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The Golem and the Jinni

(The Golem and the Jinni #1)

Helene Wecker (Goodreads Author)

4.11 · Rating details · 115,274 ratings · 14,329 reviews

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic, created to be the wife of a man who dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New 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 ...more

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Hardcover, 486 pages

Published April 23rd 2013 by Harper

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· 115,274 ratings · 14,329 reviews

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Nov 20, 2012 Will Byrnes rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, books-of-the-year-2013, nyc, new-york-city, historical-fiction, fiction

I am trying something a little different here. I found The Golem and the Jinni to be a fun, magical fairy tale of a romance with a fair bit of excitement to it. But it is pretty clear that this is also a serious, literary work, raising meaningful philosophical questions, while using the folklore of two different cultures to inform the immigrant experience, offering a fascinating look at a place and time, and linking the experiences of the old and new worlds. These two takes seemed to call for di ...more

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Nov 14, 2013 Emily May rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016, magic-realism, historical

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.

Unsure what to think as I finally took the plunge into this 19th-Century New York tale of friendship, different cultures and, of course, magic, I found myself completely transported to another world.

I understand why readers often call The Golem and the Jinni "fantasy" - it certainly has the depth, epic ...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Mitch rated it it was amazing

Shelves: most-memorable

Just this once, I wish I could say 'The Golem and the Jinni is awesome. Trust me.' and just leave it at that. Not only because it is, but also because Helene Wecker's debut novel is a hard book to put into words, full of wonder and meaning, and an experience I don't think any review can fully do justice to. Still, even though I'll probably miss things, here goes...

Chava is a golem. Ahmad is a jinni. This is not a story of their chance encounter and subsequent whirlwind romance among century ago Just this once, I wish I could say 'The Golem and the Jinni is awesome. Trust me.' and just leave it at that. Not only because it is, but also because Helene Wecker's debut novel is a hard book to put into words, full of wonder and meaning, and an experience I don't think any review can fully do justice to. Still, even though I'll probably miss things, here goes...

Chava is a golem. Ahmad is a jinni. This is not a story of their chance encounter and subsequent whirlwind romance among century ago New York's immigrant community. No, this is one of those books. The ones that ponder the meaning of life and examine what it means to be human, to have free will and faith and hope, using the eyes of the least human among us to do so. It's a mix of historical fiction and Gilded Age myth, Jewish mysticism and Arab folklore, combining elements of Frankenstein and Aladdin in a seamless narrative that's both timeless and modern, insightful yet moving.

I'll admit, I didn't think The Golem and the Jinni would be that book when I first started. Helene Wecker’s writing style leans more toward fairy tale than historical, almost as if there’s a surreal quality that makes her book difficult to place in its nineteenth century setting early on, but, as I would later realize, also lends an idealistic, romantic air to a city and a story that very well needed it. It's fantastical when the story needed to feel exotic, restrained when the tone had to be subdued, but always personal and touching. That said, sadly the first chapter is probably also the weakest, explaining Chava’s origins in that no nonsense, fairy tale way that leaves very little to the imagination, compounded by a story that's slow, very slow, if affectionately crafted.

Yet, as the narrative unfolds, as Chava loses her ‘husband’ to appendicitis and finds herself, alone and masterless, in the urban jungle that is New York City even then, it’s obvious that Wecker quickly turns those weaknesses into elements of strength. Chava, desperately trying to pass as human for her own survival, is taken in by the elderly Rabbi Meyer, and although he’s not unkindly towards the golem, the uncertainty, both for him and for her, of whether she can go against her violent nature hangs in the air. And it’s Chava, created to serve the needs of humans yet trying to understand how to behave like one, who forms half the story. There are deep, profound moments about private thoughts and human nature, and whimsical moments with Chava testing the limits of her body, even eating food and trying to figure out where it goes, and the entire effect is that this wonderfully complex, incredibly compelling character slowly emerges, trying to pass for human out of necessity, yes, but also showing what it means to be one, maybe even a bit about the meaning of existence itself. Needless to say, I celebrated her triumphs, felt for her losses, understood her apprehensions, and hoped for her survival, all as she’s trying to find her way in the world.

The other half of the story is Ahmad, a creature very different from, potentially even the opposite, of Chava. Chava is of the earth; Ahmad is a being of fire. Chava is days old, innocent to the world; Ahmad is centuries old, jaded by his imprisonment. Chava doesn’t understand what it means to be human; Ahmad has the wrong ideas. Yet even before they meet, Wecker has created the perfect foil for the golem, a jinni who’s not less than human, but more, someone as wild and eternal as the desert air bound by flesh and blood, now a fraction of who he was. In contrast to the golem’s uncertainty, his is a restless anxiety that chafes at the limits of human freedom, yet I felt his despair at the constraints of humanity as much as I felt Chava’s fear of the limitlessness of humanity. And in a way, their intertwining stories form a reminder, I think, to the rest of us that, like Chava and Ahmad, we’re all trying to find ourselves between these two extremes.

