ultimate freedom. They both struggle to balance their past with the new lives which they were both thrust into unknowingly. They both wrestle with with merging their ingrained natures with the expectations of those around them. So yes, it is certainly more than a cheesy love story. This book delves into what it is to be free and how there are many types of imprisonment whether it is through a curse, a commandment to blindly obey, or societal expectations and familial obligations.

I liked the ending, but it took so long to get there. So while I did appreciate the last third of the book much more than what preceded it, I cannot disregard that a large portion of the book did not hold my interest and that I had to force myself to carry on with it. The overall result was good, but it needed more work. I liked the author's writing style and symbolism but wished she would have more succinct rather than spending so much time describing uninteresting things. It was good for a debut though. I may be interested to read more of the author's work in the future, but I strongly hope she learns when to edit things out and be more concise! 

RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 2 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars

Boothby

In awe of the craftsmanship in this novel. That's what it is. A solid, beautifully plotted unit that you couldn't tip over sideways if you tried. Just try not to be charmed. I dare you.

Every character vividly depicted with a distinct and carefully thought through inner life. Fascinating to see how both Chava and Ahmad each see the world and how the world sees them in turn. Depicts Chava and Ahmad's ways of seeing the world as a golem and a djinni in a clear, straightforward way, with clear justification for the ways they think.

One third cozy slice of life, Infused with the energy of turn of the century New York, with its creaking subways, tenement houses and flashes of green in the park. 

I'm more than willing to go on the interludes with other stories, and these flashbacks turn out of have incredible payoffs. Satisfying ties up all the loose ends in emotionally resonant ways

Sabanar

I like this book a lot.
It’s definitely a 5 am read (although I couldn’t stay up too late cause of work and my own tiredness).
I loved how it followed multiple characters and how all the characters stories tied in together in the end.
I also enjoyed the arab and Jewish mythology it explored.
 
Lovely. Will read again in the future.
:)

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Struggling to make their way in 1899 New York, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their immigrant neighbors while masking their true selves. Meeting by chance, they become unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures, until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful menace will soon bring the Golem and the Jinni together again, threatening their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice. Marvelous and compulsively readable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of folk mythology, historical fiction, and magical fable into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.

A Novel

Gillian Rose

Technically 4 1/2 stars. I loved Chava and Ahmad's friendship. It was beautifully written. There were other stories being told that didn't make sense though until like the very end and that was a little distracting but it tied together extremely well. Definitely can't wait to read more from her.

Rachel Kanyid

4.25/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. 
It was a storyline that I've never seen before, and I thought the characters were very fleshed out.

I enjoyed the flashbacks that were scattered through out for some of the characters, and I loved the relationships portrayed around Ahmad and Michael, Chava and the rabbi, etc. 

This book was beautifully written, and I think pretty much anyone who enjoys fantasy would like this book to some extent or another.

Christine Bruce

In turn of the century New York, two supernatural beings, old magic, try to find lives for themselves amid the bustling Industrial Age. As they try to blend in among the humans, they feel frustration, confusion, and trust. But there’s a true monster on their heels. Greedy for more power no matter the cost. 

This was such a fun and poignant book. It read like a fairy tale and While a little slow at times, was more than enough to pull me along. Most of the scenes with the villain in particular were just not my cup of tea in comparison to Ahmed discovering a love of metal working and guiding the young boy or Chava bonding with her coworkers at the bakery and discovering a niche way to make her community brighter. 

The relationships they had with the humans around them, the ways magic touched other parts of their world in ways they couldn’t have imagined. It was just such a fun and intriguing book. I also loved all the bits of cultural information that I never knew about, but are inherently part of New York culture and American culture. While reading this book I probably spent an equal amount of time in a wiki black hole looking up terms and references. 

💭 
7/10
Magical realism 
Finding humanity
Turn of the century New York

This was a “read 12 recommendations by 12 friends” book. Thanks, Alex!

