Recent reading

[luzula]

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
I feel like everybody was reading this a couple of years ago, but I never got around to it. But now we read it for my fannish book club, and everybody including me loved it! Short summary: it's about a golem and a jinni in immigrant communities in turn-of-the-last-century New York. I really liked how rooted it is in daily life, and how we get both an inside and an outside (through the golem and jinni) view of that daily life. I would call this urban fantasy, if that wouldn't give people the wrong idea about it.

For some reason I thought this was going to be straight-up romance, and I'm so glad it wasn't. Yes, I guess it does go into romance mode at the very end, but I can wave that away. Not that I would mind it if they had sex or became some sort of life partners, just that a standard romance narrative fits them badly, I think. I really liked how many of the minor characters, like Anna and Sophia and Saleh, got fleshed out and played roles in the ending.

Apparently there will be a sequel at some point, and I'm interested to see how that will go.

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman (audiobook)
I came across the audiobook for this and thought, why not. It's pretty much "plucky Victorian girl adventures", and I liked it fine. Though I don't feel compelled to read/listen to more of the series.

Comments

[lilysea]

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

I loved this book! ^_^

[luzula]

Me too! I know everybody was saying so a couple of years ago; I don't know why I didn't get around to reading it then.

[jesse_the_k]

I had many Feelings about The Golem & The Jinni.

I loved the atmospheric evocations of two immigrant communities at the turn of the twentieth century. The Golem as bakery assistant was particularly wonderful. All the personal interactions felt driven by human desires and fears: I didn't find any of the characters to be holding a pose to Make A Point.

Ashkenazim bolting from Russia in 1905 is a familiar story in our family; I felt she did it justice. I do wonder how many readers find it too amazing to be history. I'm in a similarly ignorant position re: the metal mender and other Arabic emigres, but trust what I've read because she nails the Jewish story.

I was hoping to see a comparison between the golem, the jinni, the RUR and the android: maybe book two will provide. The golem and the jinni are such fabulous fantastic creatures, and yet they fit our world so well.

Many stars, would read again.

[isis]

Yes, yes - this was my history, too, so I also had that feeling. And what an interesting thought about RUR, which after all comes from the same place (in general, and for me specifically because my father's family came from Czechoslovakia).

[luzula]

I didn't have that kind of intersection of personal history with the book, but I did like the portrayal of immigrant communities! Yeah, the bakery was lovely.