Lest I forget, there is actually a plot. Chava and Ahmad don’t spend the entire book wandering the streets of New York, discussing the human condition while forming the unlikeliest of friendships, even if I guess my review does give that impression. Sure, a lot of it is about fitting in, being human, some of it a celebration of the immigrant experience through culture, faith, community, even the hope of Lady Liberty followed by the realities of working class New York, but connecting Chava and Ahmad’s story is also one Yehudah Schaalman, evil Kabbalist. The suspense of Schaalman’s machinations adds a bit of urgency to a story that otherwise really doesn’t have any, well beyond flashbacks from Ahmad’s point of view slowly revealing his past while forming parallels with his present, but it’s Schaalman, mostly in the background, ominous and foreboding, who brings Chava and Ahmad’s story ultimately to its conclusion. I’m not entirely satisfied with the (somewhat rushed) ending, particularly with Sophia Winston’s role (though I do see how it mirrors Fadwa’s, a character from Ahmad’s past) and I feel Schaalman as the villain is a weaker aspect of the book than the exploration of human nature, but the epilogue ends on such a bittersweet yet hopeful note I still deeply respect what Helene Wecker has done.

In a word, The Golem and the Jinni is a masterful look at the meaning of life through the eyes of two supernatural beings living in nineteenth century New York. Just by their everyday attempts to understand themselves, Chava and Ahmad, their story, says a lot about all of us. ...more

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Mar 07, 2019 Mark Lawrence rated it it was amazing

This is a very good book. It's a gentle book, concerned with people, spiced by having both of the main point of view characters being supernatural creatures, namely a newly created golem and an ancient jinni. Both of these arrive in turn of the 19th/20th century New York and have to find their feet in the appropriate diaspora (i.e. Jewish and Syrian). The two cultures, as realised within New York at a time when Lady Liberty's arms really were wide open to immigrants, are expertly and accurately ...more

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Mar 11, 2017 Always Pouting rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Oh man, the book was a little long but it was so worth it. The pacing was excellent and I really enjoyed the unique story line and the way everything comes together in the end. There is nothing better to me than a well executed story line where everything seems to have a purpose and ties into the larger arc of what's happening. Also I really enjoyed the way that Chava and Ahmed's relationship is developed because it never felt like the rest of what was going on every becomes secondary to it whic ...more

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Dec 27, 2013 Felicia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance, fantasy

This is one of my favorite books of the year. I didn't know a ton about it going in, other than the gorgeous cover, and I'm very glad I didn't. It is a historical urban fantasy of sorts, about a Golem and a Djinn separately stranded in turn-of-the-century New York city. The two character's storylines intertwine beautifully, with themes of identity, religion and friendship weaving in and out of a wonderfully detailed world. If you liked The Night Circus, or Dr Strange and Mr. Norrell, you'll real ...more

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Jun 24, 2020 Adina rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-sf, scribd

Sorry it took me so long to write a review for this one but the past weeks have been hectic and not so fun. I still have little time but if I don’t write a few words now, I’ll never do it.

I added The Golem and The Jinni to my TBR in March 2014, yes, more than 6 years ago. This year I am planning to tackle all books added in February and March 2014 and this is one of them. Until now, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the books that I’ve read from that selection and this one is no exception. Sorry it took me so long to write a review for this one but the past weeks have been hectic and not so fun. I still have little time but if I don’t write a few words now, I’ll never do it.

I added The Golem and The Jinni to my TBR in March 2014, yes, more than 6 years ago. This year I am planning to tackle all books added in February and March 2014 and this is one of them. Until now, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the books that I’ve read from that selection and this one is no exception.

The Plot
Chava is a Golem created by a practitioner of dark magic to serve as a wife for a rich merchant. During the sea voyage towards New York the “husband” dies and the Golem finds herself alone and lost in the big city. During an incident that could have caused a disaster, her nature is recognized by a rabbi who protects and becomes her mentor and guide. Due to her nature Chava can read people’s desires and fears and also possesses great strength that can become destructive. Doubting whether he should save or destroy her, the Rabbi deepens the study on Golems while helping her to blend in.
Ahmad is a Jinni, born on the location of present day Syria more than one thousand years ago. Arbeely, a tinsmith, is brought an old copper flask to repair, one that has been in the client’s family for generations. While he polishes an inscription, he accidentally releases the Jinni, who has no recollection of how he got entrapped in the small object. Ahmad is sheltered by the tinsmith and when the creature of fire proves to be extremely talented with metal manipulation, he also becomes an apprentice in the Tin shop.

