Golem

by Gustav Meyrink, Gina Argintescu Amza (Translator)

In labirintul ghetoului evreiesc din Praga, in care locuitorii s-au refugiat in marunte activitati cotidiene, o creatura malefica reapare si bantuie orasul: Golemul, figura de argila rosie, care este insufletita prin artificii magice si care personifica dereglarea omului in societatea moderna. Golemul vine din neant si se intoarce acolo o data la treizeci si trei de ani, prin invocarea formulei magice a cabalei.
Facut din lut, el are o existenta masinala, este un sinistru automat lipsit de constiinta. La fiecare aparitie, ii inspaimanta pe toti, insa apoi nimeni nu-si mai aminteste de infatisarea sa. Timpul pare incalcit intr-o bucla interminabila, iar personajele inchise pe scena unui teatru fara iesire. Este un univers claustrofobic, captivant si decadent, plin de fantastic si de misticism.

“Golem – un clasic al literaturii fantastice, al carui ecou il regasim in Borges.” Lire

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Classics, Fantasy, Gothic, German Literature, Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1915

About the author

The illegitimate child of a baron and an actress, Meyrinck spent his childhood in Germany, then moving to today's Czech Republic where he lived for 20 years. The city of Prague is present in most of his work along with various religious, occult and fantastic themes. Meyrinck practiced yoga all his life.

Curious facts:

He unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide at the age of 24. His son committed suicide at the same age with success.

Meyrinck founded his own bank but was accused of fraud for which he spent 2 months in prison.

He worked as a translator and translated in German 15 volumes by Charles Dickens while working on his own novels.

Among his most famous works are Der Golem (1914) and Walpurgisnacht (1917).

Reviews

[Vit Babenco · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Rabbi Löw, well versed in all of the arts and sciences, especially in the Kabbalah, had fashioned for himself one such servant out of clay, placed in his mouth the magic formula, and thereby brought him to life”.
Such is the legend. But Golem of Gustav Meyrink is a creature that comes in dreams.

It is the narrow, hidden tracks that lead back to our lost homeland, what contains the solution to the last mysteries is not the ugly scar that life's rasp leaves on us, but the fine, almost invisible writing that is engraved on our body.

In the novel Gustav Meyrink managed to create a unique atmosphere of mystique alloyed with Weltschmerz…
The Golem is a darkly lyrical memorial to the epoch and to the people that lived in it and it is a mysteriously poetic memorial to the city and to the people that lived in it.

The vision I had had in the Cathedral, when Charousck’s head had appeared on the monk’s body in answer to my mute appeal for help, was indication enough that I should not reject vague feelings out of hand. For some time now hidden powers had been germinating within me, of that I was certain; the sense was so overpowering that I did not even try to deny it. To feel letters, not just read them with my eyes in books, to set up an interpreter within me to translate the things instinct whispers without the aid of words: that must be the key, I realised, that must be the way to establish a clear language of communication with my own inner being.

Probably every one of us carries some mystical fiery sign hidden deep within one’s soul…

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Question: I am thinking of an author of novels and short stories, a speaker and writer of German, who lived in a predominately Czech-speaking area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the early years of the 20th Century. His works are often set in the city of Prague, a setting he fills with menace and dark surrealism. He seems both attracted and repelled by Judaism, an ambiguity reflected in his themes of patriarchy and autonomy, authority and law, isolation and identity in an unjust and chaotic world. Who is the writer I am thinking of?

Answer: Franz Kafka, of course.

Response: No. Nice try, but I was thinking of Gustav Meyrink.

In spite of these similarities, Kafka and Meyrink are very different. Kafka's biography reveals the Modernist pattern also seen in Eliot, Pessoa, Stevens: the alienated artist, a middle-class product, disappears into a bureaucracy of trade, banking, or insurance, preserving his originality through a series of expressive masks. Meyrink's biography, on the other hand, shows him to be less like a Modernist than like a flamboyant German Romantic of the early 19th century. The bastard son of a Wurttemburg baron and a Viennese actress, he was indeed a bank worker--a bank director, to be precise--but he was never drab or calculatingly anonymous: a survivor of nervous collapse, tuberculosis, and attempted suicide, he was a bon vivant, a fighter of duels, an unashamed devotee of the occult. Perhaps this last was just too much for his staid middle-class investors: accused of combining spiritualist consultations with executive decisions, Meyrink was arrested for bank fraud and sent to prison for two and a half months. There he suffered both physical paralysis and financial ruin; he cured himself of the former through the postures of yoga and of the latter through the profession of writing. With The Golem--a re-imagining of the old Jewish tale—Meyrink's reputation became secure.

