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mh_books 's review for:
The Golem and the Djinni
by Helene Wecker
Probably more like 4 1/2 stars than 4.
This an enjoyable story based upon two legends. The Golem made from clay from Jewish lore and the Djinni made from fire from (you would know it as) Syrian lore. Yet ultimately it’s about what it is to a flesh and blood human. There are overriding themes of background, race, religion, beliefs. It’s about no matter how different you are you and your fellow man have the same desires, needs and wants. The differences just make it interesting and yes confusing.
If I have to classify this book it is historical urban fantasy. It is set in New York at the every end of the 19th Century and paints an interesting portrait of what it would have been like to live in such a time. We have little Syria, the neighbourhood where the European Jews lived (little Germany I think it was called?) and Madison Square Park where the nobs live. All our wonderfully described and the tenement living especially brought to life. It made me want to go and visit what is left of these neighbourhoods today. I also learnt what Maronite Christianity was. This I believe is a hallmark of good (historical) fiction in that it should always introduce you to something new and make you anxious to learn more.
The characterisations are excellent. Each character has a background story that is not only necessary to bring them to life as living creations of the author but necessary for the plot. Schaalman is the evil genius in the book who brought such a marvellous Golem to life but then what does that make the author Wecker who created him?
The narrative uses standard storytelling conventions and yet had me hooked from about 100 pages is (which is 1/6 of this 600 pager). Most of the story I did not see coming (which is unusual for me and a sign I was reading merely for pleasure). The prose is simple and does not distract from the story and its messages. It's a bit of a page turner and my copy now has a small mark from yesterday's breakfast when I could not put it down when eating. Shame really as even the mass paperback I was reading is really beautiful, with a font reminiscent of Cyrillic letters and lattice work separating out different chapter sections.
If I have any complaints it's that the ending was a little too trite for me. Then I have wicked tastes when it comes to endings :)
Overall a recommended read and one I should have read from my TBR a lot sooner. So many thanks to the Goodreads Ireland Genre Challenge for picking fantasy as one of the genres!
This an enjoyable story based upon two legends. The Golem made from clay from Jewish lore and the Djinni made from fire from (you would know it as) Syrian lore. Yet ultimately it’s about what it is to a flesh and blood human. There are overriding themes of background, race, religion, beliefs. It’s about no matter how different you are you and your fellow man have the same desires, needs and wants. The differences just make it interesting and yes confusing.
If I have to classify this book it is historical urban fantasy. It is set in New York at the every end of the 19th Century and paints an interesting portrait of what it would have been like to live in such a time. We have little Syria, the neighbourhood where the European Jews lived (little Germany I think it was called?) and Madison Square Park where the nobs live. All our wonderfully described and the tenement living especially brought to life. It made me want to go and visit what is left of these neighbourhoods today. I also learnt what Maronite Christianity was. This I believe is a hallmark of good (historical) fiction in that it should always introduce you to something new and make you anxious to learn more.
The characterisations are excellent. Each character has a background story that is not only necessary to bring them to life as living creations of the author but necessary for the plot. Schaalman is the evil genius in the book who brought such a marvellous Golem to life but then what does that make the author Wecker who created him?
The narrative uses standard storytelling conventions and yet had me hooked from about 100 pages is (which is 1/6 of this 600 pager). Most of the story I did not see coming (which is unusual for me and a sign I was reading merely for pleasure). The prose is simple and does not distract from the story and its messages. It's a bit of a page turner and my copy now has a small mark from yesterday's breakfast when I could not put it down when eating. Shame really as even the mass paperback I was reading is really beautiful, with a font reminiscent of Cyrillic letters and lattice work separating out different chapter sections.
If I have any complaints it's that the ending was a little too trite for me. Then I have wicked tastes when it comes to endings :)
Overall a recommended read and one I should have read from my TBR a lot sooner. So many thanks to the Goodreads Ireland Genre Challenge for picking fantasy as one of the genres!