Both creatures are faced with a series of challenges, they find living among humans very difficult and they are always at risk for their secret to be revealed. One day, they accidentally meet and immediately understand that they are different beings but united in their uniqueness.

Characters/Writing and other aspects
Since I listened to this book, I spent around a month together with the characters so I got to know them quite well and warm up to them. I thought Ahmad and Chava were well rounded, their strength and weaknesses were balanced, I was sorry for them, I cheered when they were happy and got angry when they did something stupid and hurt someone. The supporting characters were also interesting and diverse. The book was a bit too long, there were some parts that could have been cut but in the same time my relationship with the characters would have been shallower.
The writing was beautiful, perfect for storytelling. I loved how the authors wrote the setting, the sense of place and time felt vibrant and real, even when we were in New York of 1899 or transported in the desert many years in the past. There is magic, action, mystery and glimpses in the life of immigrants relatable to anyone that left their home.

The Audiobook
I believe this book is perfect for narration and George Guidall did a perfect job. He is a very talented narrator and I enjoyed my time spend with him and the beautiful story created by Helene Wecker. He managed to move seamlessly from a female voice to a male one and the pacing was just right.
...more

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Aug 30, 2019 jessica rated it really liked it

‘all of us are lonely at some point or another, no matter how any people surround us. and then, we meet someone who seems to understand. she smiles, and for a moment the loneliness disappears.’

a woman made of clay and a man made of fire.
she is steadfast and constant, where he is capricious and free spirited.
and yet, they both find themselves thrown into a world not of their choosing, bound by plans greater than themselves.
if you ever needed proof that opposites attract - its this story.

i ...more

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Jan 23, 2014 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, need-to-reread

Reread in April 2021 in preparation for The Hidden Palace - the ARC is sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me, yay!

Returning to this first book after six years, I’m even more impressed with it. Upping my rating to all 5 stars!

This thoughtful, original fantasy is about an unlikely friendship between a golem (an immensely strong animated being magically formed of clay) and a jinni (genie), set mostly in 1899 New York City. Chava, the golem woman, was secretly made by a rabbi using forbidden Kabb ...more

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Aug 08, 2013 Isa Lavinia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: disappointment, urban-fantasy, historical, beautiful-cover, not-my-cup-of-tea

This is a truly difficult book to rate, mostly because what faults I can find, I find them in myself as a reader.

The premise of the story in perfect, Chava is a golem created to become the wife of a creepy little man who dies soon after he brings her to life. So now we have Chava, a masterless golem, a creature of clay, newly arrived in turn of the century New York.

Ahmad was trapped in a bottle for over a thousand years by a wizard, and imagine his surprise to find himself in an unheard of continent, when a tinsmith repairing his bottle awakes him from his sleep.

The plot goes on its expected turns, both Chava and Ahmad, similar but so different, go about their lives trying to learn what it is to be human, so they can mask what they truly are.

I have no complaints about the story. I really, really liked it. It kept me reading. There was no point where I went, "I'll take a break from this". I genuinely liked the characters, they were flawed, and yes, they annoyed me often, but that was part of their charm.

So why am I only giving this 3.5 stars instead of 5?
Because I'm a dreadful, greedy reader.
It's true.
It just felt... jarring to have whole chapters about a jinn in a glass and gold filigree palace in the desert, hiding so he can listen to the talks of the men in the caravans, stowing away into human dreams... Or chapters of a golem marvelling at human idiosyncrasies, feeling the call of fresh green growing things... and none of it be poetic at all. Not even remotely beautiful now and then. The language was always so straight-forward! Granted, there is nothing wrong with that, if I go through it, there is nothing wrong I can point about it, it's good, it's practical. It's... not what I wanted.
I've read this whole book and I couldn't find a single quote from it I'd want to share with someone. Oh, I'd recommend the book, but there was nothing in it that just sparked, that made me go, "Oh, that was beautiful."

It is a very entertaining story, but it never feels like storytelling, there is never a sense of wonder reading it, and that's saying something when the two main characters are creatures of myth!

As always, give it a try. It's good! I can tell it's good.
It just isn't for me... ...more

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Nov 26, 2016 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, romance, history, 2016-shelf

I'm really quite amazed at the things this novel does right. It's a detailed and grand scaled historical romance as well as being a delightful hop in magical realism, but I couldn't help make direct connections to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

But not because many of the ideas are the same. They aren't. What is the same is the length and the attention to historicism and the depth of the real history and especially the depth of the magic. The length of the novel and beautiful prose also has a lot I'm really quite amazed at the things this novel does right. It's a detailed and grand scaled historical romance as well as being a delightful hop in magical realism, but I couldn't help make direct connections to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

But not because many of the ideas are the same. They aren't. What is the same is the length and the attention to historicism and the depth of the real history and especially the depth of the magic. The length of the novel and beautiful prose also has a lot to do with it, as well.