Kafka's ambiguity towards Judaism derived from fear of his father and a tentative connection to his own Jewish heritage. Meyrink, on the other hand, was not Jewish at all (although some sources mistakenly assert his mother was). It was through his occult explorations that he became fascinated with Judaism: the force of the folk tales, the truth of the sayings, the splendor of the mystical writings. At the same time, he seems both attracted and repelled by the exotic squalor of Prague's Jewish Quarter. I detect a whiff of anti-semitism here, but I also sense that Meyrink sees the Jews as representative of humanity, illuminated by the divine spirit even though debased and enmired in a fallen world.

It is this sense of spiritual potential in a shattered world that most dramatically distinguishes Meyrink. There is little of this theme in Kafka; his protagonists are modern men, vainly attempting to assert their improbable existence in the context of an absurd world. Although Meyrink has much to say about the mystery of identity, his approach seems more gothic, more faux medieval. The Golem, a dark fairy tale, may be filled with false identities, fragmented quests, and madness disguised as transformation (or is it the other way round?), but throughout everything, the self and its potential for spiritual illumination never lose reality. The problem is that our world is in pieces: the individual no longer knows himself, for he is buried by fragments of pettiness and posing, spleen and crime. Meyrink reverenced the Kabbalah, and the narrative of The Golem seems to embody the myth of the Shevirat haKeilim : although the vessels, unable to contain the Light, have shattered, they shall be restored, in the Lord's good time. Until then, their shards, reflecting the Light, help to illuminate our darkened world.

[Orsodimondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

LA MADRE DI TUTTE LE CREATURE


Paul Weneger diresse i primi tre film dedicati al Golem, interpretando personalmente la Creatura.

È venuto prima di tutte le “creature”: prima di Frankestein, della Cosa (The Thing), di Hulk, di Terminator, dei replicanti, di Pokemon.
È perfino approdato ai Simpson!

Il Golem è un novello Adamo, ma senza l’anima: la prima volta che viene pronunciato il termine golem è nel salmo 139 della bibbia: ed è proprio Adamo che si rivolge al signore definendosi una massa informe. Un golem.
Perché golem vuol appunto dire materia grezza.
Ma anche embrione.



Il Golem nasce cinque secoli fa (1580) nel cuore di Praga (magica): in sinagoga, il golem prende vita dalle mani del rabbino Judah Loew, grande cabalista, talmudista e matematico, che lo plasmò dal fango della Moldava.
Loew riesce ad animare e dar vita alla creatura di argilla attraverso formule magiche e gli incide sulla fronte il nome di dio.
È sul Talmud che si dice che è possibile animare la Creatura usando il “Libro della creazione”, dove ci sono istruzioni dettagliate sulle combinazioni alfanumeriche usate da dio per dar vita al mondo.
La magia generativa è contenuta nei numeri e nelle lettere, messi nella giusta combinazione: un principio binario che trasforma in un algoritmo il principio della vita. **
E infatti il Golem comincia a vivere grazie al termine emet, in ebraico verità. E smette di vivere quando l’iniziale viene cancellata e rimangono i tre caratteri di met, in ebraico morte.



In pratica, un duplicato della creazione.
Generato per difendere il popolo d’Israele.
Grazie al rabbino Loew il Golem passa dall’antica teologia alla moderna mitologia.

Gustav Meyrink apre i giochi, e con questo romanzo il Golem entra nella Letteratura.
Tra il 1915 e il 1920 entra anche nel Cinema grazie al regista Paul Wegener che gli dedica tre film nel meraviglioso intramontabile stile dell’espressionismo cinematografico tedesco.


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe, attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion, I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gates. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.

