From the Bookshelf of Ask Helene Wecker - Tuesday, January 14th…
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What Members Thought
I'm very cautious when it comes to picking up a book that could be put into a 'fantasy' or 'lore-myth' type category... if only because there's a lot of horrible stuff out there that I've sadly endured. But this book completely encompassed what I consider to be an amazing novel.
It had strong, well formed, sturdy of will characters, which I consider to be one of the most important parts of a good book. I've read about too many characters who act in ways that they wouldn't according to how they ar ...more
It had strong, well formed, sturdy of will characters, which I consider to be one of the most important parts of a good book. I've read about too many characters who act in ways that they wouldn't according to how they ar ...more
This was an amazing, amazing book. It's the first book that was written in omniscient style with head hopping and flashbacks that I felt emotionally invested in from the beginning. The hook is incredible: a golem (woman made of clay, stronger than several men, looks fully human, created to serve a master) and a jinni (being of fire, free to roam, to assume a body at a whim, bound to nobody, not even to each other) wind up in late-1800s New York City, except the golem is masterless and the jinni
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Helene Wecker writes beautifully in telling this fantastic adventure involving the magic of a Shaman and the existence of fantasy creatures, like the Jinni and Jinnia. The Jinni is composed of fire while the Shaman's creation, the Golem, is made of clay. The qualities these two possess make for a wonderful story as their paths cross in the midst of humanity.
The Golem is the most far-fetched and intriguing character throughout the entire fantasy. Imbued with the ability to perceive the desires a ...more
The Golem is the most far-fetched and intriguing character throughout the entire fantasy. Imbued with the ability to perceive the desires a ...more
Up-to chapter 13. Really fascinating. The details are wonderful and the characters are well rounded. Compelling. I couldn't wait to finish it. The details made you feel as if you were there. You felt the fear, the anguish, the love. It was almost painful to read Chava give in to the wizard and heartbreaking to see her fight Ahmad. I loved it!!! I really want my mom, a native Brooklyn-ite to read it. I don't believe in spoilers
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Some books are wizards. They arrive precisely when they mean to. This is one of them.
It's a book about a lot of things, (community, immigration, religion, expectations, desire) orbiting the story of the humblingly deep relationship between two lost creations. Sometimes it's precisely how different we are that pulls us together. Sometimes the balance of opposing forces enriches both parties. Sometimes... It's really sad how often instead of learning from each other we push exceptional things awa ...more
It's a book about a lot of things, (community, immigration, religion, expectations, desire) orbiting the story of the humblingly deep relationship between two lost creations. Sometimes it's precisely how different we are that pulls us together. Sometimes the balance of opposing forces enriches both parties. Sometimes... It's really sad how often instead of learning from each other we push exceptional things awa ...more
Fantastical and exciting, this book was everything I wanted from something by this title. The setting of old New York was well researched and so intricate in its descriptions that I felt like I was really there at times. I loved both the Golem and the Jinni for very different reasons and rooted for the both of them the whole way through. The supporting characters were well-developed and I fell in love with quite a few of them.
The Golem and the Djinni is nothing short of astonishng, it reads like the story of a more experienced writer who, after many succesful novels has come back to a gem that has always been close to their heart.
The fact that it is the first published work of an up and comer speaks of great things in Wecker's future. ...more
The fact that it is the first published work of an up and comer speaks of great things in Wecker's future. ...more
I really liked the lead characters in this story. They weren't human, but they wanted to live and be a part of the human world. That they met up and formed a relationship was very intriguing and I enjoyed their interactions. Quite an unusual approach, so that I'm very glad that I found this book and read it.
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A complex adult fairy tale with a non fairy tale ending. The many rich characters and their complexities draw you in. The sheer anguish and psychological struggle of each one weaves through the pages. Laced with magic, love, pain and longing this book kept me up late into the night, Rooting for a happy ending that doesn't come. Which is refreshing.
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Helene Wecker is an AMAZING story teller. This novel begins in 1899 and I felt like I was there experiencing the city with the main characters. I think a cool component to the novel is that because these characters are also new to this time and this place, the reader gets something of a crash course in two different cultures and how they live in New York at the turn of the century. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, historical fiction, or mystery!
I enjoyed this tale of Jewish mysticism and Arabic legend...a golem woman made of clay and a jinni (genie) released from a flask forge a friendship. It was a story unlike any I'd ever read. There were some inconsistencies in the story, mostly I felt to make the story, so they were easy to overlook.
I listened to the audiobook version, it was quite well done. ...more
I listened to the audiobook version, it was quite well done. ...more
This was the best "first novel" I have read since Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird.
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I couldn't put it down!
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