It's basically an immigrant story that becomes an empowerment story with a strong thread of very understated romance. The large set of characters never overwhelms the main two. The woman of Earth and the man of Fire are both magical creatures that find their way at the turn of the last century's New York City. It's really quite delightful.

She was created out of clay and designed with intelligence and curiosity, but she was also designed to be subservient and modest... with an evil strain built in to all golems that make them wish to utterly destroy their creators once they get a taste for blood. He was a wild spirit of fire before he was enslaved and was forced to live in stasis for a thousand years until luck would have him freed... and at loose ends in cold winters that he is unable to escape from.

How beautiful is that? It sounds like the setup for a grand romance. But it isn't. Not really. Theirs is a relationship based on trust and deep friendship, and even when that trust is broken, they forgive and return to each other.

There's even an evil wizard that returns through each life with not just a complicated background but also a complicated inner life. I can't quite call him irredeemable. He does good and and makes beauty. He made the golem, after all. But his nature leads him down very dark pathways, too.

So was this a character novel or a plot-driven one? Both. And wonderfully so. I got engrossed in everything. The journey was a pure delight. :)

I totally recommend for anyone who wants a classy and gorgeous historical romance full of deep magic and iconic archetypal characters that are beautifully drawn. :) ...more

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Aug 13, 2016 Heidi The Reader rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-and-sci-fi, fiction

This is the story of a golem and a jinni, how they discover who they are, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how, even though they're composed of completely different elements, they may just be the best friend for each other in a human world where they will never truly belong.

As I was reading The Golem and the Jinni, enjoying their adventures and waiting to see how they would discover their origins, I didn't consider for a moment the idea that the tale could be a metaphor for something else. ...more

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May 15, 2013 Faye, la Patata rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult-but-no-sex, refreshing, good-heroine, kilig-to-the-bones, good-hero, slow-and-steady-romance, stand-alone, adorable-love-interest, lovely-romance-but-not-central, heart-doing-blackflips

How could I possibly review this in the most coherent way?

This book, a debut at that, is one of the best I've read this year. No, scratch that, it's THE best I've read in a long time, easily knocking over the ones I've gushed in the past few weeks to nothing. After turning the last page, I just knew it would be among my all-time favorites, together with A Monster Calls, Written in Red, and Blood Song. I've never felt this hypnotized, amazed, and captivated; the level of mesmerization is just so How could I possibly review this in the most coherent way?

This book, a debut at that, is one of the best I've read this year. No, scratch that, it's THE best I've read in a long time, easily knocking over the ones I've gushed in the past few weeks to nothing. After turning the last page, I just knew it would be among my all-time favorites, together with A Monster Calls, Written in Red, and Blood Song. I've never felt this hypnotized, amazed, and captivated; the level of mesmerization is just so up there that after reading this book, I doubt I can find any more that would be able to set the bar even higher. Be careful, books! Thanks to The Golem and the Jinni, you'll be finding yourselves continuously compared to this stunning, hard-to-beat literary masterpiece.

A book that encompasses vast lands and centuries of loneliness and solitude, it is told in the perspectives of a dynamic cast of characters, with their own stories to tell, fears to hide, and desires to pursue, but it is told mainly in the eyes of Chava, a golem that was made to follow a master but unfortunately found herself having no one to guide her, and Ahmad, a jinni, who in a malicious twist of fate and unwanted circumstances, was trapped by a wizard hundreds of years past and now tied to a world he does not know. Two individuals with contrasting natures stuck in an environment they do not fully understand, I found them to be the book's strongest points, as their innocence and rashness were very endearing to read; every time they would wonder about human society — why do we have religion? Why do we hold out our desires and say what we deem is socially appropriate? Why is there a need for marriage and all sorts of rituals? — I end up pausing for a few minutes wondering about it, too, and the fact that it's being pondered on by an outside perspective, a magical being not of our nature, made it all the more thought-provoking. What's the meaning of life? What does it mean to really live? Are we really living or merely existing? Are we content with the monotony and constant routine of our daily lives, when we are capable of doing so much more? I loved how the book asked all these questions about human life and ethics from the point of view of a magical being, a creature not human, but more human than many of us.

Couple that with the beautiful narrative, it just makes the experience all the more bewitching and engaging. Wecker has this unique and spectacular way of making things so familiar to us — the buzzing of the city, the chattering of neighbors, the baking of bread, and everything else — become so big, and new, and exciting. The book does take on a slow pace. A lot of things and activities that we usually find mundane and boring were described constantly, but Wecker, being the awesome writer that she is, gave the book an atmosphere that was magical and surreal at the same time that these activities just became a part of the book's charm. The writing is just so beautiful, the prose sublime, the descriptions enchanting, that you just fall in love with all of its aspects. I'm sure some of you are probably thinking I'm giving it way too much credit, but I shit you not when I say that the author's writing prowess is the best I've ever encountered.

