“It may not be universally acknowledged,
but the unvarnished truth is that a young widow
in possession of a good fortune is not necessarily in want of another husband.”
In this humorous, topsy-turvy Pride & Prejudice variation, all the gender roles are reversed. It is Mr. Bennet’s greatest wish to see his five sons advantageously married. When the haughty Miss Elizabeth Darcy comes to Netherfield with the Widow Devonport nee Bingley, speculation—and prejudice—runs rampant.
William Bennet, a reluctant and irreverent future reverend, catches Miss Darcy’s eye even though he is beneath her station. However, his opinion of her was fixed when she slighted him at the Meryton Assembly. As her ardour grows, so does his disdain, and when she fully expects to receive an offer of marriage, he gives her something else entirely ….
Biography of the Author:
Photo Credit: Glane Gorveatt
J. Marie Croft, a Nova Scotia resident and avid reader all her life, discovered Jane Austen’s works later than others but made up for lost time by devouring the six novels and as many adaptations and sequels as she could find. In the midst of reading prodigious amounts of Austen-based fan-fiction, she realized, “Hey, I can do that.” In her spare time, when not working at a music school or on a wooded trail enjoying her geocaching hobby, she listens to the voices in her head and captures their thoughts and words in writing. Her stories are light-hearted; and her motto is Miss Austen’s own quote, “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.” J. Marie Croft is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America (Canada) and admits to being “excessively attentive” to the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. She can be contacted at her website: J. Marie Croft
Why this particular story perked my interest to participate in the Cover Reveal?
When the email for this Cover Reveal alighted itself into my Inbox, I was immediately drawn into Ms. Croft’s take on Pride and Prejudice, where she single-handedly flipped the tail on the story which has become one of my most beloved reads!! Coincidently or naught, I have been re-reading Pride and Prejudice this month as a way to step back into Austen’s world, as I am a self-declared Janeite! This is the year I decided it was high time I dig into her novels inasmuch as the lovely offerings of re-tellings, spin-offs, sequels, and other such pieces of ‘after the canon’ contributions to the genre! The icing on the cake for me is to have had the opportunity to not only discover a sequel author for Jane Austen, but to find one of my first Canadian authors! I have always been readily intrigued by the literature of my northern neighbour, but I have not oft been able to discover their literary works! It’s quite the exciting proposition, isn’t it!? If Darcy were a woman and the singleton Bennett were a bloke!? What delightfully bewitching and romantically engaging intrigue this story shall reveal! It appeals straight to my adaptable heart, as one of my favourite re-tellings of classical literature are the motion picture adaptations of A Christmas Carol where the gender role is exclusively feminine! An added dimension of tales that wrap around our hearts and endeavour all of us to ask, “What if?” I am most keen on reading this unique spin of Darcy & Bennett!
{*UPDATE: I did not realise she had such a lovely pin(terest) board full of inspirational sayings, clever phrases, Victorian & Regency clothing pieces, and all the lovelies you’d expect from a period sequel author to gravitate towards! I cannot even express how many are my ‘new favourites’ and how delighted I am in having learnt this board exists! I think author pin(terest) boards are warming on me!}
{*NOTE: I volunteered to be a blog stop on the Cover Reveal Tour for Love At First Slight. I was not compensated for this post, and my thoughts are my honest opinion based upon my first impression of having read the synopsis.}
{SOURCES: Cover of Love at First Slight, photograph of author J. Marie Croft, as well as press release information for the book itself were provided by Rhemalda Publishing. Cover Reveal badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. }
*NEWSFLASH*:
In December 2013, I received this lovely book in exchange for an honest review by J. Marie Croft’s new publisher “Meryton Press“. Meryton Press took over the rights for publication when Rhemalda Publishing closed suddenly after this Book Cover Reveal went live. My review for “Love At First Slight” is coming to Jorie Loves A Story the weekend of the 13th of December 2013! Stay tuned!
Day One: Larkrise to Candleford by Flora Thompson, which unbeknownst to me is actually a collection of three of her novels re-formatted as a trilogy omnibus originally debuted in 1945! The original titles were as follows: Lark Rise (1939), Over to Candleford (1941), Candleford Green (1943). Nor did I realise that this particular new found trilogy was an early pitch into what I call most endearing “biographical fiction” whereupon most of the context and contents are fictional re-representations of a living soul’s life and the experiences they incurred therein.
