See more ideas about books, book club books and book worms. Describe the jinni s relationship with the tinsmith who released him, arbeely. The golem and the jinni part i book club ideas by helene wecker. Helene weckers the golem and the jinni the washington. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker goodreads. Subgenreorama book club message board discussion questions. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the golem and the jinni. She lands in manhattan with less destructive force than godzilla hit tokyo, but even so, she cuts a strange figure. When released from human control, both the golem and the jinni tend inevitably towards the pitiless destruction of humanity. Set in world war iera new york, helene weckers the iron season, a sequel to her bestselling novel the golem and the jinni, tells the continuing story of chava the golem and ahmad the jinni, as they encounter other beings of their own kind, only to realize that their close ties to human beings have forever altered them. Review of the golem and the jinni wendy reads books. In the golem and the jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turnofthecentury new york.
The golem and the jinni part ii book club food ideas. To see more pictures from our amazing book club and get ideas on what activities and. Do the titles become their own names, or do the creatures remain more creatureish because of this. For those of you reading this post, please remember that this discussion may contain spoilers. Freewheeling and libertine by nature, the jinni is accustomed to following his whims, and chafes at the constraint of living hidden as a human. Wecker does a great job at establishing the novels constraints and sticking to them. If you wanted a book club discussion for this book, your wish has been granted. I may be updating this post with new questions and ideas over the course of the. This books moderator was robin above who went all out for this.
I was debating about recommending becky chambers book. Helene weckers dazzling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 new york. Reading guide for the golem and the jinni by helene wecker. The golem, chava havah, is created by unethical man who delves into dark magic. The golem and the jinni known as the golem and the djinni in the united kingdom is a debut novel written by helene wecker, published by harper in april 20. The narrator only uses the golem and the jinni, with the adopted names only used by other characters. The second is ahmad, he is a jinni, a being of fire who was born in the syrian dessert long ago. At the heart of the novel burns the two creatures evolving friendship with each other, and the risks they take in order to grope towards an understanding and transcendence of their own dangerous natures. The writing and plot makes it read like a much shorter book think of it as a 450page book instead. Reading guide for the golem and the jinni by helene wecker discussion guide for book clubs. What about the relationship between the golem and rabbi meyer. Characters the golem and the jinni by helene wecker.
Numerous secondary characters are central to the golem and the jinnis story. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker a rare gem of a book that combines yiddish and islamic folklore, from the perspective of a golem and a jinni that meet in new york city. The golem and the jinni is an extraordinary combination of historical novel set in new york city during the height of immigration and fantasy. And in helene weckers charming, albeit way too long, first novel, the golem and the jinni, their relationship is tested by a megalomaniacal bedouin wizard, the. Jane ciabattari, boston globe history, magic and religion braid together in old new yorks tenementsthe interplay of loyalties and the struggle to assert reason over emotion keep the pages flipping. The sometimes slow pace picks up considerably as the disparate characters decipher the past and try to save the souls variously threatened by the golem and the jinni, as well as by the jewish. The golem and the jinni helene wecker, 20 harpercollins 512 pp.
The writing in this book reminds me a lot of the bear and the nightingale in that it felt very atmospheric as well as giving off a strong classic fairy tale vibe. Helene wecker goodreads author topics about this book topics that mention this book. The golem and the jinni are drawn to each other, kindred spirits of longforgotten fairy tales. Buy a cheap copy of the golem and the jinni book by helene wecker. Describe the jinnis relationship with the tinsmith who released him, arbeely. Its true that this book moved a bit too slowly to develop its meetings, conflicts, etc. Numerous secondary characters are central to the golem and the jinni s story. Welcome to book club, which i run with coconspirator nicole from linuss blanket. We ate up all of our delicious food before digging right in with our discussion. The title characters of helene weckers inventive novel, the golem and the jinni, are only slightly more bewildered than the thousands of other immigrants who end up. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man. Anyway, although im complaining a lot, i enjoyed the golem and the jinni, and the ideas about free will and such presented.
Alternate titles found on the editing floor, like the rabbis friend made from clay and the tinsmiths supernatural apprentice or jewish mysticism meets a genie who doesnt grant wishes just dont roll of the tongue the same way. The golem and the jinni, by helene wecker the new york. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark kabbalistic magic. The golem and the jinni is a continuous delight provocative, atmospheric, and superbly paced. Just this once, i wish i could say the golem and the jinni is awesome. The golem and the jinni part ii book club food ideas by helene wecker including my butterbeer ice cream recipe. His finger ran down a page, and he peered at something written there. There is a lot of historical fiction woven in, so if you are looking for a straight fantasy novel this may not be for you. Released in new york after a thousand years inside a metal flask, the jinni is a being made of fire, bound to human form. The golem and the jinni was amazons best book of the month for april 20, and goodreads readers nominated the book. Instead, he visits a man named yehudah schaalman, and has a golem made. They both are forced to learn to pass as human to survive. Chava, a golem brought to life by a disgraced rabbi, and ahmad, a jinni made of fire, form an unlikely friendship on the streets of new york until a fateful choice changes everything.
Helene weckers 20 novel the golem and the jinni features an intelligent female golem created by a malevolent jewish magician in danzig in 1899. What a wonderful surprise the golem and the jinni turned out to be. The rabbi, shaalman, warns that the ensuing golemin weckers tale, the golemis meant to be a slave and not for the pleasures of a bed, but he creates her anyway. Read pdf the golem and the jinni absolutely for free at. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker the book dorks. Is there a possible future for the golem and the jinni or are you working on a different project.
We are dedicated to enriching your book club experience. Book club the golem and the jinni by helene wecker. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker book club discussion. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker book club ideas. It opens up new avenues of discussion for this welltrod fantasy element. The first creature is a woman named chava, she is a golem, a creature made of clay who is created and brought to life in poland. I would love to write a sequel, and ive got a project in the works that might very well turn into one. Imaginative and meticulously researched, this enchanting debut novel from helene wecker is, in reality, an historical. See more ideas about the golem, book club books and arabian nights party. I knew something about the lower east side jewish community fabled in song and story and movie.
The golem and the jinni by helene wecker helene wecker on twitter. Bptj the historical and fantasy elements are strong and credible. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker the boston globe. This is the first fantasy book i have read as an adult. It is set in syria and the lower east side of new york city. Discussion questions for the golem and the jinni sub. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker book club. The golem and the jinni is an exciting story about two very different creatures, both that are supernatural. A very special evening of music, poetry readings, theatrical performances and more as we explore themes of longing for home and homeland found in both our one book mishkan selection, the golem and the jinni and the citywide one book, one jewish community selection, the wanting.
The golem and the jinni by helene wecke wendy reads books. A jinni, captured and enslaved hundreds of years ago, is free of his flask but not truly free as the iron cuff that keeps him in human form remains on his wrist. At 675 pages, you might pass over this book, but pick it up anyway if you like speculative fiction, historical fiction, or just have a long plane ride and only want one book. Today we will be chatting about the golem and the jinni by helene wecker, from harper books.
The golem and the jinni is a novel of missed connections. The golem and the jinni, a novel by helene wecker the. A likely story is for those of us who revel in escapist fiction and. This book is called the golem and the jinni, which means its about a golem and a jinni. One of the wonders of the book is weckers elegant structure, which sets up plot reflections and echoes of themes as she follows the golem and the jinni, both inspired by folklore, backward and. Welcome to the first ever savvy reader book club with vikki and kaitlyn. It combines the genre of historical fiction with elements of fantasy, telling the story of two displaced magical creatures in 19th century new york city.
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