The plot is very slow. It unfolds itself in a snail-like pace, making you know the characters first, their place in the grander scheme of things, and their role in the overall story, revealing itself little by little in the background. It has a really interesting storyline that spans centuries of years to the present, a tale of maliciousness, consequences, revenge, and love. Because I believed the characters were the strongest points of the book, I thought the storyline, while good, was only secondary, but it was still very enjoyable and suspenseful nonetheless (especially when you have a creepy old man stalking you on his quest to find the key to immortality!). It has a very satisfying ending, with a romance that steadily gained momentum in the end, giving me a giddy, sheepish smile and a warm feeling tingling in my spine as I turned the last page, knowing deep in my heart that the two magical beings will find closure and happiness in the physical world.

All in all, these are what I have to say: engaging story, check; nicely thought-out three-dimensional well-rounded characters, check; beautiful writing, check; surreal, magical atmosphere giving the book an overall romantic air, check; wonderful world-building, check! This is a stunning debut, a book that deserves a place in all our shelves, because it's that good. You cannot miss this one out, folks!

Final verdict: 5 STARS!!! ...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Michael rated it really liked it

Recommended to Michael by: will byrnes

Shelves: fiction, syria, historical-fiction, fantasy, new-york-city, jewish, mythology

A wonderful tale I hated to put down, couldn’t wait to resume whenever I did, and felt sad when it was over. A great blend of fantasy and historical fiction that explores what it means to be human amid the multicultural blend of immigrants trying to achieve their dreams in New York City at the end of the 19th century.

We follow the lives of two mythic creatures trying to pass as human, living parallel lives and slowly drawn into a common path. Chava appears as a woman and was recently made as a ...more

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Jan 05, 2014 Kelly rated it liked it

Shelves: examined-lives, identity-crisis, fiction, romantical, cultural-meetings, owned, its-the-quiet-ones, fantasy-and-scifi

Huh. Well, this was deeply... okay. Wecker set up an interesting and fairly straightforward concept: Two supernatural beings in the turn of the century New York, trying to make their way in the New World, an exaggerated metaphor for the immigrant experience and the human condition. Fair enough. And there was some lovely atmospheric writing at the start that both helped to build the historical world and the supernatural feeling while she built her world and info-dumped all the information we need Huh. Well, this was deeply... okay. Wecker set up an interesting and fairly straightforward concept: Two supernatural beings in the turn of the century New York, trying to make their way in the New World, an exaggerated metaphor for the immigrant experience and the human condition. Fair enough. And there was some lovely atmospheric writing at the start that both helped to build the historical world and the supernatural feeling while she built her world and info-dumped all the information we needed to know about the characters. It took a bit too long and there was some rushed telling rather than showing just to get through to the actual story part, but I largely didn't mind. The backstories were interesting enough.

I also quite enjoyed the jinni's initial adventures in New York, the people he meets and especially his relationship with Sophia. His attitude towards his existence was quite sympathetic and I couldn't wait to see what he would do next. The Golem's situation aroused my pity and I liked some of the parallels to women's situations that were drawn as well as the immigrant experience. Her (view spoiler)

Eventually the two characters meet- which just seems inevitable. I enjoyed their first explorations and walks with each other.

However, then the book seemed to feel some obligation to fall into the structure and expectations of a romance novel. The man is infuriating, the lady isn't even that attractive so why do I like her so much, they piss each other off and fight but have such a strong bond!

I lost interest in the book when what happened. I thought Wecker had many more interesting things going on in the book than she gave herself credit for if she thought that that was the best thing to capture her readers' interest. I would rather have spent more time with Sophia, or had a romance between the jinni and Sophia continue if we really needed to go the romance route. I would rather have seen what the Golem would have done truly on her own with no master to speak of- fighting her conditioning (like a lot of women had to do then) to be truly independent. I wanted to see the jinni go out west and explore the world- yes he is long lived, but finite- so he could have had a really long bucket list we could have explored a little. I would have even accepted them as a buddy comedy type thing on a permanent road trip. But why oh why did we need the romance formula? The book flattened out and became predictable and lost so many possibilities when that happened.

A side note: The musings on human condition through the supernatural being discovering how to be human/having it explained to them is a pretty well-worn device. So some of the "realizations" also needed to be a little less cliched and clunky. I would much rather have seen the Golem find herself in situations she had to work out rather than sitting down and "thinking" through the parellels the author wanted to tell me about.