A more starting revelation: She was bourne 5 December 1876 passing from this life on 21 May 1947. This is pertinent to me because my parents were wedded in May and my Mum was bourne in ’47! I always get a hitching of excitement when I notice numerological coincidences OR dare I say, connective threads that interlace through all of our lives if we keep our eyes open to notice them. Further still, the sequel to Lark Rise to Candleford appeared in 1979, the year of my birth!
Motivation to Read: In part due to the BBC mini-series of the same name: Lark Rise to Candleford which afforded appreciators of period dramas four series to settle into this lovely community that has spun itself into our conscienceness.
Acquired Book By: Purchased in a used book shoppe in a small towne tucked away in a yester year atmosphere that resonated with my sense of nostalgia. I used to wander around soaking in the quiet solitude of a towne un-caught up with the pacing of the modern world, having alighted its rhythm to an unseen sense of un-clocked suspension. Circa 2010.
Oh, Monday, sweet Monday! The Read-A-Thon has begun!
Number of Pages Devoured | Out of : 48 |537
Tally of Pages Read Thus Far: 48; slight difficulty in reading as this is more of a sociological accounting of real life, rather than a purely fictional piece of literature. it reads more like an observationist’s journal, crafted specifically not to let one detail go unnoticed or unwrit! in the beginning, i nearly felt i could not finish this one, as it was harkening back my nightmares of boredom with Robinson Crusoe!! thankfully, it fluttered away from those grievations!
Book in Progress |continuing onward |happily consumed: 0 | 1 | 0
A six word summary of today’s reading: a throbbing sense of real life
Best Chapter? *loved!* the Introduction by H.J. Massingham! specifically, page 1, paragraph 1, opening sentences & the bottom of the paragraph! on page 2 i appreciated his sentiments on Lark Rise and the way in which the author reveals the setting and story.
Favourite Character? have yet to determine; leaning towards Laura; as she’s a little bookworm who overcame her learning difficulties by never giving up on learning as she went with each word she came across! she did the same thing i did when i was younger: read the context to understand the words!
Challenge Participation? |unofficial: Pairathon| *to be added soon!*
|official: Bookish Bucket List| Q: What is one bookish thing you want to do before you die? OR what is one thing you want to do that was inspired by a book you read!?
I saw this go ‘live’ last night/early morn today, but it’s taken me this long to return in order to compose my thoughts properly! I have a rather extensive ‘bookish bucket list’, not that I ever attached myself to that terminology before, but it’s true enough! I think it would have to be a spilt between following in Jane Austen’s footsteps by taking a full-on Regency touring of her life + world! From being able to ‘step in’ to the literal footprints of where her stories came alive for her and what real-life counterparts are still visiable and able to be experienced! As much as to get into the core of who she was a woman, as a living person! Aside from Ms. Austen, I’d love to follow a Downton Abbey inspired tour — complete with a guided tour of Highclare! I am not sure if this last bit counts, but Julian Fellowes did release the ‘scripts’ which are in bound-book form, so perhaps by a hair?! Laughs. Most of my bookish dreams are forevermore hinged to England! {or the Highlands of Scotland!} I already accomplished the inspired by a book tick off the list: as a young woman first coming into her own, I discovered the parfum “Chanel No. 5” via Rosamunde Pilcher’s “The Shell Seekers”!! That’s a prime example of fiction bleeding into the real world! [entry for Book Depository book!]
Bout of Books blogs I visited: quite frankly, I lost count! laughs! :) i was on such a sweet roll, that i didn’t really keep a tally! i will attempt to sort out a rounded # to post! i will take better notes on the morrow! :) :)
Tick Tock, there goes the clock:
07:15a: woken up by a siren! what is up with alarm clocks! sighs!! sat straight up like i was flinching from a bolt of lightning! the dreamscapes dissolved faster than you can say, “poof!” i was hoping the morn would be delayed [somehow] a wee bit, as i didn’t get to clock off until 2am!
