From the Bookshelf of Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy…

The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1)

Helene Wecker

Start date: December 21, 2013

Finish date: January 20, 2014

Discussion leader: Andreas

Why we're reading this: Group Contemporary Read for December 2013
[close] Group Contemporary Read for December 2013

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What Members Thought

Apr 06, 2014 Jim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1audio, fantasy, 2fiction

Very well written, slow romance with a memorable cast of characters, & well done insights into our nature. The setting in the early 1900's was different & enjoyable, too. It was well read & certainly had moments of suspense. All the diverse elements came together at the end in a very logical, inevitable way that didn't ruin the ending at all, just emphasized how well the story was built. While there were quite a few characters with odd names, there was no danger of confusion between them.

So why ...more

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Nov 08, 2022 Georgann rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, cozy-sff

I had a hard time sticking to this book. I'd happily read along and then found I couldn't pick it back up b/c I was so worried about what was going to happen. I finally just read the end - enough to know the basics of what was to come. Whew. But I guess all that tension made it a good story. Just not the right one for me at this time. ...more

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Jan 07, 2015 Lindsay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4stars, fantasy, kindle, book-challenge-2015, read-in-2015

3.5 stars

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Feb 17, 2016 mina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A charming, light read.

I have only read a story about djinni once before. I am not really interested of repetitive stories about djinni and the master's three wishes. But Bartimaeus trilogy really changed my mind, it's a beautiful story about a high-level mischievous djinni with a conscience who learned to love his master, and a misunderstood young boy who became his master and later also learned to love his djinni. The trilogy's ending is one of the most beautiful endings ever. After Bartimaeus A charming, light read.

I have only read a story about djinni once before. I am not really interested of repetitive stories about djinni and the master's three wishes. But Bartimaeus trilogy really changed my mind, it's a beautiful story about a high-level mischievous djinni with a conscience who learned to love his master, and a misunderstood young boy who became his master and later also learned to love his djinni. The trilogy's ending is one of the most beautiful endings ever. After Bartimaeus, it is hard not to judge another djinni stories.

I don't know why I gave this book a try. Maybe it's the font of the title on the front cover? Whatever it was, it got me started reading, and the first chapter really provoked my curiosity. The first chapter is about the creation and the awakening of a woman golem, later named Chava, who lost her master right after she was awakened, and found herself stranded masterless on a boat heading to New York, with zero knowledge about living in human population. Meanwhile, the second chapter tells about the accidental release of a confused (and angry) iron-bounded high-level djinni, later named Ahmad, from an antique flask after a thousand years by a tinsmith in Little Syria, a Mid-Eastern population residential area in Lower Manhattan, New York. Both the golem and the djinni were forced to live their new life in Little Syria, trying to act and "socialize" like human being with little hope of escape. They did not meet each other until around a third into the book.

It is a long book, yes, with a lot of contemplation by the Golem and the Djinni. But the paragraphs are short, some contemplations are said between them in short sentences, so it is bearable. Also there are other human characters' story told in between, and each of these characters is interesting and has a meaning for the storyline. I really care about what happened to each of them. Especially when a character twist appeared later, endanger the lives of others in Little Syria. At the end, I want to say that I am happy that the Golem and the Djinni met each other and consequently both had improved quite far in character.

Like The Girl with All the Gifts, and like the Bartimaeus trilogy, the ending is not necessarily a happy one, but it is the best for everyone.

Added later:
When I accessed my Goodreads to put this review on its page, I am shocked. Damn! This is book 1? There is a sequel? I want the characters live their lives peacefully :( ...more

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