But it was still okay. I still like the ideas. I still liked the beginning. There were some interesting secondary characters. Just took the Road More Traveled in the end, which took this from "solid" to "meh". ...more

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Aug 06, 2015 Simona B rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantastic-lit-and-co, in-english, 2000

"And if she was meant to be curious, did that mean she could take no credit for her own discoveries, her accomplishments? Had she nothing of her own, only what Joseph Schall decreed she should have?"

This is a book that works its magic in silence. You don't expect it to be what it is, to give you what it gives you. This is a subtle book; a book that sneaks up on you when you least expect it, and that, for all that it gives, expects something in return. The breath that more than once you couldn't ...more

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Apr 27, 2020 Debbie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: literature-jewish, favorites, 2020-reads, gorgeous-covers, fantasy, american-new-york, audiobook, debut-novel, own, literature-middle-east

This was a story that I couldn't wait to get back to, especially when "life" called me away from it. I was riveted right from the start!

An intriguing story of a friendship, a love story, unlike any other, intertwining Jewish and Arabic folkloric beliefs. I loved how the stories of the Golem and the Jinni, two mystical creatures, were parallel in nature and how they interacted once they met. For a debut novel, I was impressed with the maturity level of the plot and character developments. I was ...more

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Nov 16, 2013 Algernon (Darth Anyan) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014

Despite the obvious suggestion from the title and despite the supernatural nature of the main characters, for me this is not a novel about a golem and a jinni. It is the story of two ordinary people, immigrants like millions others coming to New York in the year 1899, there to learn how to deal with being uprooted from their birth lands, with being alone and lost in an alien culture, with how to slowly emerge from their hard protective shells and how to rely on each other. Maybe even to learn ho Despite the obvious suggestion from the title and despite the supernatural nature of the main characters, for me this is not a novel about a golem and a jinni. It is the story of two ordinary people, immigrants like millions others coming to New York in the year 1899, there to learn how to deal with being uprooted from their birth lands, with being alone and lost in an alien culture, with how to slowly emerge from their hard protective shells and how to rely on each other. Maybe even to learn how to fall in love with each other in a circumspect, tentative manner.

Then again, the two immigrants are special people: a golem and a jinni emerging right out of the clay or the magic lamp all fairytales taught us to expect. Their background stories include all the paraphernalia of traits and supernatural powers and ethnic inheritance of their original cultures. So strong was the characterization and their individuality though, that for me they read like real people rather than impossible creatures from a fantasy realm.

Chava and Ahmed are the new names they receive on arrival in the New World, gifts from benefactors who fortuitously come to ease the cultural shock of suddenly losing all the roots to the old home lands. For Chava, the angel of mercy is an elderly rabbi from the Jewish Quarter, for Ahmad a metalworker in the Little Syria neighborhood. The first reaction of the two outsiders is to hide, to remain unnoticed, to blend into the background and to avoid using their special talents lest some angry mob turns against them in a repetition of past pogroms against their kind. The novel can be interpreted then as the account of their shedding of the ingrained fear, coming out of the shell and beginning to explore both the geography of the city and the new opportunities this new world promises to all lost souls. (I should insert here something about the Statue of Liberty and its inscription, but I'm too lazy to look it up). Anyway, that's one of the reasons I judged the novel anchored in historical reality rather than fantasy.

The second reason being the wonderful job Helene Wecker did in bringing to life the almost tribal neighborhood life of turn of the century New York, where newcomers still gathered together in ethnic based communities, many of them still speaking only their native language and keeping strict adherence to ancestral customs. The Jewish and the Syrian communities receive the lion's share of attention from the author, and the thoroughness of the research is impressive, easily letting me enjoy what could be considered the slower portions of the novel, focused on descriptions and secondary characters. The novel feels indeed longer than usual for a fashionable supernatural romance, but the attention to detail gives it authenticity and makes it an immersive experience.

- Are you always this humorless?
- Yes. Are you always this exasperating?

Back to the real heroes of the story. They are nothing like each other, one being timid, serious, subservient, altruistic while the other is impetuous, proud, selfish, adventurous and extremely amoral. Earth and Fire! Typical romance stuff, you might say. Both are also prisoners not only of their born natures, but literally compelled to serve without question the orders of strangers. Chava was created from the start as a slave to her master's wishes, easily controlled through mystic incantations. Ahmad has been captured centuries ago, imprisoned in a copper lamp and bound to this plane of existence with an iron manacle by a powerful desert magician. Complicating the issue are Ahmad's very short fuse of his anger and Chava's awareness that golems are mentally unstable and pone to fits of murderous rage. Can they escape their traps and finally enjoy what normal people take for granted? Namely free will.

The quest for free expression and the pursuit of happiness, coupled with the fight against their respective creators / magicians provides the action part of the plot, which gains steam rather late, as the novel reaches the final chapters. But let's not forget that this is also a romance story. So readers can also look forward to finding an answer to the question of the chances love has to bloom between two incompatible personalities.