07:16-08:07: scouting more Bout’er blogs! [too much talk, not enough music! c’mon KISS Boston! ack! the Sox were creamed!] i think i NEED a chai!! can you order those in!? from an indie coffeehouse!? apparently you can!! bairbre rocks!! erm, should i have made that an espresso latte, instead!? hrmm,… [newsflash: my bookish blog is writ on EVERY order book in a mad dash to get the ‘name’ right! now that’s positive ‘word of word’ signage!]
09:00-11:35: ? projected time to start reading ? hey, its the first day! i can be be a bit behind the eight ball! actually, i was noshing on a fried egg, homemade hummus, & paul newman salsa sammie! :) i’m getting a bit of a late start, but i have the bout’er blogs set up {will have to check back when the sign-ups close for latecomers!}, and as I embark on my rounds, i will continue to clean up the ‘quick reference’ wordage per blog!! :) :) i feel good, and that’s the best way to go into a read-a-thon!
now then, check out this wicked sweet blog badge for bookish girls + blokes like us:
i am forgetting which Bout’er had it on their blog, but i will sort that out lateron!! :) its more to reflect that i am taking a hiatus from: the netherspheres, email stalking, radio rockin’, cats who act like toddlers [smiles fondly], the telly, and everything in-between, including the plumber pounding away! for all visitors + Bout’ers alike: kindly drop me notes! during my breaks i’ll approve them + drop a note back!! peace to readers everywhere!!
official start time: 11:40am!!
1:53p: [short break!] i am running into things that are more confuselment than enjoyable! need to do a bit of digging online to sort through it! lovely depictions of country life, though! my mind is darting about making cross-comparisons in both literature & film! :) received confirmation that my First Impressions [ARC] choice will be sent to me! [overjoyed!!] KISS Boston is back on whilst i haul into research! :)
3:30-4:30p: [short break] began to compose my review for Lark Rise to Candleford
7p-8:32: [dinner break]
8:33p-10p: [longer break, a bit under the weather!] touring the Bout’er blogs, slowly catching up the comment threads + enjoying ‘meeting’ other bookish bloggers! added more wicked awesome {FREE!} bookish love badges from squeesome! check it out!
10:01p-03:00am: reading Lark Rise to Candleford. instead, i felt like getting full of INK! i monked around with my distress inks, washi tape, and vintage ephemera, created envelope art, and followed it up with finishing my letter to CaffienatedLife! will have to key in my daily totals after I put the book down for the evening! i wake up! :) overall, it was not a bad first day! i wish i had felt better [overall], but i feel good in what i am accomplishing which is the only part that matters! :) despite not getting too far into the book, my mind was lit alive with things to write about, which is why my [review!] impressions of the book are off to a hearty start!
Reflections shortly after the ending is revealed:
will come back and enter in my thoughts once I finish the book!
Review: Betwixt Lark Rise and Candleford will update when my post goes live!
All the posts interlinked to *Bout of Books, 8.0* are a work-in-progress post! Therefore, what you read on one visit, might alter/change or be added to by the time you swing back!!
In closing, if you have read “Lark Rise to Candleford” or the books in their individual volumes, what did you find the most difficult to get used to as you read them!? OR, did you find that they were easy to swallow and wished there were more volumes!? Is this a book that appeals to you to read, if you haven’t yet read it!? Did you watch the mini-series instead!? Will you watch the mini-series if you read the book(s)!?
{SOURCES: The Bout of Books badge was created by Jorie in Canva! Seriously wicked bookish badges {entirely FREE!} provided by Squeesome Designs!}
{Official Blurb} Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie and the Story Siren, the aim of Showcase Sunday is to highlight our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.
When you find yourself unexpectedly encouraged to seek out Austen, Ms. Jane Austen,…
You see, there is this little blogosphere event called: Austen in August, hosted by Roof Beam Reader, which seeks to encourage and inspire everyone to become caught up in all things *Austen!* for the entire month of *August!* :) It was my full intent to read each book I had selected during the past weeks since August dawned, however, I made a misstep in not realising how quickly the hours would fly right-on past me to the stratosphere as soon as JLAS Launched! Oyy vie!! Clearly, I did not schedule enough hours to fit everything into August that I dearly wanted too! Therefore, after I participate in the Bout [Bout of Books, 8.0], I will resume where I left off with *Pride and Prejudice* which I had been making inroads of finishing ahead of the 18th of August — had power surges + freak lightning storms not intervened!! Sighs. Technologic disadvantages aside, I am plumb fortunate that my local library has such a hearty girth of choice for a Janeite to find herself swimming in a sea of lovelies that come “After the Canon” of Jane Austen’s collective works!! You just never know what you’re going to unearth:
Jane Austen [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.