Se la Creatura ha/avesse un’anima è dibattito aperto da secoli.
E tutti quei momenti andranno perduti nel tempo, come lacrime nella pioggia. È tempo di morire.
Le lacrime nella pioggia di Rutger Hauer-Roy Batty, il replicante che muore nel finale di Blade Runner, fanno propendere per il sì.

** Il primo computer prodotto da Israele fu battezzato Golem I.


La statura del rabbino Judah Löw, opera di Ladislav Šaloun (1910), davanti al Municipio di Praga.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t want to be a Golem, and I wouldn’t want to see one either. Doing so seems to lead to a high degree of delusion. Well, an unreliable narration at the very least. I feel like everything the narrator says and does is questionable, and everything he says is doubtful. It’s impossible to say how much of this actually happened, and how much of it was in the narrator’s mind. Obscure density is all we are left with.

”I hoped they would change their shape as I looked at them, allowing me to assume some optical delusion has been the cause of the fear that was paralysing me.”



And that’s exactly it. At the end of the novel he appears to wake up from a dream, but, again, that in itself is highly doubtful. He has spent the entirety of the process in another man’s body, but the events he dreamt about apparently happened in a not so distant past. So how do we identify reality and the fantastic? What divides them? Absolutely nothing. Meyrink intertwines the two resulting in one massive headache of a novel. I’m just not sure what to believe. The narrator could be insane; this would explain the questionable nature of the events and the undertones of the macabre. He could have just had one nightmarish dream and then decided to get on with his life. But what if it did happen? It leaves me with mind numbing questions in the same way that Kafka’s Trial did. Simply put, we will never have our answers.

The setting of the novel is like a haunted ghetto. The spirit of the citizens is bleak and morose. Perrath, our protagonist, is in a real dark place. He has no control over the events in his life as he descends even further into this abyss of despair. He has no real sense of freedom or expression of individual will. In part, this can be seen as an allegory for the First World War. The people are subjugated and forced into unpleasant circumstances as the horror of death tears through Europe.

Certainly, there are parallels. But no reading is conclusive. For me, the best aspect of this story is its dream like feel. I don’t think an overall interpretation can be applied to the work. Nothing fits it perfectly or defines it. H.P Lovecraft, the man who wrote some of the strangest short stories in existence, called it weird. From him, that’s a rather large compliment. It would have the same effect as Charlotte Bronte praising the work of a minor author for its feminist aspects. So this isn’t an easy book to read. It is, indeed, a very weird book. It should be approached with caution. If you go into this expecting a linear framework you will be drastically disappointed. This book has a nightmarish quality, after reading it you’re not entirely sure what any of it means. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This one will haunt me for a while.

[Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the story of The Golem alone deserves four stars as Gustav Meyrink's masterpiece, the Tartarus Press edition, of which I happen to be a fortunate owner, pushes the book-as-artifact into the five star category. This book is one of my most prized possessions, one of the books I'll reach for if the library ever catches fire. Everything about it screams "I defy you to find another book as cool as me". From the outstanding internal artwork to the silk ribbon marker to the weight of the pages themselves, this is a book of quality workmanship through and through. If I could own all of my favorite books in a Tartarus hardcover edition such as this, I might do nothing but read the rest of my life, starving to death in an easy chair under the light of a reading lamp.

As several reviewers have pointed out, The Golem is obtuse. It is clearly not the story of the golem as dramatized in the silent movies directed by Paul Wegener. This book is much less forthright in its horror, if it can be called horrific at all. I think that "unsettling" is a more accurate term. The heavy mysticism and symbolism Meyrink employs simultaneously draws in and distances the reader, making for an uneven read that sets up a disturbing cadence in the reader's mind. This can be aggravating at times, and absolutely captivating at others. One always feels that there's something just around the next bend, emotionally and intellectually speaking. I wonder if Meyrink didn't intend the book to read this way. In this way, he is much like Kafka, but on a more ethereal plane, if you will. Where Kafka creates unease with a sharp dose of uncaring bureaucracy, Meyrink plays hide and seek with shadows that may be interpreted as real demons or as the slow nightmare of a collective unconsciousness. It is because of this openness to interpretation that one reading is really insufficient to judge the work. The Golem, while not as hallucinatory as some think (those who haven't read it) or hope (those who were looking for an early surrealist Gothic tale) , is also not as incomprehensible as some reviewers complain. It is not an easy read, but, like many difficult reads, it is rewarding to wander Prague's streets in search of Meyrink's elusive creature.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hello. My name is Greg and this is my review for:



I should first warn anyone reading this review that I suck at reading and you'd probably be better off reading reviews written by people who don't suck at reading. I only discovered my reading suckness last week, so I shamefully apologize for anyone who has read any of my six hundred and eight other reviews and thought they were reading a review written by someone who didn't suck. This review is probably a much more informative review than mine:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

AVERT SMUG INKY!

I went to the mall because that is what I do for fun. I hang out at the mall. Specifically at the little tables with the uncomfortable metal and wooden slat chairs that are in between the Orange Julius, the Mrs. Fields and the Arby's. Or as I like to call it the tables in the triangle of heavenly delight. I'm in the middle of enjoying my third roast beef sandwich of the afternoon when this guy forcefully sets himself in the seat across from me.

"Athanasius Pernath," he says.

I hunker down and use my left arm to encircle my remaining uneaten roast beef sandwich small pile of cookies and two Orange Julius drinks. I glare at the man. He is wearing a hat. When I don't say anything he takes his hat off and shows me the name stitched on the inside of the hat. It says Athanasius Pernath.

"Some mornings I need to look at my hat to see what my name is," he says.

I say nothing, I must finish my delicious Arby's sandwich. He is ruining my enjoyment of only the third one of the day. Damn this man. That is what I think. So I tell him.

"Damn you man!" and a minute later we are talking like best friends and I have offered to let him share in some of my food and beverage.

GIVE NASTY MURK!

That's all a lie. But that is exactly how I met the main character of The Golem one afternoon at the mall. We would talk for a while about things, and those things will be partially shared as the review goes on.

But before I get to anything as interesting as my conversation with Athanasius Pernath I need to give a big FUCK YOU! shout out to that taint-tickling, rectum-felching, choad-sucking, chulo-reaming, baby-gook-rimming, honkey-pus-sucking, heeb-analizer Atiba. That's right, fuck you Atiba. Fuck you existing. It's because you exist that this book exists and that I had to read it. It's not that the book is bad I realized you auto-erotic-fisting freak, but that because you fucking exist that this book is as bad as it is. If you had just been a bloody-cum squirt out of your mother's rotten vag than this book would have been better.

This is a picture from the book!



YUM, TRIG KNAVES!

!~~~~~~~~~~~~An @$1d3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!

TOP TEN GOLUMS. EVER!!!!!!!

Number 10. Golem. From Pokemon!


Stay tuned for the next nine, we'll be counting them down all motherfucking review!!! Speaking of countdowns, that just reminded me of this, so you should listen to it while you continue to read this review.

VEGAN TRIMS YUK!

Back at the mall.

"I don't understand, why you didn't like the book, why you didn't like me?"

"Maybe I just didn't understand the book, I'm fairly certain I don't know how to read."

"That is interesting, I don't know my name sometimes."

"I noticed that in the book. Part of what confused me was it started off in Prague."

"That is correct."

"And then, Frodo was with the giant tree people, but were you still in Prague then? And I never quite understood how Golem got out of that room he was in and why he cared so much about the ring. Did the ring also only appear every thirty-three years?"

"I have no idea what you're taking about. I think you may be confusing different stories."

"No, it's the story about the Golem, the one that the weird Jewish sorcerer Gangdoff or Dumbledore or something like that created and then he talked to some hobbits and convinced them to help him fight the weird flaming vagina that was controlled by the Jewish junkdealer who lived across the street from Frodo and how had the slutty looking daughter who slept with the orcs. And the weird Jewish magician had a buxom and hot daughter who was queen of the Elf Land, right? And then there was that other woman, the saucy blonde who wanted Frodo to help her decieve the evil junkdealer who was trying to tell the world what a dirty whore she was, but Frodo had enough trouble with the Golem who was following him around everywhere, and then....."

"Do you think I'm Frodo?"

"Maybe you are. You're the one who is only aware of his name by what is printed on the inside of your hat."