Before I finish I want to add some more words of praise for the talent of this debut author in creating compelling storylines and believable characters, as evidenced in the rich tapestry woven by the supporting cast, ranging from the already mentioned rabbi Meyer and metalsmith Arbeely, and continuing with Michael - a young Jewish social worker whose socialist politics are of a practical nature; Anna - a young bakery girl with bad luck in boyfriends; a rich heiress from the posh part of town; a taciturn Syrian boy with an agile mind; a former doctor possessed by malignant spirits (efriits) who sells ice-cream to kids on the street; the gossiping matron of an ethnic restaurant, and so on. Together they contribute to the big picture of a New York city that was still in 1899 the promised land for countless impoverished and persecuted people from the Old World. Outside New York and in a different timeline, the best story arc describes the nomadic life of Bedouin tribes, unchanged though millenia, and the tribulations of a young shepherd girl who attracts the attention of the amoral jinni.

In conclusion, The Golem and The Jinni deserves all the votes in last year's popularity vote on Goodreads, and I hope the story will one day be filmed, as I believe it will translate well to the silver screen. And I will be on the lookout for the next book from Helene Wecker. ...more

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Oct 16, 2017 Bentley ★ Bookbastion.net rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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_________

“All of us are lonely at some point or another, no matter how any people surround us. And then, we meet someone who seems to understand. She smiles, and for a moment the loneliness disappears.”

This book has been one of those ones that hung out on my TBR list far longer than it should.

I would catch a glimpse of this book in bookstores and debate picking up a copy, only to pass over it when another book caught my eye. I ...more

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May 14, 2018 Celeste rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Celeste by: Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~

Shelves: literary, fantasy, historical, magical-realism

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 ...more

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Oct 13, 2016 Diane rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, brunch-club, historical-fiction, fantasy

I really enjoyed this novel that blended historical fiction with some fantasy. It's the story of a young woman made of clay (the golem), and a male genie who had been trapped in a copper flask for centuries (the jinni).

But really, this is the story of immigrants in America. The book is set in New York in 1899, and we see how difficult it was to be a "stranger in a strange land." The golem came to life because a businessman wanted a wife he could control, and the jinni was accidentally released b I really enjoyed this novel that blended historical fiction with some fantasy. It's the story of a young woman made of clay (the golem), and a male genie who had been trapped in a copper flask for centuries (the jinni).

But really, this is the story of immigrants in America. The book is set in New York in 1899, and we see how difficult it was to be a "stranger in a strange land." The golem came to life because a businessman wanted a wife he could control, and the jinni was accidentally released by a tinsmith who was repairing the flask. Both the golem and the jinni are able to make human friends to help them try to assimilate to life in America, but they both feel like they don't really belong, and they have different views on how much free will they should have. The story slowly builds, and things become tense when we learn a dangerous wizard is hoping to capture the jinni.

My favorite character in the book was the rabbi who helped the golem. The rabbi's kindness and wisdom were comforting, and I liked how he tried to plan for the golem's future. Similarly, his nephew, Michael, was another beloved character who got caught up in a story he didn't expect.

I don't read a lot of fantasy, but I'm glad I gave this book my time. It was thoughtful, well-written, and I enjoyed the various plot lines. I listened to this on audio, which I highly recommend because of the marvelous narrator.

After I finished this book, I looked up the author and learned she's working on a sequel. Hooray!

Favorite Quotes
"All of us are lonely at some point or another, no matter how any people surround us. And then, we meet someone who seems to understand. She smiles, and for a moment the loneliness disappears."

"A man might desire something for a moment, while a larger part of him rejects it. You'll need to learn to judge people by their actions, not their thoughts."

"Faith is believing in something even without proof, because you know it in your heart to be true."

"If the act of love is so dangerous, why do people risk so much for it?" ...more

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May 20, 2013 Aisha rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I'd have given this four stars if I'd enjoyed this book more. Don't get me wrong, it's is very, very well and richly written. The pacing was just a bit slower than I was expecting (though necessarily so for the meandering story being woven together). I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending - somethings were tied up too neatly, other things left too open-ended for my tastes - but this was a failing on my part and not the book's.

EDIT: Actually, after a lot of thought, I'm bumping this down to a t ...more

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Jul 02, 2013 David rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell"

Shelves: historical, new-york, female-author, fantasy, urban-fantasy, mythological, 1910s, audiobook, all-time-favorites, american-fantasy

If you claim you like fantasy but you don't like this book, then what you like is silly wizards and hot werewolf-on-chick action, or else secondary world fantasy with elves and dragons and lost swords and shit, which is all well and good but I'm gonna be totally judgmental about any so-called fantasy fan who doesn't like this book because it's "too long" or too "slow-moving" or whatever stupid reason it failed to score with you. The Golem and the Jinni is a carefully constructed modern fable wri ...more

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May 24, 2015 Hannah Greendale rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, magical-realism, fantasy, fiction, nebula-nominee

Click here to watch a video featuring this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.

