So I think it’s fair to say that Helene Wecker took some liberties with the mythology.Īfter all, our Chava is not only intelligent, but curious as well. The word, “golem,” literally means “empty” in modern Hebrew. However, there’s one big difference: golems are bereft. People who make golems are using the same magic as god, which is pretty fucking cool. These persecutions were not uncommon, and according to legend, a rabbi named Judah Loew ben Bezazel fashioned a golem to defend the Jews who lived in a Prague ghetto.Īccording to the Wikipedia, golems are similar to how Adam used to be before he became a normal person. That accusation was called the blood libel. In medieval Europe, Christians believed that Jews used to kill Christian babies to use their blood for rituals. Wecker’s golem is female, but golems can be either gender, both, or neither. Review: What is a Golem, and Who is Chava?Ī golem is made out of clay. It’s not in the top five, but it definitely makes my top ten. Now, after listening to The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, I’ve got a new item on my list. Some of my favorite magical realism works are American Gods by Neil Gaiman, The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. For me, its easier to relate to characters who come from our world. Tolkien-style fantasy is fun, but it lacks that real world grittiness of magical realism. Magical realism might just be my favorite genre of fiction.
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