Vanity and Vexation: a novel of Pride & Prejudice by Kate Fenton
Presumption by Julia Barrett
Pemberley by the Sea | renamed: The Man Who Loved Jane Austen, I chose the original! | by Abigail Reynolds
Jane and the Unpleasantness of Scargrave Manor | Being a Jane Austen mystery | by Stephanie Barron
The Family Fortune by Laurie Horowitz
Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister by C. Allyn Pierson
Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Field by Melissa Nathan
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
Sandition and Other Stories by Jane Austen
Dancing with Mr. Darcy: stories inspired by Jane Austen & Chawton House by Sarah Waters
Ontop of which, when you discover an author such as Andrea Barrett,… You never fathom that it would take such a long time to read her lovely books, and yet, that is what I am finding right now! I remember when I came across her book “The Voyage of the Narwhal”, and I was immediately slipped into her world!! There was something rather tangible and honest about how she writes her novels. I could only pin it to the thought of the writing process that I always respected learning from Ms. Natalie Goldberg; Ms. Barrett clearly knew exactly how to impart her heart into her narratives by ‘writing down the bones’ and soul of what she wanted to express. She transitions you out of your reality and into her perceptional sphere if only for the briefest of moments; long enough to know you want to go back and short enough to realise how special you were to stumble across a writer who takes her time to allow her muse to fully develop and envelope inside her. She’s prolific in a league of her own. I decided that being that I’m into my early thirties now, its high time I ‘stop’ awaiting the ‘perfect’ season to read Ms. Barrett’s novels nor stop hoping for the time to collect them!! The time is now, and now is the time I have chosen to read her collective works!! A small collection of the following are available locally, however, the rest I am ILL’ing:
Lucid Stars
Secret Harmonies
The Middle Kingdom
The Forms of Water
The Voyage of the Narwhal
The Air We Breathe
| Ship Fever
| Servants of the Map
| Archangel
*titles in bold came in through ILL; | titles represent story collections
I remember that I was 18 years of age when I first discovered Andrea Barrett, because I was in the thick of writing three manuscripts before a full-stop occurred that fateful December. A writer’s block ensued which was not broken until Nanowrimo 2008. I remember that I felt like I was on the edge of a brilliant discovery,… a new piece of literature that would open new horizons and new doors of literary enlightenment. Isn’t it fitting then, that I am picking up her books during the next adventure I am undertaking in my writing life!? Who knows what inspirations I shall draw out of her words and breathe back into my own writing pursuits!! For that is why I am a book blogger,… seeking literary enlightenment first, and a resurgence of my muse secondarily.
A conundrum of a muddlement: August’s hours are dwindling down and twinkling with fading light, and I find myself betwixt knowing if I want to ‘let go’ of Austen!! I was sitting here contemplating this very thing just the other day, noting that my heart had already made up its own mind as how to proceed! Of course, the simple resolution would be to table the notion of reading the books I selected this year for Austen in August, and re-attempt them 12 months from now, when Austen in August comes back into view!! Honestly, that’s as ridiculous as asking Elizabeth to wait at home whilst Jane was ill at Netherfield! :( And, then, *lightbulb!* Who says I cannot continue onward with my list!? I may only finish Pride in time to qualify as a participant this year,… but even that, is one book closer to my goal and of my intent to read Austen alongside other Austenites & Janeites! :)
My new reading plan is simply this: After Austen, [inspired by Austen in August] I will proceed to read and every book from my Austen in August Reading List, by which I shall archive my updates on my original post with a footnote explanation of what I am doing! In this way, I can accomplish what I wanted to do: spend time soaking into the books that followed the canon, introduce myself to characters other authors created based on Pride & Prejudice, and read two books past Pride: Persuasion & Sandition and Other Stories!