Cataloged as historical fiction, this book divulges the story of several immigrants living in New York at the turn-of-the-century, but the author subtly weaves two unique immigrant characters into the narrative, a golem and a jinni, giving the book an element of fantasy. Maybe it was the jinni's mysterious origin story unfolding, or the golem's emotional plight, or perhaps it was just fun to look through a p ...more

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May 10, 2013 colleen the convivial curmudgeon rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fantasy

2.5

I first heard about this book recently when a friend read it and said he was very impressed with it - he said it was much better than what he was expecting. Then it kept popping up in a couple of groups I'm in, and between everyone seeming to be well impressed with it, and it seeming to be a sort of thing I would like, being a fan of historical fantasy in general, and various cultural mythos in particular, I figured I'd give it a go.

So I'm a bit sad to say that I wasn't really all that wowed ...more

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Aug 28, 2020 HBalikov rated it really liked it

A golem and a jinni walk into a NY City bar.
“I am a down to earth kind of girl,” says the golem.
“Nice,” says the jinni. “Can I offer you a light?”

When Wecker contrives to have a golem (a creature fashioned of clay) meet a jinni (a creature of fire) in New York City, it could have become a parody or resulted in a series of tropes. That isn’t the case.

Wecker carefully crafts her context for this encounter and gives us a “marvelous” series of insights into what might have happened in the Manhattan ...more

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Aug 28, 2018 Jo (The Book Geek) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, i-believe-in-magic

This book was beautiful. It was written incredibly well, I loved the plot and the characters and it was really quite unique in comparison to other books I've read. There were a few things that irritated me, though, and I feel these things let the book down, and my final rating for it.

Firstly, the front cover. THE FRONT COVER! I just have so much love for a beautiful book cover, and this one is no exception. This one is that mesmerising, I'd purchase the book without reading the blurb. Madness y ...more

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Feb 09, 2014 Linda (Miss Greedybooks) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-tales-fables, romantic-interest, historical-fiction, inspiring, favorites, paranormal

There just are not enough stars - I just finished this fantastic book! The Golem and the Jinni was crafted like a fine weaving of well phrased words. I admit I do not know much about Jewish or Arab cultures, 1890 New York is also a new subject for me. I was enthralled by the magic that is so artfully presented in this lovely story! Even things that are frightening have such an empathetic edge, they are softened to be quite palatable. The research seems thorough, very believable, I learned about ...more

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Feb 28, 2022 Annette rated it liked it

Shelves: folk-tales

What attracted me to this story was the creativity of blending two mystical figures Golem with Jinni and what comes out of it.

The story begins very strong with introducing both mystical figures and how they arrived to be in NYC. But then I kept waiting and waiting for them to meet and for some poignant story to come out of this. But before they met, I lost interest in the story.

The book is almost 500 pages with a fine print, meaning with regular print it’d be probably 600 pages. I found it too ...more

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May 20, 2013 Elyse Walters rated it really liked it

"Passover stretched on, and Lower East Side turned into one giant craving: for a pastry, a bagel, anything really, as long as it wasn't matzo". SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE!!!!
Its Passover over week right 'now' ---(Jews all over the world are celebrating Freedom this week --(suffering? ---giving up their BREAD) ---- me! me! me!!!!!

Yet, a few things HAVE change: With many people on gluten-free diets today ---SOME Jews are passing on 'bagels' all year long! (we're use to suffering anyway...having rec ...more

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You'll love this ...: May 2022 - The Golem and the Jinni	47	23	May 31, 2022 04:40AM
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About Helene Wecker

Helene Wecker

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Helene Wecker’s first novel, The Golem and the Jinni, was awarded the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature, the VCU Cabell Award for First Novel, and the Harold U. Ribalow Prize, and was nominated for a Nebula Award and a World Fantasy Award. Its sequel, The Hidden Palace, was published in June 2021. A Midwest native, she holds a B.A. in English from Carleton College and an M.F.A. in Fiction Writ ...more

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The Golem and the Jinni (2 books)

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Golem i Dżin. Część II (Golem i Dżin, #2)

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Quotes from The Golem and the...

“Sometimes men want what they don't have because they don't have it. Even if everyone offered to share, they would only want the share that wasn't theirs.” — 156 likes

“All of us are lonely at some point or another, no matter how any people surround us. And then, we meet someone who seems to understand. She smiles, and for a moment the loneliness disappears.” — 116 likes

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