"The story is about Dopplegangers. It's not about hobbits and Frodos."

"That's what the introduction says too, I'm not a very good reader though. But you know, there is this website I'm on called goodreads.com, which I sully by my very non-good reader existence, and I've been made aware of my deficiencies as a reader. I fear that if I ever wrote a review for the book no one would read it even to the point where I tried to defend myself."

"Why would someone not read what you have to say, maybe if you just stopped confusing the plot of my story with that of Bilbo..."

"Ha! You are really part of the Hobbit story! I knew it!"

"No, you are confused, you are probably caught in some frightening dream..."

"A dream? Let me tell you about a dream."

A Dream. With Dream Photographs

Like most of my boring dreams this one took place at work. My subconscious so infused with the boredom and tedium of my everyday world that even dreaming was no escape from it.

I know that hearing about someone else's dream is about as exciting as paint drying, but please bear with me.

I went into the backroom at work. I don't know why. I had to do it. You know what it's like in dreams. And what did I find? My whole being felt the horror approaching. And I was powerless to stop myself from moving on. I must go on. I must not. The HORROR! Terror no mere mortal has ever felt as I moved on. And in that back room I came face to face with it!



The Golem. It's yellow skin looking at me from the cover of the Dover edition of the book! I had never been so afraid in my whole life. I thought I would go mad! Madness! Arrggghhh!!

But, lest I be trapped in the insanity of my dream forever, I knew I must muster up all my strength and fight this terror! And so I did.

I prepared to attack!



The Golem showed no fear. So I struck.



And I hit him. And the laughter rang out from inside its pages. "You can not hurt me!" the book taunted.

"No?" I asked. And I tore into him.



And he gasped. I could feel his own terror. He knew I would destroy him.

And I stomped him into the ground.



And as he lay broken and shattered, and I emerged victorious from a battle I hope never to have to engage in again I told him what I thought of him. "Fuck you, Golem," I bellowed.



And then I awoke.

Top Ten Golem's of All-Time: Number 9

The Golem from this book:



Keep checking back because I'm not going to fucking stop until I get to the motherfucking top.

A Stinky Mug Rev!!!

"You really have no idea what this book is about do you?" the character from the novel asked me.

"Of course I do. But since you think you know everything, what do you think the book is about?"

"It is about Doppelgangers. Do you even know what one is?"

"I'm not an idiot, of course I do. In fact I have one on Goodreads.com"

"You have one?"

"Yes."

The Story of My Goodreads.com Doppelganger(s)

Obviously my doppelganger is David Kowalski. I can't go into too many details about the why he is, and I certainly can not describe the metaphysical reasons how this all came about, but a doppelganger is an apparition of a living person. I am the living person and he is a ghostly double that is actually much wittier and a better writer than I am, but he is in fact my goth double trapped in the netherland purgatory of Indiana. Really the only proof I'm allowed to divulge at this time is that when our ectoplasmic connections become too strained, or when I threaten to grow a life of my own and take over from him the life forces that we share he disappears from the interwebs and all evidence of his ever having existed on goodreads.com disappears with him. For the good of everyone it would probably be better if things worked the other way, where I would just disappear with my long rambling nonsensical reviews, but he's the apparition and there isn't anything I can do about that. Maybe in the future that will change and I'll become the apparition and then I'll disappear, taking all my foul-mouthed reviews with me.

Top Ten Golem's of All-Time: Number 8

Donny "the Bear Jew" Donowitz from Inglourious Basterds. Who the German Army call a golem!



Keep it on this station to see what will be in the top seven golem's of all time!

An Aside, which really isn't an aside since there is no real non-aside to this review so far

Alfonso believes that I intentionally tried to traumatize him by wearing pants that were torn in the crotch area and he thinks I was trying to get him to see my 'junk' as he calls it. I don't think anyone in the world wants to see my 'junk' and it was only the comfort of the pants that overrode the possible shame involved in wearing torn pants that made me continue wearing them. I had no idea that I was possibly causing any horror by my wardrobe to people who might be sitting on the floor at Barnes and Noble trying to read. Please accept my sincerest apology to anyone who felt uncomfortable by my holey pants. I always wear underwear though and there was never any danger of any of my parts being exposed, but I can understand that the fear of having to see my unmentionables could cause undue anxiety on just about anyone. I'm sorry.

