The golem and the jinni book discussion ideas

The golem and the jinni by helene wecke wendy reads books. Instead, he visits a man named yehudah schaalman, and has a golem made. Is there a possible future for the golem and the jinni or are you working on a different project. I may be updating this post with new questions and ideas over the course of the. The golem and the jinni part ii book club food ideas by helene wecker including my butterbeer ice cream recipe. The writing and plot makes it read like a much shorter book think of it as a 450page book instead. Chava, a golem brought to life by a disgraced rabbi, and ahmad, a jinni made of fire, form an unlikely friendship on the streets of new york until a fateful choice changes everything. The golem and the jinni is an extraordinary combination of historical novel set in new york city during the height of immigration and fantasy. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker goodreads. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker a rare gem of a book that combines yiddish and islamic folklore, from the perspective of a golem and a jinni that meet in new york city. His finger ran down a page, and he peered at something written there. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker book club discussion. At the heart of the novel burns the two creatures evolving friendship with each other, and the risks they take in order to grope towards an understanding and transcendence of their own dangerous natures. Anyway, although im complaining a lot, i enjoyed the golem and the jinni, and the ideas about free will and such presented.

Welcome to book club, which i run with coconspirator nicole from linuss blanket. The rabbi, shaalman, warns that the ensuing golemin weckers tale, the golemis meant to be a slave and not for the pleasures of a bed, but he creates her anyway. Set in world war iera new york, helene weckers the iron season, a sequel to her bestselling novel the golem and the jinni, tells the continuing story of chava the golem and ahmad the jinni, as they encounter other beings of their own kind, only to realize that their close ties to human beings have forever altered them. This book is called the golem and the jinni, which means its about a golem and a jinni. Its true that this book moved a bit too slowly to develop its meetings, conflicts, etc. The golem and the jinni helene wecker, 20 harpercollins 512 pp. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker the boston globe. Released in new york after a thousand years inside a metal flask, the jinni is a being made of fire, bound to human form.

The golem and the jinni is a novel of missed connections. The golem, chava havah, is created by unethical man who delves into dark magic. The narrator only uses the golem and the jinni, with the adopted names only used by other characters. Today we will be chatting about the golem and the jinni by helene wecker, from harper books. The first creature is a woman named chava, she is a golem, a creature made of clay who is created and brought to life in poland. Describe the jinni s relationship with the tinsmith who released him, arbeely.

She lands in manhattan with less destructive force than godzilla hit tokyo, but even so, she cuts a strange figure. Characters the golem and the jinni by helene wecker. Reading guide for the golem and the jinni by helene wecker discussion guide for book clubs. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker helene wecker on twitter. Welcome to the first ever savvy reader book club with vikki and kaitlyn. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker the book dorks. Alternate titles found on the editing floor, like the rabbis friend made from clay and the tinsmiths supernatural apprentice or jewish mysticism meets a genie who doesnt grant wishes just dont roll of the tongue the same way. The golem and the jinni, by helene wecker the new york. Freewheeling and libertine by nature, the jinni is accustomed to following his whims, and chafes at the constraint of living hidden as a human. Reading guide for the golem and the jinni by helene wecker.

There is a lot of historical fiction woven in, so if you are looking for a straight fantasy novel this may not be for you. And in helene weckers charming, albeit way too long, first novel, the golem and the jinni, their relationship is tested by a megalomaniacal bedouin wizard, the. Subgenreorama book club message board discussion questions. A likely story is for those of us who revel in escapist fiction and. It opens up new avenues of discussion for this welltrod fantasy element. To see more pictures from our amazing book club and get ideas on what activities and. The golem and the jinni by helene wecker book club ideas.

We are dedicated to enriching your book club experience. What a wonderful surprise the golem and the jinni turned out to be. The title characters of helene weckers inventive novel, the golem and the jinni, are only slightly more bewildered than the thousands of other immigrants who end up. At 675 pages, you might pass over this book, but pick it up anyway if you like speculative fiction, historical fiction, or just have a long plane ride and only want one book. Just this once, i wish i could say the golem and the jinni is awesome. Numerous secondary characters are central to the golem and the jinni s story. The writing in this book reminds me a lot of the bear and the nightingale in that it felt very atmospheric as well as giving off a strong classic fairy tale vibe.

