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lbarsk's review against another edition
4.0
Upon reading for the second time, I stand by my 2013 rating of four stars!
I absolutely love the "finding humanity" aspect of this novel, and the time period is ONE OF MY FAVES, and hello I'm a sucker for anything Golem-related. So I think the thing that keeps me from a full five stars is how FAST some things in the book happen. E.g., in all of the Big Action Scenes I had to read through a couple times to fully get what was taking place. Or, a serious thing would take place (someone dying) and then we'd immediately move on.
I get that this is how life is, and it was *extremely* clever to have language mirror the way life moves; Wecker deserves SERIOUS praise for her language. But it did give me a feeling of things rushing past when this whole world was one that I would've loved to linger in longer.
I will say -- in most books I think the ending resolves much too quickly, and there's not enough sense of an "after," which is why I turn so often to fanfic. This book does not have that problem, and I find its ending wholly lovely.
I absolutely love the "finding humanity" aspect of this novel, and the time period is ONE OF MY FAVES, and hello I'm a sucker for anything Golem-related. So I think the thing that keeps me from a full five stars is how FAST some things in the book happen. E.g., in all of the Big Action Scenes I had to read through a couple times to fully get what was taking place. Or, a serious thing would take place (someone dying) and then we'd immediately move on.
I get that this is how life is, and it was *extremely* clever to have language mirror the way life moves; Wecker deserves SERIOUS praise for her language. But it did give me a feeling of things rushing past when this whole world was one that I would've loved to linger in longer.
I will say -- in most books I think the ending resolves much too quickly, and there's not enough sense of an "after," which is why I turn so often to fanfic. This book does not have that problem, and I find its ending wholly lovely.
genmac's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
applegnreads's review against another edition
4.0
Golem and Jinni, from two different cultures, recently immigrated to NYC, struggling to figure out who they are and where they belong. Worth reading.
katieinca's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the conceit, which set up some character study stuff you could certainly talk about in a book group. The first thing I read was the "About the Author" note, where she talks about how she's Jewish and her husband is Arab American, and when she started writing she was exploring stories from both of their family histories, and this pairing of the golem and the jinni is a very cool way to explore that, so I was psyched. And I really appreciated the author's research, especially having lived in southern Manhattan. I can see why people love it, but it stayed a little flat to me, and I was disappointed with what felt like a forced/orchestrated/clunky ending to tie it all up.
mrbear's review against another edition
5.0
This book was quite excellent, and I could see myself recommending it a fair bit in the future. It is as close to a work of "pure fiction" as I have read in recent times, and reflecting on it brings to mind the aspects of Murakami and Marquez that I most appreciated. Perhaps the story's only shortcoming is that it takes too few risks - the book is not overly surprising, and could have certainly done with a stronger, more driving plot. It also has an ending that, while not weak, does not amaze the way one might expect given the buildup. In spite of all of this, the book gets full marks because it effectively conveys "wonder" - something that books are often hard pressed to do. It keeps you turning the pages more out of a growing desire to understand more and to watch the characters develop than to understand where the plot is going - the kind of book that you wish could go on forever (or, perhaps, be reality).
Overall highly recommended to fiction buffs, those who like old New York, or fans of "classic" literary excellence.
Overall highly recommended to fiction buffs, those who like old New York, or fans of "classic" literary excellence.
jaepeach's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Beautiful writing, good characters, exciting story!
debitoni's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
enesven's review against another edition
5.0
Such a sweet story. It is a beautiful dip into culture and history.