What about you!? If you were faced with the same tragic ending, would you re-write a happier ever after OR await the next year to follow your heart’s desire!?
{SOURCES: Jane Austen image was provided by Zemanta, and inserted directly to the post via the related content widget. (content which is in either the public domain or available through Wikimedia Commons) Thus providing the related content with appropriate attribution and sourcing. I did update the attribution on Jane Austen to reflect the University of Texas Library! Showcase Sunday badge provided by for participants to use to promote the weekly meme by Books, Biscuits, & Tea.}
Borrowed Book By: My local library for which I am forever grateful in seeking out fantastical new writers, who pen brilliantly conceived worlds with the breath of a realm just past ours! I know one day I want this book to be amongst those treasured books in my personal library!
What captivated me to wish to drink in the narrative, whilst I discovered it amongst the stacks of books featured on Book Browse? I think it was the premise that sparked a curiosity that would only become quenched if I were to drink in the narrative. Sometimes I feel as though the books speak to me, in that, it’s the full effect of their presence,… from premise to cover art to the foreboding idea of what may lie beneath of the pages. I get a sense that I am drawn to certain titles moreso than others. You have to admit, to embark on an adventure that spans centuries and involves mystical and fantastical elements of magical proportions packs quite the appealment! Over on the author’s website, you will find a hearty excerpt, as well as bonus information on the neighbourhoods in New York City, as much as the characters which you can find on the right toolbar whilst your reading the excerpt! To seek out more information behind the scenes of the book, read the articles threaded through the Jewish Book Council.
Inspired to Share: I think anytime you’re giving the gift of hearing an author speak about their book is a moment you do not want to bypass! I haven’t always been able to travel to book signings or author lectures, but through the availability of author interviews online, I am finding that I enjoy hearing in their own words why they choose a particular story to tell. Listen to hear Ms. Wecker speak about a book that is stitched close to her heart.
Interview with Helene Wecker, author of “The Golem and the Jinni”,
This interview became a private video at some point between when I first shared it and now.
– February, 2022.
By the Time I reached Page 34: I had settled into the atmosphere of the setting and the presumption of knowing what I might be in for as the story progressed forward, as both the Golem and the Jinni had made their individual appearances. I was struck by similarities to other fantasy characters I had already become acquainted with, as with the Jinni I was reminded instantly of “Q”: the arrogantly curious omnipotence being who could not detach himself from humans due to his disgust with the simplicity of the species and the curious nature behind their innate humanity.
Two entities bound by an infinite level of what they can yield and achieve, yet struck down by boredom, impertinence, and impatience! {Q is a character from Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek”, a series of four tv serials and eight motion pictures by which I loved whilst growing up and continue to appreciate to this day! Q was portrayed by the incomparable John d’ Lancie who made him endearing to watch!} Whereas the Golem, took on a few hintings of Troi, {Another reference to Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek”.}, where the Golem struggled to deal with the voices she overheard whilst amongst humans, because she emphatically and telepathically was connected to their innermost thoughts and desires. Yet, reminded me more of Data, in the struggle towards being more human! Both entities shared the common element of being made by man and for man’s purposes, at least initially. Her ability to be self-aware and learn from her experiences also held Data in my mind as I began to know more of her character.
From there, as those were my initial points of reference to sink further into the world Ms. Wecker had created,… I was enjoying the references of cultural heritages, immigrations through Ellis Island, and noting the author’s use of the Five Elements, Plus One: the Golem {of Clay}, the Jinni {of Fire}, Humans {of Earth},… which led my mind to speculate a sequel involving Air and Water! And, how intriguing it would be to stitch all of this together! I was not even sure at first if this would be the type of story that I could comfortably sink myself into, as although I used to read quite a heap of science fiction and fantasy novels, it’s been half an age since I last picked one up! It’s always been my fervent intention, if not desire, to regain a passion for this part of literature, and as the words drenched through my eyes and permeated my imagination; I felt that for once, I might have stumbled across a way back into the genre I’ve ached for since I was seventeen! The very moment upon which the genre was vibrantly enticing, entirely new, and easily able to be read! It’s a wonderful moment for a reader to find their way back into a section of literature they once feared they’d have to abandon completely!
