‘By far my favourite book of of the year’ Guardian Yet it’s hard to begrudge Wecker the obvious affection she feels for every aspect of the world she’s created - and easy enough to linger with her as she fits it all together.‘One of only two novels I’ve ever loved whose main characters are not human’ BARBARA KINGSOLVERįor fans of The Essex Serpent and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock. One of the joys of the novel, after all, is in watching two strangers develop a relationship that, while it’s rooted in their shared magical natures, echoes the way ordinary humans can form bonds starting with a random encounter on a busy street. Some might find that Wecker ties all her threads too neatly in the final act, particularly the way in which she links the Golem and Jinni through their back stories. Once you realize she’s building up to the revelation of how he ended up imprisoned in that flask, you can settle in for the ride.
She’s playing the long game, though, and this is clearly apparent in the intermittent passages where she recounts the Jinni’s life in ancient Syria. Sometimes, these side stories can be mildly annoying Wecker will pick up a thread, play with it for a bit, then set it aside for several chapters. Wecker loads the novel with a variety of supporting characters, from the rabbi’s nephew, who runs a shelter for newly arrived immigrants, to a young society woman the Jinni encounters in Central Park. They don’t quite get along, but they’re the only two people in New York City remotely like each other, so they come to find each other’s company welcome. When the pair do finally meet, then, their conflicting personalities have been firmly established. The Jinni savors his new freedom, traveling up and down the length of Manhattan.
Instead, she allows them to linger in their respective corners - well, the Golem lingers, having taken a job in a bakery where she can fulfill her persistent urge to satisfy people’s desires. Wecker doesn’t bring her two stars together right away.
0 kommentar(er)