Merve A. 

this was... disappointing. there was a lot going on all at once, and i think the focus on several of the side characters was redundant and made it hard to connect with chava and ahmad and care more about their stories. and there was too much telling, but not enough showing which made me force myself to finish the book just to be done with it. great premise, nice writing, but the execution fell short imo.

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Wecker crafted one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a long time in The Golem and the Jinni, and I’m so glad that I finally took time to read it.

I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for four years. You read that right. Four. YEARS. I’m ashamed, I tell you. I bought it because it was cheap and the cover was pretty and I promptly returned to my regular reading. The premise sounded interesting, it really did, but it was just strange enough for me to keep putting it off and eventually forgetting about it all together. Thankfully, my lovely friend Mary mentioned it and told me she thought I would love it, so I dusted it off and gave it a try.

I was immediately engrossed. The Golem and the Jinni both find themselves in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. We get to see a good deal of the city as it would have been in the late 1890s through the eyes of two radically different entities. The Golem finds herself alone in New York, a helpmate created for a man who was gone before she had even lived a day. She was crafted for a much different person than most golems, and must learn to navigate her fledgling life without the guidance of a master. The Golem is sweet, honest, caring, hardworking, and innocent. Seeing the world through her eyes was a delight.

The Jinni awakens trapped in human form with no memory for the past thousand years. He’s brash and selfish, but he’s beautiful and talented and can create astounding artwork from metals. He burns brightly, drawing others to him like moths to flame, but his brightness also repels. There is this vibrant overabundance of life within him that discomforts others. 

The Golem and the Jinni frequent radically different parts of the city. The Golem stays near the Jewish neighborhood, drawn to the familiarity of the religion that crafted her. The Jinni awakened in Little Syria, and there he mostly stays. Both of these neighborhoods were lovely to experience through the eyes of our main characters. Each area was rich in heritage and life, and seeing how radically the neighborhoods within New York City differed during this time period was fascinating. I also love how beliefs and heritage infused every aspect of life for people in these neighborhoods.

So, if the Golem and the Jinni live in very different microcosms in New York, how do they meet? Well, you see, besides being mythological creatures, the two share in common something that is both a gift and a curse: they don't need sleep. While that's a great way to not have to waste around a third of your day, it's also lonely and boring. The two meet one night while prowling the streets of their slumbering city, and an unlikely friendship is formed.

The mythos behind each of our main characters was probably my favorite part of the book. I’m a sucker for mythology, but both Kabbalistic and Arabian mythology are lesser known for me. I very much enjoyed learning more about them. I was especially fascinated by Kabbalah, as its roots are also the roots of my own faith.

Wecker’s prose was absolutely lovely. There was a beautiful, easy flow to her words that I appreciated immensely. Nothing ever felt forced, in my opinion. This is one of those books that makes you think more deeply and feel more intelligent just by cracking it open, but in a way that never feels condescending, if that makes sense. I love literary fiction, but it does on occasion feel as if it’s talking down to you. Not so with this book! It definitely felt like literary fiction, but effortlessly so. And I’m not sure if I would call this historical fantasy or magical realism, because it bridges the two very well. I think it’s a book that is book genre defying and genre defining, in a sense. Also, there was something about the writing and the story that just felt so romantic. Not because of a romantic element, but because of how the time period, subject matter and writing mingled together to form this lovely picture in the minds of readers. My only complaint about this book is that the ending felt just a bit rushed compared to the pacing of the rest of the book. However, I thought Wecker ended things very well, and I felt satisfied by the ending. 

If you’re a fan of historical fantasy, literary fiction, magical realism, or just really good stories written really well, I heartily recommend this book. It would also be a fabulous book club option, as there is a plethora of topics to discuss.

Original review can be found at Booknest.

Cams Campbell

I simply cannot believe that this is Helene Wecker's first published novel. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in quite some time. Superbly written.