I Always Appreciate a Wordsmith: And, Ms. Wecker is amongst my favourites in this regard, because she chooses to entice your mind and imagination with a palette of textural rich incantations of literary narrative! She has the ability to write a viscerally stimulating setting set in distinctively enriched cultural neighbourhoods of New York City with a clarity that befools your mind into not realising we’re currently in the 21st Century whilst reading this book in hand! Your drawn back into the past, as the veils of time reveal a world where immigrants lived with a constant fear of not fitting in or being understood. Where they hoped to re-create a new life for themselves, but always questioned if they were succeeding. A world where you could either make it or break it based on the resolve and strength you carried within you when you travelled by boat to the New World.
I couldn’t drink in her narrative fast enough, and even then, I debated if I should be so very hungry and thirsty for the next page, because I didn’t want to run like lightning through such an enriched text! I wanted to linger as I absorbed the sights, sounds, and aromas of each neighbourhood and crevice of space that is shared with us. We take a journey alongside the characters, as we’re introduced to not only two remarkably unique characters, in the “Golem” herself and in the “Jinni” himself, but the passageways that led them to New York City. Oh how I appreciate a wordsmith who delicately weaves her tale into our mind’s eye with a bewitching vernacular!
Ruminatively Inclined to Muse About: The original necessity of conjuring a Golem and the mythlogical-mysticism surrounding the Jin! This book encompasses such haunting notions of a man-made creature brought to life from clay, though upon a bit of superficial digging into the origins of Golems, I learnt that they can be conjured from more than mere clay, but always by the hand of man, not God. In fact, that is a distinction that is proposed in the story itself, as how can a creature of man, be not only curious about God, but question how faith and religion plays a part in their existence as much as mankind? There are overlapping topics that draw a breath of digging deeper than mere folklore surging to life in a city that many are intrigued and fascinated by each year. The very essence of self-identity, self-awareness, faith, religion, ethnical heritage, cultural identity, self-worth, ethics and logic, good vs. evil, and the oldest of adages, best not to meddle in affairs that we are not meant to muddle into much less grasp! I appreciated the underpinnings of Jewish and Arabic mythologies interwoven into the plot, which I learnt by way of the interview posted here were inspired directly by Ms. Wecker’s own background and that of her husband’s! To cultivate a novel that gives a plausible thesis with a difficult resolution is one of literary brilliance.
A Lasting Impression: The Golem and the Jinni is a classic premise of star-crossed lovers who do not realise they’re meant to be in each other’s lives. The story is a play on Pride and Prejudice as well, as you become introduced to Ahmed {the Jinni} and Chava {the Golem}, they tend to take on counterparts of characters you might already love as I do. Yet, there are distinctive differences as well. I appreciated the fragility and flawed character of Chava, who despite all her best efforts and attempts to becoming a humanoid, she must render herself hinged to her nature as a Golem. This startling fact for her, is not a surprise to the reader as there are enough facts pointed out to this regard, but to read her reaction and her acceptance of this was done with a deft hand! Nature or Nurture is a heavily argued point to understand the underpinnings of one’s personality and traits of action.
It’s not all whittled down into black and white principles or plausible scientific explanations either. This is a running play of acknowledging that even if you think you know a particular subject, there is always the possibility that the subject is going to surprise you, and take you to places you hadn’t yet fathomed to be true.
The Jinni, Ahmed is as arrogant as they come, determined to place himself superior above all others, even if his actions are a hazard to those he chooses not to attach himself too. He’s the complete opposite of Chava, who being an empathic being is well and fully aware of human emotions and the counter balance it takes to live amongst them. She is constantly aware of the consequences of both thought and action. Whereas Ahmed is more concerned with his own affairs and his own needs to even consider another person first. This tug of war between their character traits and the way in which they choose to live ultimately has a high price for those in their inner circles.
