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February 20, 2014
This book mesmerized me. There’s truly no other word to describe my time with it over the last couple of weeks. I read it at night, at the gym, while cooking dinner, while “watching TV” with the family, whenever I could. Finally, I put in a late night, 90 minute solid session and finished it.
And I must say, this is a magnificent book!
Please go to Amazon and read the plot summaries there. This is a very popular, well-reviewed novel so there’s no need for me to spend time telling you what happens. I only want to let you know how great it is.
But first I must pay immense respects to Miss Wecker, the author, for I cannot fathom how difficult it must have been to write this complex and multi-layered novel. If she’s a heavy planner when writing, which she must be as I can see no other way to accomplish this, then it would be a wonder to see her white board or bulletin board or whatever she used to keep all the plot lines straight. Well, to keep them straight AND intertwined AND wonderfully wrapped up with one another.
First there’s tall, shapely, beautiful Chava, the Golem, who’s learning to act human after having been created by a master of the dark arts, magically awoken, abruptly abandoned, and then suddenly finding herself in a Jewish neighborhood in New York City in 1899. Then you have Ahmad, the Jinni, who’s released from the flask he’s been imprisoned in for hundreds of years by a simple tinsmith from Little Syria. Ahmad must quickly figure out the ways of man and grasp the rules and mores of American culture....all the while dealing with the excitement and temptation of NYC. And you must remember that these are both magical beings with tremendous powers which they each must keep in check. So you get to read about their fascinating struggles to fit in as immigrants, but also how they wrestle with the problem of concealing their true natures amongst curious, gossipy neighbors.
Then there’s Schaalman, the disgraced Rabbi who’s mixed up in the dark arts and was the creator of the Golem. His back story unfolds in flashbacks and is full of pain, suffering and black magic. Schaalman’s ultimate destiny lies in his unbreakable connection with Golem AND Jinni. Also there’s the aging Rabbi Meyer who protects and mentors Chava, the Golem, once he learns what she truly is. The last years of Rabbi Meyer’s life are devoted to determining how he can ensure Chava will be safe after he passes away. And we have Mahmoud Saleh, a mysterious ice cream merchant who wanders Ahmad the Jinni’s neighborhood. Saleh’s history, also in flashbacks, takes him from being a well-respected doctor in the Middle East to a poor, abandoned immigrant. Lastly, and perhaps my favorite major plot line, is the story of how the magnificent, all-powerful Jinni became trapped in such a simple copper flask. These flashbacks take us to the desert in ancient Syria and place us among fierce Bedouin tribes. And of course there are many other characters who press this story on to it’s terrific conclusion.
At first I appreciated all these plot lines as beautiful strands of the same story, stretching out from a strange, unknown center. But soon, I realized the characters were actually more like lines of gunpowder, each spectacularly smoking and sparking towards an impending explosion. At times I found myself wanting to snuff out one line or the other to protect someone, but the irresistible draw of the inevitable collision of all the lines was too exciting.
Miss Wecker’s writing is exquisite. Her storytelling ability is phenomenal. Her research and accuracy are top-notch. You will be immersed in the complicated boroughs of early 1900s NYC and you’ll love it. You’ll learn about Jewish traditions, Middle Eastern folklore and so much more. You will feel the joys, confusions, pains and frustrations of the Golem and the Jinni. At times you will love them both and at times you will nearly despise them. Yet throughout this wonderful novel, I truly believe you will enjoy everything. Again, I’ll say - the writing is absolutely outstanding. And the smooth, skillful blending of all the complicated story lines is remarkable.
Did I mention this is Helene Wecker’s debut book? Astonishing! I loved “The Golem and the Jinni” and I highly recommend it. I read this on the Kindle app on my iPad, but I will be buying the physical copy as a thank you to the author and so I can get the novel in front of as many people as possible.
**Definitely for adults or maybe mature high schoolers. Nothing too offensive or graphic, but there are mentions of sexual activity here and there. Mostly the book is just a bit complex with all the layers, history and deep characters.**
And I must say, this is a magnificent book!
Please go to Amazon and read the plot summaries there. This is a very popular, well-reviewed novel so there’s no need for me to spend time telling you what happens. I only want to let you know how great it is.
But first I must pay immense respects to Miss Wecker, the author, for I cannot fathom how difficult it must have been to write this complex and multi-layered novel. If she’s a heavy planner when writing, which she must be as I can see no other way to accomplish this, then it would be a wonder to see her white board or bulletin board or whatever she used to keep all the plot lines straight. Well, to keep them straight AND intertwined AND wonderfully wrapped up with one another.
First there’s tall, shapely, beautiful Chava, the Golem, who’s learning to act human after having been created by a master of the dark arts, magically awoken, abruptly abandoned, and then suddenly finding herself in a Jewish neighborhood in New York City in 1899. Then you have Ahmad, the Jinni, who’s released from the flask he’s been imprisoned in for hundreds of years by a simple tinsmith from Little Syria. Ahmad must quickly figure out the ways of man and grasp the rules and mores of American culture....all the while dealing with the excitement and temptation of NYC. And you must remember that these are both magical beings with tremendous powers which they each must keep in check. So you get to read about their fascinating struggles to fit in as immigrants, but also how they wrestle with the problem of concealing their true natures amongst curious, gossipy neighbors.
Then there’s Schaalman, the disgraced Rabbi who’s mixed up in the dark arts and was the creator of the Golem. His back story unfolds in flashbacks and is full of pain, suffering and black magic. Schaalman’s ultimate destiny lies in his unbreakable connection with Golem AND Jinni. Also there’s the aging Rabbi Meyer who protects and mentors Chava, the Golem, once he learns what she truly is. The last years of Rabbi Meyer’s life are devoted to determining how he can ensure Chava will be safe after he passes away. And we have Mahmoud Saleh, a mysterious ice cream merchant who wanders Ahmad the Jinni’s neighborhood. Saleh’s history, also in flashbacks, takes him from being a well-respected doctor in the Middle East to a poor, abandoned immigrant. Lastly, and perhaps my favorite major plot line, is the story of how the magnificent, all-powerful Jinni became trapped in such a simple copper flask. These flashbacks take us to the desert in ancient Syria and place us among fierce Bedouin tribes. And of course there are many other characters who press this story on to it’s terrific conclusion.
At first I appreciated all these plot lines as beautiful strands of the same story, stretching out from a strange, unknown center. But soon, I realized the characters were actually more like lines of gunpowder, each spectacularly smoking and sparking towards an impending explosion. At times I found myself wanting to snuff out one line or the other to protect someone, but the irresistible draw of the inevitable collision of all the lines was too exciting.
Miss Wecker’s writing is exquisite. Her storytelling ability is phenomenal. Her research and accuracy are top-notch. You will be immersed in the complicated boroughs of early 1900s NYC and you’ll love it. You’ll learn about Jewish traditions, Middle Eastern folklore and so much more. You will feel the joys, confusions, pains and frustrations of the Golem and the Jinni. At times you will love them both and at times you will nearly despise them. Yet throughout this wonderful novel, I truly believe you will enjoy everything. Again, I’ll say - the writing is absolutely outstanding. And the smooth, skillful blending of all the complicated story lines is remarkable.
Did I mention this is Helene Wecker’s debut book? Astonishing! I loved “The Golem and the Jinni” and I highly recommend it. I read this on the Kindle app on my iPad, but I will be buying the physical copy as a thank you to the author and so I can get the novel in front of as many people as possible.
**Definitely for adults or maybe mature high schoolers. Nothing too offensive or graphic, but there are mentions of sexual activity here and there. Mostly the book is just a bit complex with all the layers, history and deep characters.**