A marvelous and absorbing debut novel, a combination of vivid historical fiction and magical fable, about two supernatural creatures in turn-of-the-century immigrant New York. An immigrant tale that combines elements of Jewish and Arab folk mythology, Helene Wecker's sparkling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who arrive separately in New York in 1899. Chala, is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a conjurer who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master--the husband who commissioned her--dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born of the ancient deserts of Syria. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Manhattan shop. Though he is no longer imprisoned, Ahmad is not entirely free. An iron band around his wrist binds him to the physical world. Overwhelmed by the incessant longing and fears of the humans around her, the cautious and tentative Chava fears losing control. Baptized by the tinsmith who makes him his apprentice, the capricious and carefree Ahmad chafes at monotony and human dullness. Like their immigrant neighbors, golem and jinni struggle to make their way in this strange new place, masking the supernatural origins that could destroy them. Surrounding them is a colorful cast of supporting characters: the café owner Maryam Faddoul, a pillar of wisdom and support for her Syrian neighbors; the solitary Ice Cream Saleh, a damaged man cursed by tragedy; the kind and caring Rabbi Meyer and his beleaguered nephew Michael, whose Sheltering House receives newly arrived Jewish immigrants; the adventurous young socialite Sophia Winston; and the mysterious Joseph Schall, a dangerous man driven by ferocious ambition and esoteric wisdom. When Chala and Ahmad accidentally meet, they form a tenuous bond that challenges their opposing natures--a friendship that is shattered when the golem's violent nature overtakes her. But a powerful threat will emerge to bring Chala and Ahmad together again, challenging their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice. Marvelous and compulsively readable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable in a wondrously inventive tale that is mesmerizing and unforgettable.

Emma Motze

This book is not a typical book I would normally find myself reading. I do not believe I have ever read a book that was in this genre before, but I am so glad I found this book. It was so beautifully written and just all-around so thoroughly thought out that I fell in love with it and the setting it created. The characters were lovely and created such depth to this novel and I just want to read it again and again and I wish I never finished it.

One of the most well-written, engaging novels I have read in a long time.

3.5 stars

Beautiful concept and original ideas with nods to Bedouin/Jewish/Arab tradition...but it dragged a bit and took a long time to get where it needed to go. Longer than necessary, I think.

Sarah Vaughan

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. If it could be divided into two parts, I would give the first part two stars and the second part five stars. The real action doesn't really begin until around page 180, so basically you have read an entire novel in and of itself before the story begins. There are two main characters here, obviously a golem and a jinni, but there are a dozen or so characters interwoven and connected to them whose backstory we learn about before the golem and the jinni even cross paths. This section of the book for me dragged on and on. I even considered abandoning it at one point, but once the characters collide and things start falling into place and 180 pages worth of conflict begins to settle itself, I really enjoyed it. I was hooked from page 300 on. So, as much as I loved the last part of the story, I just didn't feel it would be fair to other books I've given rated as five-star reads if I did the same for The Golem and the Jinni. I will most likely read the author's other works and still recommend this to a few people I know who I think would love it.

Kelsi Proulx

This book was very different from any book I have read before. I really enjoyed the creativity of it. It tells the story of two creatures (a golem and a jinni) who by nature are completely opposite from one another. Despite their differences they are drawn to each other by a need for understanding and companionship. I really enjoyed reading their story. It was an interesting look at how humanity looks from the outside. It makes me wonder why we do things the way we do. Some of our customs are so silly when properly examined. My favorite part of this book was learning about the jinni's past leading up to his capture and the capture itself. I highly recommend this read!

Arden Kowalski

This is a wonderful book! An intricate blend of Arabian and Jewish folklore takes center stage in 1890s New York, supplemented by the incredible writing talent of Helene Wecker and the well-developed leads. The setting here feels very essential to the story, the characters are well-rounded and grow throughout the novel, and the prose is decadent. I flew through this rather quickly and wholly enjoyed the story. I do feel it's a bit longer than it needs to be, and the second act especially is a bit stretched, but this didn't really interfere with my enjoyment of the novel. I haven't read fantasy for quite a few weeks now, and this magical realism was a well timed reminder of why I love the genre so much.

The Golem and the Jinni

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