Top Ten Golem's of all Time: Number 7

The Golem, from Marvel's Strange Tales.



I've got no commentary for this one. Number 6 will be disclosed after this return bit more of the inane conversation I'm having with the main character of the book.

MURKY GETS VAIN!!!!

"But," I ask him, "what about all the women in the book, isn't it weird that you want to sleep with all of them, sometimes in the same sentence?"

"Well, I like the ladies, don't tell me you don't have crushes on anyone, and feel like this one person is the perfect person for you, but then you think no, this person is, and then you think really I just might want to bang that slutty looking shiska that does the lewd gestures with her mouth and shows her panties to deaf boys."

"But it's like every woman character in the book, shit even the waitress towards the end doesn't make it through the scene without her top almost popping open under the mental undressing she's given."

"This is rich coming from a person who wrote a novel that contains one woman character, and you make her a stripper."

"This isn't about me, this is about you and the book your in."

"Whatever, it sounds to me like you are the one with the hang-ups. Maybe it's natural to want to be passionate with lots of women, maybe all the women you know. What isn't natural is the way you won't even admit to having any crushes on any of the very intelligent and attractive ladies on goodreads. Why won't you just give Alfonso what he wants and answer the question?"

"Ok, ok you win..... my goodreads.com crushes are Top Ten Golems of All Time: Number 6

This golem:

from what might be Magic: The Gathering. How will Alfonso react to my not so cunning evasion of what I know was the one part of the challenge that he really wanted me to answer? Will he find any irony or humor that I skipped over his beloved question with a Magic card? Find out below in the comment section, and stay tuned for the top half of the all-time golems!

A long story short

"How interesting, you have crushes on them? I would have never guessed."

"Look it's been fun but I'm getting really bored with talking to you, so why don't you go fuck off and I'll go on writing this review with you."

"That was not polite."

"Look just fuck off, go away, I'm tired to writing a review in the form of a conversation. It's been done, I've done it, know kindly get the fuck away from me so I can have my Orange Julius and Mrs. Fields cookies in peace."

Top Ten Golems of all time: Number 5

Myspace sensation: the band Golem.

(picture went bye-bye)

Maybe they aren't a sensation on Myspace, but they have a Myspace page. You know who else has a Myspace Page for music?

Me! You can go listen to four songs I recorded right now if you want! I'd recommend "Live for Me". For those of you who don't know me personally you can hear what my whiney voice sounds like.

Only four more to go!

Hail Satan!

666

Hey all. Demon here! LOLZ!!!!
I was invited to say something, and WTF! I dunno wat to s@y!!!! LOLZ.....

Where did U?!? think text-message speak came from?

So I've got this forum to talk, and I'm gonna set the record straight (SHOUTZ to LUCIFER and SATAN!!!! WooHooo LUZ U GUYZ (not in a fag way!!! whooo woooo).

I don't like tYping 2 much (^^^666^^^!!!), so go here:

http://creation.com/a-remarkable-witn...

And see what all U FAGZ who think PPL evoluted from SLIME are STOOOPID. UP YRS SAM HARRIS!!!! MY dawg SATAN says it aint TRU!!!

SUk A DICK RICHARD DAWKINS!!!!

HAIL SATAN@@@@@@@@@@

Im OUT!!! (but not in a fag way)

AND END SCENE

Sorry, I had to invite a demon to say some words.

Top Ten Golems in History: Number 4

Gollum!



He should be number one, but he's not really a golem (neither are Eli Roth or the band but they are in spirit). He is the most famous on the list and more people will think of him when they hear golem than some mud creation in Jewish folklore.

Yep, keep on reading, and you'll get to see who the top three are.........

On and on and on with this review

I don't know if you realize, but I've been writing this thing for days now. I have no idea if it is coherent, and I have a feeling that you might be getting as tired reading it right now as I am writing it. I sort of felt the same blahness about reading the book though. You know what would have made the book more exciting? If the motherfucking Penetrator had been in it. First of all if he had been the main character, or any character he would have banged all three of those women, plus some others that we didn't even see in the book. They would sleep with him and thirty minutes later have had the best experience of their lives, and they would feel empty inside for the rest of their miserable existence because they would know that the Penetrator would never come back their way again. But they would also feel great because they had gotten to 'know' him and his manly mustache.

