• The Golem and the Jinni

  • A Novel
  • By: Helene Wecker
  • Narrated by: George Guidall
  • Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (18,668 ratings)

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The Golem and the Jinni  By  cover art

The Golem and the Jinni

By: Helene Wecker
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Editorial reviews

Editors Select, April 2013 - The Golem and the Jinni delivers the glimpses into the past that make historical fiction so satisfying, combined with the power of well-told fantasy. New York at the dawn of the 20th century is a city teeming with life as newly-arrived immigrants find their footing in an unfamiliar land. This cultural melting pot is manifested in the story's two titular characters: the golem, a figure from Jewish myth, and the jinni, a spirit from Arabian folklore. The two creatures - normally bidden to serve human masters -find themselves unmoored by circumstances and with no one to serve. Their chance meeting begets an unforgettable journey through the lovingly-crafted city, and provides an outsider's perspective on both the mundane and transcendent in the human experience. Even if fantasy isn't normally in your wheelhouse, this incredible premise – paired with George Guidall’s performance - is sure to deliver. Michael, Audible Editor

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, 2014

Helene Wecker's dazzling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York Harbor. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop.

Struggling to make their way in this strange new place, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their neighbors while masking their true natures. Surrounding them is a community of immigrants: the coffeehouse owner Maryam Faddoul, a pillar of wisdom and support for her Syrian neighbors; the solitary ice cream maker Saleh, a damaged man cursed by tragedy; the kind and caring Rabbi Meyer and his beleaguered nephew, Michael, whose Sheltering House receives newly arrived Jewish men; the adventurous young socialite Sophia Winston; and the enigmatic Joseph Schall, a dangerous man driven by ferocious ambition and esoteric wisdom.

Meeting by chance, the two creatures become unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures, until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful menace will soon bring the Golem and the Jinni together again, threatening their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.

Marvelous and compulsively listenable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of folk mythology, historical fiction, and magical fable into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.

©2013 Helene Wecker (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Featured Article: The top 100 fantasy listens of all time


When compiling our list of the best fantasy listening out there, we immediately came up against the age-old question: Is this fantasy or science fiction? The distinction is not as clear as you may think. Dragons, elves, and wizards are definitely fantasy, but what about wizards that also fly space ships? (Looking at you, Star Wars.) For the sake of fantasy purity, the top 100 fantasy listens include the best audio works in all manner of fantasy subgenres.

What listeners say about The Golem and the Jinni

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    11,521
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Performance
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Story
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    1,553
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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  • 03-23-21

Decent story with excellent narration

It was a decent listen. I felt a little unsatisfied with some of it but overall I enjoyed it.

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Love George Guidall’s voice

This narrator is awesome! I listened to the book during my commutes. It reminded me a lot of being read a bedtime story by a grandfather figure. Author paints such beautiful imagery with her words!

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soooo unique

I'm an audiobook addict and I love all different types of books and this has to be one of my favorites for the year. give it a shot you won't regret it!

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Excellent!

A truly imaginative journey with the 2 protagonists and their surrounds and tge characters who populate it.

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Enjoyed it

A great story. Well-crafted, intricate and engaging. The world and characters really draw you in.

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True imagination

The characters were easy to get to know and the story is very unusual. I thought it could get a little boring sometimes but overall I enjoyed it very much!

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Great story-telling in every sense of that domain.

Helene Wecker's The Golem and the Jinni has all of the fully developed scale of mature fantasy literature found in works like Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, but with a softer more humanistically affectionate edge given to the rich ensemble of characters. Very finely focused personality details fit the more contemporary pace of Wecker's dynamic story, while maintaining continuity in an impressive visual sweep of times and places that also transmutes extremely well into the story's aural experience as an Audible book. I don't say this often, but I look forward to listening to this story again.

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So riveting!

What a multi layered story. Wonderful characters and a fascinating set of interwoven plots.

I felt overtaken by the forces within the story to “just keep listening.” The spell seems to impel me to “read another” from this author! 😀

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surprisingly enrapturing

I was so surprised how good this book was
I never wanted to stop listening

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Great Story

I have listen to this many times. Never gets old. I highly recommend this book

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