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

A Classic

I can see why people are fawning over this story. These characters are brought to life with such rich emotion. You really empathize with them. A little slow but overall I enjoyed it.

A well-written, fantastically well-narrated story.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Golem and the Jinni to be better than the print version?

The narrator was incredible, so yes, I think the narrated version has to be superior to the print version, though both are very good.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Golem and the Jinni?

One of my very favorite moments in the story is the moment the Golem first meets the Jinni. It's such a great illustration of their different characters, and you can really feel the fascination with encountering something so foreign, yet so similar to themselves.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene is probably when the two come back together again. I hesitate to give too much detail because of spoilers, but when the Golem reunites with the Jinni and the time directly proceeding that is just an awesome moment.

Any additional comments?

I have been slowly and steadily building my library primarily with books I already know and wanted to listen to. This book by itself has completely changed that strategy: it is a book I had never heard of, and it is easily my favorite book in my entire library. I'll be much more adventurous going forward, all because of how fantastic this book is.

Very good listen

A great story. Great oration. Best book in a long time. I loved all of the characters. A must listen.

wonderful in every way !

this is 1 of those rare, stars aligned sort of stories & narrations ! this story renews my faith in finding new books that are every bit as spectacular as the classics etc. like the 1st law bools, narrated by steven pacey, i also found the perfect narratir who seems as if they were born to read this story. i would just ramble if i tried to give an informative review so I'll just say, this is in my top all time list. Great story, characters, wonderful observations of human interactions & the desires, wants, needs, fears & dreams of people.

Decent

Focuses on those things which I find less interesting. Overall a well written and well thought out work. Two word

Simply Outstanding

Heading says it all. Plot was engaging, suspenseful and heart thumping. Guidall is my all time favorite. A great performance each time I listen. Can't wait (literally) for the next installment. 2018 !!!!

Great read

Very entertaining. Intriguing plot that kept my interest to the very end. Excellent narration from George Guidall kept all the characters fresh.

I didn't expect to like it, this much.

I did not expect to love this book. It was good from the beginning to the end. I really liked the dialog between the characters, too. Chava is a golem (made of clay), and Ahmad is a jinni (made of fire). Good book.

one of the best written stories I have listened to

the story had great depth and the characters were well definex such that i could really relate to them.

Well this was different!

Went with this based off of the many favorable reviews....not a fast paced story by any means, but hung in there even though it was not an "in your face" attention grabber, it was a good story and I enjoyed it. My first George Guidall narration...enjoyed him also.