Ellen Bowes hosted our July meeting, another delightful evening with delicious snacks. The topics we discussed, prior to reviewing the The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, covered recycling, being aware of where our trash ends up, solar energy, and (of course) the state of education. Our group of attendees included: Ellen Bowes, Nancy French, Julie Howard, Linda Jenkins, Annie Larkin, Jo Smith, and Liz Webster.
Due to Jo's request that we not discuss the end of the book because neither she nor I had finished reading the book, we were limited in our conversation. Many of us thought the book moved slowly, at first, as the characters were introduced, but the story picked up considerably about a third of the way into the book. Now that I've finished the book, I can say that I was disappointed in the end, because I felt like the author tried to tie up the loose ends too quickly.
Liz felt that the book was "Brothers Grimm meets The Arabian Nights." Annie loved the way the narrator wove the story. It was interesting to see how the author interlaced the folklore from two different cultures to give us a glimpse into the experience of being an American immigrant at the turn of the century. Ellen noted that the book did a good job of exploring what it is to be human.
Julie surmised that these folklore stories may have come about as an explanation for mental illness and other unexplained phenomenon.
It would seem that most of us took a liking to Chava (the golem), in particular, as her character was serious, timid, and selfless, while Ahmad (the jinni) was impulsive, a bit amoral, and selfish. Jo felt for Chava when she read the list of Rotfeld's desires in a wife: "Obedience. Curiosity. Intelligence. Virtuous and modest behavior." We also enjoyed many of the secondary characters, particularly Ice Cream Saleh.
On a humorous note, Annie said she could identify with Chava being restless at night as she has been having sleep issues due to menopause.
Our September book is Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.
Also, our October book will be The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd
Next meeting:
Location: Annie Larkin's
Date: Thursday, September 18 (3rd Thursday so Judy, who chose the book, could attend)
Time: 6:30 pm
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