• 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 (18,666 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

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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
  • 4 Stars
    5,097
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Performance
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Story
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    10,433
  • 4 Stars
    4,572
  • 3 Stars
    1,552
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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Wonderful story!

Great story with well developed characters. I frequently use audible while I walk. There were times that I just didn't want to stop walking.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book

I delightful journey into magical thinking. It had a similar flavor to Pete Hamill'a "Forever ". Despite the magical premiss it gave a nice historical view of an earlier time in Manhattan.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A Witty Macabre Search for Love

Fantastically macabre. A dark comedy that touched my heart. Oh how we wonder about the beholder's eyes and thoughts....and words spoken as we turn our backs. What can protect us from getting rip apart by that cruelty? Solitude? Magic? Violence? Kindness from others?
Welcome to New York all you misfits and strangers. Enjoy!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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A Combination of History and Fantasy

What did you like best about this story?

I loved all the details of life in turn of the century New York. You could tell the author had done her research by how she made the world of over a century ago live and breathe. Her grasp of folklore around both Jinni and Golem was also very impressive and if not fully accurate was at least a wonderful reinterpretation.

Which scene was your favorite?

I think the meeting between Chava and Ahmad stands out the most. It is where our two title characters first encounter each other and it is striking in how they react to each other. Despite being non-human, it is one of their more human moments, where they stand before each other, exposed for what they truly are.

If you could rename The Golem and the Jinni, what would you call it?

I would have to go with A Meeting of Earth and Flame. This is as the Jinni are of the eternal fire and Golems are beings made of earth. However, the title is close to perfect. It describes the two protagonists and implies that their fates are somehow linked.

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An enchanting read

One of the most delightful reads I've emrecently enjoyed. The story expertly weaves together two cultures and their traditions, entwined together on the backdrop of early 20th century New York and its tenements. The author obviously researched her subject thoroughly - the portrayal of eastern European Jewish life and traditions is credible and fascinating, as is that of desert life. And as an added bonus, the narration is superb - if I could I'd give it more than five stars.

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Magical!!

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!!
i LOVED IT!!


Narrator: George Guidall. ❤❤❤❤That is all... No other words needed...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the Best I've Read!

Truly wonderful story about ancient cultural enemies, magic and love. Two opposite elementals, Earth and Fire, trying to get by in 1900 (of there about) NYC. The characters were completely out of place and they each approach the problem in their own way. And their ancient master, enemy to one and creator of the other is trying to repossess them both. The effect they had on everyone they met was insightful and thought provoking. George Guidall does an excellent job narrating. His characterizations were right on!

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Magical twists & turns. Literally!

A masterful mix of mythologies. Excellent performance by the narrator as well, kept me tuned in and learning as well

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such a fabulous story and wonderfully read

loved it. i will look for more from this author in the future. loved narrative

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Loved it

The narrator is wonderful. I felt immediately like I had fallen into a storybook hole. So I highly recommend the audiobook version.

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