The Golem and the Jinni

A Novel

By: Helene Wecker

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins

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

Entertaining!!!

Loved the story. Reminded me of the stories I heard as a child but for adults.

Outstanding!

Would you listen to The Golem and the Jinni again? Why?

as soon as it was finished, I hit play and began at the beginning. Fantastic story, characters and insight. Cried, smiled and wanted more! The adventures of Jinni and Golem should be a series!

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favorite?

Jinni

Delightful

What did you love best about The Golem and the Jinni?

Imagination. I enjoyed stories about djinns as a child, but this was NOT a children's story. It held my interest to the very end.

What other book might you compare The Golem and the Jinni to and why?

None. This story was an amazing interwoven pattern revealing details of Jewish and Syrian cultures, and yet avoiding ordinary human biases.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice is remarkable.

Who was the most memorable character of The Golem and the Jinni and why?

The Jinni. Because of his artistic skills and because of the freedom he had lost.

Any additional comments?

If you love middle-eastern mysticism and magic, you'll love this book.

A little slow at times but kept my attention

Well performed and enjoyable story. I did however find that it was not as lively as you would expect a book to about a Jin and a Golem.

Not usually my genre...but...

I liked it nonetheless, good story well told, would recommend to anyone that doesn't usually listen to fantasy. Has a nice mix of historical fiction with life in the early 1900's in NYC.

Excellent Story!

Any additional comments?

Truly enjoyed this story! It was captivating the entire time. Loved the characters, the plot, the twists, the character development. It felt new and interesting, and I'd totally recommend it.

The narrator was excellent-- and I'm rather particular about who I enjoy listening to!

Well done author and reader. :)

Great book!

Really great book, loved it! The narrator was one of the best that I've had to date. Highly recommend!

Great adventure and character development

With its odd premise, I wasn't sure what to expect. By the end, though, it was hard to pause.

I like to discuss books with my wife, and while she does like fantastic stories, if they don't have sufficient character development then they fall flat. I have no hesitation in recommending this one to get, though. And I look forward to talking with her about it when she's done.

What a performance!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would, but I would recommend the audiobook, not the print version, simply because of the narration.

What did you like best about this story?

It had an air about it, it is hard to put my finger on, but I liked the atmosphere. The characters were interesting, the story was good and had a nice pace.

Have you listened to any of George Guidall’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes I have listened to him reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods and that was also great.

Instant classic.

This one became one of my favorites. The story is very simple, but deep and beautiful.