Helene Wecker, The Golem and the Jinni (2013)
The Golem and the Jinni has an interesting origin story: author Helene Wecker was trying to write fiction dealing with her own Jewish heritage and that of her husband, who is of Arab descent, and finding it dead in the water. A friend said, “Helene, why are you writing like this?” She realized that she wasn’t activating her “geek” side that loved science fiction and fantasy. When she made her main characters a golem (in Jewish legend, inanimate matter mystically brought to life in the semblance of a human being) and a jinni (a fiery spirit from Arab folklore), the story took off.
And to our benefit, for this is a delightfully entertaining and thought-provoking book, embracing the cultural ferment of New York City at the turn of the twentieth century from a wholly original point of view. The golem and the jinni are immigrants: one arrives on a boat bereft of the master who has just awakened her and then suddenly died, while the other is accidentally set free from centuries of imprisonment by a tinsmith who tries to repair a flask from the old country. They must negotiate unexpected lives in this new, bewildering place, trying to find a way to survive and be themselves in a world that doesn’t even admit that they can exist. Meanwhile, the forces that would rob them again of their newfound self-determination are closing in.
Though the two characters are very different — from the very elements of their being, earth and fire, to their moral outlook on the world — how they draw near to one another and form a kind of sympathetic alliance in their strange quest is a story both touching and thrilling. This is not a lead-footed allegory of the immigrant experience, but an imaginative leap into the questions that make fiction both fun and meaningful. Can free will be manufactured, or earned? Is love a phenomenon of feeling, or of action? What does one do if one literally cannot sleep? Through a wide array of characters and incidents, brought into play with impressive skill for a first-time novelist, Wecker gives the ring of truth to her fantastic story.
I’m counting The Golem and the Jinni for the “Folklore” category in the Once Upon a Time challenge, Quest the Second.
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The Emerald City Book Review Archive 
Great review.
I have heard a lot about this book.
The idea behind it sounds so creative and original.
I like the fact that there are multiple philosophic themes underlying the story.
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Yes, that made it especially interesting.
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I’ve heard some fantastic things about this book and this makes it sound even more fantastic! I love books that combine great fiction and broader themes like politics and sociology and culture, as Brian mentioned above. I’m definitely going to read this one, and soon!
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I think you would really enjoy it.
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Loved this book. Everything that goes on and the various themes, she spends the right amount of time with each even if it feels she could’ve been longer. A good choice for the category!
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Yes, I found it to be well paced, even with all the different characters and subplots.
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I have to admit that I wasn’t as much of a fan of this one – I review it last year but the characters didn’t grab me. I was interested by your thoughts about freedom and the immigrant experience – possibly this is a novel that speaks more to the American experience?
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Perhaps — certainly part of the fun for me was the different perspective on New York City. I agree with you that there was some unfulfilled potential for character development, but there was enough there to keep my interest.
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I love learning about the story behind books! I’m looking forward to reading this one over the Summer. đŸ˜€
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It’s always interesting to know something about an author’s creative process.
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Great review!!! I just love the cover so much, very beautiful. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’ve had this one on my TBR for a while debating reading it but I think you confirmed I need to. Thanks so much for sharing.
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Wonderful, I hope you enjoy it.
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What a gorgeous review! I have been wanting to read this, but your review has pushed it much higher on the TBR list.
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I do think you would like it. For some reason when I saw it on the shelf it didn’t appeal to me, but some enthusiastic reviews from other bloggers convinced me to give it a try.
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Loved this book! Glad that you enjoyed it too!
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Thanks, I think you were one of my enablers.
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