The Big Peat
Darth Buddha
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2016
- Messages
- 3,676
Hmm. Let me guess. The draw to this book is that there's a golem and a djinni, right?
That's a part of why I picked it up. Chava is a golem who's left without a master in 19th century New York; Ahmad's a djinni released by accident from his lamp. I did really like the idea of getting to see those pieces of folklore get some quality page time.
Did?
I did enjoy that. But it wasn't the best part of the book. The best part of The Golem and the Djinni was the detailed, wondrous depiction of historic New York; the fascinating cast of side characters, all vibrant and alive; and the relationship between two very different people who just happen to be supernatural creatures. In short, it was just the way Helen Wecker writes. She filled this book with little details of the best sort and in doing so made reading it an absolute joy.
That I place the fantasy elements second isn't much of a criticism at all, although I must admit there's a hint of one. The fantasy covered this story like sugar on a donut, but I found myself wishing there'd been some filling as well. Ultimately, I found Chava and Ahmad a little too de-mythologised (I hope that's actually a word of some time). The sense of the fantastic found in some of the other characters, the humans who brush up against them are and permanently marked, was exactly what I wanted but there wasn't enough of it. That's a matter of purely subjective taste though. Wecker being a fine writer and a meticulous observer is far less so.
And did you turn to the back at any point?
Yes. Exactly halfway through. The middle of the book is very heavy on the contemplation and slow step-by-step showing of connection made between Chava and Ahmad. There was a point where I wondered whether the resolution would be worth it, or whether I should simply say "Awesome scene writer, read until I got bored, enjoyed everything up until that".
I'm very glad I did stick with it though. The ending is grandiose, tense, creepy and contains all the fantasy I'd been desiring. It also seemed to do a very neat job of bringing together some of the themes about freedom and power dynamics together. Speaking of the theme
Can I stop you? This is almost a concise review, you know.
Speaking of the theme, the whole thing about freedom is a very, very obvious one given the folklore behind golems and djinnis. Wecker doesn't just tell it through Chava and Ahmad though, but also through her supporting cast, particularly Anna. And she does so quietly but clearly, in ways that always feel like natural choices for the characters. The Golem and the Djinni would make a good book for teenagers to study in that respect.
Summary time please
This is not a perfect book. Some of my complaints are made of the purest type of picky; but when it comes to things like the pacing I know I'm not alone. It is a very good example of its type though. It is lucid, gently funny, warm, yet poignant and sharp when needful. It will delight people who love detailed depictions of historic cultures and close character study, and probably persuade a few that they love that sort of thing when they didn't know it.
There is a scene where Ahmad produces a piece of art that takes people a while to figure out, but stuns them when they realise what and how detailed and alive it is. What Ahmad did with his art, Helene Wecker has done with this book. I look forwards to many more.
That's a part of why I picked it up. Chava is a golem who's left without a master in 19th century New York; Ahmad's a djinni released by accident from his lamp. I did really like the idea of getting to see those pieces of folklore get some quality page time.
Did?
I did enjoy that. But it wasn't the best part of the book. The best part of The Golem and the Djinni was the detailed, wondrous depiction of historic New York; the fascinating cast of side characters, all vibrant and alive; and the relationship between two very different people who just happen to be supernatural creatures. In short, it was just the way Helen Wecker writes. She filled this book with little details of the best sort and in doing so made reading it an absolute joy.
That I place the fantasy elements second isn't much of a criticism at all, although I must admit there's a hint of one. The fantasy covered this story like sugar on a donut, but I found myself wishing there'd been some filling as well. Ultimately, I found Chava and Ahmad a little too de-mythologised (I hope that's actually a word of some time). The sense of the fantastic found in some of the other characters, the humans who brush up against them are and permanently marked, was exactly what I wanted but there wasn't enough of it. That's a matter of purely subjective taste though. Wecker being a fine writer and a meticulous observer is far less so.
And did you turn to the back at any point?
Yes. Exactly halfway through. The middle of the book is very heavy on the contemplation and slow step-by-step showing of connection made between Chava and Ahmad. There was a point where I wondered whether the resolution would be worth it, or whether I should simply say "Awesome scene writer, read until I got bored, enjoyed everything up until that".
I'm very glad I did stick with it though. The ending is grandiose, tense, creepy and contains all the fantasy I'd been desiring. It also seemed to do a very neat job of bringing together some of the themes about freedom and power dynamics together. Speaking of the theme
Can I stop you? This is almost a concise review, you know.
Speaking of the theme, the whole thing about freedom is a very, very obvious one given the folklore behind golems and djinnis. Wecker doesn't just tell it through Chava and Ahmad though, but also through her supporting cast, particularly Anna. And she does so quietly but clearly, in ways that always feel like natural choices for the characters. The Golem and the Djinni would make a good book for teenagers to study in that respect.
Summary time please
This is not a perfect book. Some of my complaints are made of the purest type of picky; but when it comes to things like the pacing I know I'm not alone. It is a very good example of its type though. It is lucid, gently funny, warm, yet poignant and sharp when needful. It will delight people who love detailed depictions of historic cultures and close character study, and probably persuade a few that they love that sort of thing when they didn't know it.
There is a scene where Ahmad produces a piece of art that takes people a while to figure out, but stuns them when they realise what and how detailed and alive it is. What Ahmad did with his art, Helene Wecker has done with this book. I look forwards to many more.