Each were set on a course to learn and grow out of their experiences in a place neither expected to be. They each succumb to their inherent natures, but I feel only one of them is able to change the other for the good. Because one of them is stronger than the other as far as knowing how to make good on what has been turned for the bad. Their journey leads not to a resolution of sorts to overcome their individual obstacles towards true freedom, but rather too a junction point that leads them to question everything they felt they knew thus far along. And, in that conclusion the reader has to sit back and ponder the true meaning behind “The Golem and the Jinni”, for was it a journey of theirs that you took or an inward journey of understanding the limitations of humanity?
It Should Be Known:I am always excited by the curious peculiarities of the frequency of serendipitous discoveries! In the world of books, I can attest to having many an adventure of coming upon a book, a book that I might not yet feel a warming towards, only to become further entranced by its premise and the curious nature of ‘what I could find inside it’s pages’ to the brink that I simply MUST find a copy to give myself the ability to decide for myself, “Is this or is this not a book I am attracted too rather than simply being infatuated with?” Within the trailer, there is a brief cursory mentioning of “The Night Circus” and “A Discovery of Witches”,… the first was a book of interest the year it originally published although the reasoning behind ‘why’ I wanted to read it remained elusive; and the latter is a book I plucked off the shelf of the library on an ordinary ‘library run’ which led me to realise the author was soon to be featured on Booktalk Nation,… yet… the stars did not align for me. Not to read either book OR to participate in the Booktalk Nation event. Isn’t it curious then, that this book in particular, by which I was able to read at a moment I was most keen too, leads me back to these!?
Fly in the Ointment: I was most distracted by the scene [opening pages of Chapter Twelve] by which Chava returns to the Rabbi’s flat after he has passed on,… she runs into Michael, his nephew at the door, and the exchangement of dialogue felt out of context for what she would normally have said much less thought: it was too peculiar, as she seemed to ‘understand’ the process of a Jewish passing far more than she’s meant too, and the whole scene reeked of a displacement for me! It was nearly as if this was a part of a re-edit that went terribly wrong OR was not fully congealed to the rest of the story — I ran it through my mind and if it was left out completely, it wouldn’t have affected my understanding the flow of the story. After a second reading of the same scene, after having gone well past it’s section {nearly a quarter further into the story!}, I denoted what the main issue actually was! Chava was responding to Michael with the presumption that she was reading his thoughts, but there was an absence of his internal voice from this sequence of dialogue and narrative exchangements! That is precisely what I had picked up on, but hadn’t registered fully because I was too entranced to lament what stoked my ire! This small absence felt a jutting away from Chava’s character straight down to her personality traits and how she interacts with humans.
Cliffhanger Ending: I will admit, that I was twenty pages out when the book was recalled to the library, and I didn’t want to forsake my enjoyment of the story’s conclusion by rushing the pages and missing out on the experience! I never want to skip over dialogue or narrative for the sake of completing a novel, but at the very same time, I was betwixt what to do, as I felt for certain this book would be a ‘must read’ selection at the library! Imagine my gobsmacked expression when I learnt it was returning back with me! No one had placed a hold!? That was beyond shocking to me! I’ll admit, when I first picked up the book, as the initial pages started to prop up the images in my mind,… I wasn’t certain if I’d fully enjoy reading this story or if I would be too far afield in a narrative I was not used too.
Yet. At the ending chapters, I found myself moving into a place I wasn’t expecting to land: the quagmire of a cliffhanger! Perhaps its the optimist in me that hopes for a resolution that characters can live with OR either accept if the cards do not come to pass their way,… but to exit a novel such as this with a cliffhanger ending was not something I had surmised for myself! Sophia’s character had a mere passing of thought after her main appearance at a pivotal moment for the Jinni {which I will not reveal here as it’s too gutting to even think of spoilting it for a reader!}. And, then there is the Golem and the Jinni themselves who more or less are left with an ambiguous ending of this part of their journey! I closed the book half aghast at myself for being so properly irked! I felt a bit short-changed I suppose, because more than anything, I thought everything leading up to those pages was preparing me for the inevitable! Saleh I think had the easier path in the end, as he ultimately did find the peace he sought so hard to achieve. It’s Ahmed and Chava that I am concerned about, and wonder if my original ideas about Water and Air might play a part in what I hope will be a sequel? How can we forevermore not know the conclusion!? Surely there is a door to unlock this literary key!? Read More
The Golem and the Jinni by