What I liked is the hope inherent in the book. With all that, it seemed very appropriate given the Judeo-Christian-Arabic-centric world that we seem to live in these days. It makes a powerful political statement as well, given the current state of affairs between modern-day Jews and Arabs, and indeed the current state of affairs in American politics, as well as the fact that I found myself reading it during Lent. The novel is fascinating in its details of turn-of-the-century industrial New York, and clearly delineates the class differences, as well as the strong clash of culture, religion and ethnicity that defined this era, and still does define us, to this day. Both are immortal creatures created from the elements – fire and earth – and both completely out of their elements. The premise, a woman named Chava who was created to be the perfect mate and formed out of earth and water – the clay golem of ancient Jewish tradition – and a jinni – an Arabic creature imprisoned for 1000 years in a brass jar, calling himself Ahmad and made of desert fire – cross paths in 1890s New York City. Strange creatures, lyrical and unusual prose, mad leaps of logic, fantasy oases in the desert, and food descriptions that are so real you can almost smell the scent of cinnamon and yogurt and herbs. This book, The Golem and The Jinni, is the literary equivalent of being in an opium dream.
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