But really the part of the book that would have been greatly improved was the drawn out jail scene. If the Penetrator had been in that jail he would have killed everyone, and escaped in one chapter. And if he hadn't been in jail he would have killed everyone guarding the main character and gotten him out and then went and fucked the ladies while the freed main character cried in the corner because he could never be even ten percent of the man that the Penetrator is. This book should have been a Penetrator novel, a lot more would have happened in it.

Another Aside

This challenge has been hell for me. I blame myself and not the challenge itself. This has taken me weeks now. It hangs over my head and taunts me. More than once I've thought to myself once I finish this review I'll never write another one.

Here is a Morrissey song that sort of captures how I feel about writing reviews right now (actually mostly just the last two lines are relevant, but it's a great song anyway).....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mjKg9...

Top Ten Golems of All-Time: Number 3

Der Golem! from the 1920 German film.



A Story! Of which has no relevance to anything to do with this book, but which could have if the book had been about my childhood, which it isn't

(note: I was going to use the throwing a stick through the spokes of a bully's bike but that story has already been used in another review, so instead here is another bad-ass story of my youth)

There were two douchebags that lived up the street from me. They were in high school or maybe older. They drove a car. They were probably the equivalent of the early 80's version of what those idiots on the Jersey Shore are. You know guidos, or jerk-offs from Jersey. Which is fitting since I lived in Jersey at this point. They liked to drive really fast and yell things out the window of their car and sometimes drive over our lawn when taking the corner that my house was on. So one day they came speeding down the hill and as they were passing my house I gave them the middle finger and yelled, "You fuck your mother, assholes!" They screeched to a stop and threatened me and I told them I thought they were someone else and the one in the passenger seat told me not to make the mistake again and they peeled out. I guess it would have been more badass if I had told them they really did fuck their mom and then ended up once again in a fetal position while getting kicked in my side like on two other occasions of me doing something stupid to some older meathead, but instead I took it back. Badass.

To relate this to the book, if I had seen the golem wandering around the city and I had been eight I like to think that I would have yelled at him that he fucks his mother, and I would have looked all bad-ass because everyone else was all scared of him, and seriously who should be scared of a mound of mud with a piece of paper in his mouth? He probably doesn't have a mother to fuck though, so it would have been even funnier.

(the review continues in comment number 51......)

[William2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Golem is a high-brow literary thriller. Very readable, even re-readable. Here's what the great Jorge Luis Borges wrote about it in 1936: "...An extraordinarily visual book that enchantingly combines mythology, eroticism, tourism, the 'local color' of Prague, prophetic dreams, dreams of past or future lives, and even reality." A "wonderful book." This quote is from a brief review of Meyrink's later The Angel of the Western Window, about which Borges was far less enthusiastic. See Jorge Luis Borges, Selected Non-Fictions.

[Jack Tripper · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are plenty of reviews here already for this oneiric/nightmarish German masterpiece, but after my recent reread, I thought I’d comment on the two different English translations, as there’s not much out there on the topic in internetland (at least that I’ve found). Some potential reader may find it useful.

While overall I think I prefer the more recent Mike Mitchell translation from 1995*, as it’s much clearer and more direct, and with slightly more modern-ish prose, there’s something about the 1928 Madge Pemberton version that I like as well. It can be a bit opaque and harder to follow at times, but there’s more of a strangeness or otherworldliness to the writing that suited the story. I’d recommend reading the Mitchell (published by Dedalus) first for clarity’s sake, and if you ever decide to have another go at it, check out the Pemberton (published by Dover) for a more detached, foggier sort of vibe.

It’s hard to get a feel for the styles based on short snippets, but here are a couple examples of the differences in approach, both from the second chapter:

(Pemberton)
Once, long, long ago, it is in my mind that somehow or other I took the wrong hat by mistake; at the time I was surprised how well it fitted me, for the shape of my head I always thought peculiar to myself. I had glanced at that time, down at the lining of the hat, and observed, in letters of gold in the white silk:

ATHANASIUS PERNATH

And, for some reason I did not understand, the hat filled me with fear and dislike.