It combines the genre of historical fiction with elements of fantasy, telling the story of two displaced magical creatures in 19th century new york city. For those of you reading this post, please remember that this discussion may contain spoilers. Wecker does a great job at establishing the novels constraints and sticking to them. Helene weckers 20 novel the golem and the jinni features an intelligent female golem created by a malevolent jewish magician in danzig in 1899.

A jinni, captured and enslaved hundreds of years ago, is free of his flask but not truly free as the iron cuff that keeps him in human form remains on his wrist. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark kabbalistic magic. The sometimes slow pace picks up considerably as the disparate characters decipher the past and try to save the souls variously threatened by the golem and the jinni, as well as by the jewish. The golem and the jinni, a novel by helene wecker the. The golem and the jinni known as the golem and the djinni in the united kingdom is a debut novel written by helene wecker, published by harper in april 20. The golem and the jinni part i book club ideas by helene wecker. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy.

Imaginative and meticulously researched, this enchanting debut novel from helene wecker is, in reality, an historical. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man. The golem and the jinni was amazons best book of the month for april 20, and goodreads readers nominated the book. The golem and the jinni is an exciting story about two very different creatures, both that are supernatural. Describe the jinnis relationship with the tinsmith who released him, arbeely. Review of the golem and the jinni wendy reads books. They both are forced to learn to pass as human to survive. The golem and the jinni are drawn to each other, kindred spirits of longforgotten fairy tales.

I bought this ebook on sale last year and after failed attempts to read lirael i know its a great book, but it seems i picked it up at the wrong time, i plan to get back at it later on, looking at the books i already have on my kindle i found the. See more ideas about the golem, book club books and arabian nights party. It is set in syria and the lower east side of new york city. Read pdf the golem and the jinni absolutely for free at. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the golem and the jinni. We ate up all of our delicious food before digging right in with our discussion. The golem and the jinni is a continuous delight provocative, atmospheric, and superbly paced. Helene wecker goodreads author topics about this book topics that mention this book. When released from human control, both the golem and the jinni tend inevitably towards the pitiless destruction of humanity. What about the relationship between the golem and rabbi meyer.

The golem and the jinni by helene wecker book club. Book club the golem and the jinni by helene wecker. I knew something about the lower east side jewish community fabled in song and story and movie. Numerous secondary characters are central to the golem and the jinnis story. If you wanted a book club discussion for this book, your wish has been granted. Do the titles become their own names, or do the creatures remain more creatureish because of this. The golem and the jinni part ii book club food ideas. I would love to write a sequel, and ive got a project in the works that might very well turn into one. The second is ahmad, he is a jinni, a being of fire who was born in the syrian dessert long ago. In the golem and the jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turnofthecentury new york. This is the first fantasy book i have read as an adult. See more ideas about books, book club books and book worms.

Accordingly, rotfeld knocked again the next day, and this time schaalman opened the door without. One of the wonders of the book is weckers elegant structure, which sets up plot reflections and echoes of themes as she follows the golem and the jinni, both inspired by folklore, backward and. A very special evening of music, poetry readings, theatrical performances and more as we explore themes of longing for home and homeland found in both our one book mishkan selection, the golem and the jinni and the citywide one book, one jewish community selection, the wanting. I was debating about recommending becky chambers book. Jane ciabattari, boston globe history, magic and religion braid together in old new yorks tenementsthe interplay of loyalties and the struggle to assert reason over emotion keep the pages flipping. Helene weckers dazzling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 new york. Bptj the historical and fantasy elements are strong and credible. Helene weckers the golem and the jinni the washington. This books moderator was robin above who went all out for this. Buy a cheap copy of the golem and the jinni book by helene wecker. Discussion questions for the golem and the jinni sub.