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Fantasy

Golem and the Jinni LP, The

3.7(12)
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About the book

“An intoxicating fusion of fantasy and historical fiction. . . . Wecker’s storytelling skills dazzle." —Entertainment WeeklyA marvelous and absorbing debut historical fantasy novel about a chance meeting between two supernatural creatures in turn-of-the-century immigrant New York. 
Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay by a disgraced rabbi knowledgeable in the ways of dark Kabbalistic magic. She serves as the wife to a Polish merchant who dies at sea on the voyage to America. As the ship arrives in New York in 1899, Chava is unmoored and adrift until a rabbi on the Lower East Side recognizes her for the creature she is and takes her in.Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert and trapped centuries ago in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard. Released by a Syrian tinsmith in a Manhattan shop, Ahmad appears in human form but is still not free. An iron band around his wrist binds him to the wizard and to the physical world.Chava and Ahmad meet accidentally and become friends and soul mates—unlikely souls connected despite their opposing natures. But when the golem’s violent nature overtakes her one evening, their bond is challenged. An even more powerful threat will emerge, however, and bring Chava and Ahmad together again, challenging their very existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.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.

Editions (2)

ISBN9780062253828
PublisherHarperluxe
Publication Date03/18/19
Pages816

Reviews & Ratings

12 ratings

3 reviews

3.7

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  • moniszeitreise
    moniszeitreise

    145 Followers

    4.0

    Bei "The Golem and the Djinni" von Helene Wecker handelt es sich schon um ein älteres Buch. Erschienen ist der Roman im März 2014. Chava, ein Golem, und Ahmad, ein Dschinn, begegnen sich im New York des Jahres 1899. Für mich war es ein Buch, bei dem sich das dran bleiben lohnt und das für mich mit Fortschreiten der Geschichte immer besser wurde. Golem und Dschinn haben gegensätzliche Naturen und aus dieser Begegnung entsteht etwas Großartiges, denn beide fangen im Austausch miteinander an, sich gegenseitig zu reflektieren und eine tolle Freundschaft entsteht. Das Buch ist hierbei sowohl ein Zeitbild der historischen Gegebenheiten jener Zeit, aber hat auch fantastische Elemente. Es fiel mir tatsächlich nicht ganz so leicht, dieses Buch genretechnisch einzuordnen, ich habe mich letzten Endes dann aber doch für (Urban) Fantasy entschieden.

    Sep 18, 2024

  • 3.0

    Fun story. Good characters. Too long.

    Jan 14, 2024

  • jolly.gorilla2127
    jolly.gorilla2127

    23 Followers

    3.0

    It was an interesting story, with fantasy figures not so commonly used. But the pacing was just too slow for me. There was no real purpose to the actions of the main characters. It was just a Jinni and a Golem living from day to day in New York. The back stories were interesting but too drawn out. Maybe with better editing I would have enjoyed it a bit more, but nevertheless a good debut by Helene Wecker.

    Nov 27, 2024

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