(Mitchell)
I think … I think that once, a long, long time ago, I took the wrong hat somewhere, and even then I was surprised that it fitted me so well, since my head has a very individual shape. And I looked into this hat that belonged to someone else … all those years ago, and … yes … there it was in letters of gold on the white silk lining:

ATHANASIUS PERNATH

I was wary of the hat, frightened of it, though I didn’t know why.
—————————
(Pemberton)
I did not meet her look.
I detested that insistent smile of hers and her waxy, rocking-horse face.
Her flesh must be white, surely, like that of the axolotl that I saw the other day at the birdshop in the salamander’s cage.
As for the eyelashes of the red-haired, I’d as soon contemplate those of a young rabbit.

(Mitchell)
I avoided her glances.
Her teasing smile and waxy, rocking-horse face disgust me. I feel she must have white, bloated flesh, like the axolotl I saw just now in the tank of salamanders in the pet-shop. I find the eye-lashes of people with red hair as repulsive as those of rabbits.

I have no idea which is considered more “accurate”, but Mitchell’s is a bit more immersive to me, and Meyrink’s humor comes across better as well. I noticed I tend to favor more recent translations in general, despite my usual preference for vintage books. That trend continues here for the most part. Either way, you can’t really go wrong with either. Some damn eerie atmosphere any way you slice it.

* ETA: I know Mitchell revised his 1995 translation to some degree in more recent years, but I’m not aware of what the differences are between the two. I only have experience with the 1995 Dedalus edition. Also, the 70s Dover editions of Pemberton’s translation were “emended”** by the literary scholar and editor E.F. Bleiler, which is what I’d read (and quoted here).

** TIL that “emended” is a word that means something slightly different from “amended”.

[inciminci · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Golem describes a mystical, miasmic, atmospheric, obscure Prague ghetto from the turn of the century through the words of a narrator with a broken memory, which reflects on his narration. Broken passages, descriptions of the Prague ghetto, of people living in it and a Golem that emerges every 33 years from a room without a door and walks the streets - all glued together to form a barely coherent body of text, not unlike a golem itself. Quite fascinating, weird.

I just wish I had read the German original instead of the English and Turkish translations.

[Eliasdgian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Σε ένα απόλυτα ατμοσφαιρικό, ερεβώδες και σαγηνευτικό μυθιστόρημα, σε τριακόσιες και πλέον σελίδες μυστηριώδους μπαρόκ ρομαντισμού (πόσο, αλήθεια, συμβάλλουν στην καταμάγευση του αναγνώστη οι σκοτεινές λιθογραφίες του Hugo Steiner - Prag που κοσμούν την έκδοση!), σε μια ονειρική περιδίνηση στα κακοφωτισμένα σοκάκια της εβραϊκής συνοικίας, του γκέτο, της Πράγας των αρχών του εικοστού αιώνα, και στους αλλόκοτους εκείνους ανθρώπους, τους ιδιόρυθμους τρελούς (από έρωτα, πόθο για χρήματα, αγάπη για τη ζωή), που περιφέρονταν, φτωχοί και μόνοι, στα κακόφημα καπηλειά και πορνεία της πόλης, η νανοειδής φιγούρα του Γκόλεμ, του τεχνητού εκείνου ανθρώπου που με βάση τις υποδείξεις και τα κείμενα της καβάλα έφτιαξε ένας ραβίνος (κάπου στον 17ο αιώνα) και εγκαταβιώνει πλέον στα υπόγεια της Παλιάς Συναγωγής, μπορεί να μην διαδραματίζει σπουδαίο ρόλο στην εξέλιξη της ιστορίας που αφηγείται (υπέροχα) ο Μέιρινκ, αλλά υπάρχει για να θυμίζει ότι Αυτός, ο Γκόλεμ, παραμένει το απόλυτο πνεύμα του γκετο.

[°°°·.°·..·°¯°·._.· ʜᴇʟᴇɴ Ροζουλί Εωσφόρος ·._.·°¯°·.·° .·°°° ★·.·´¯`·.·★ Ⓥⓔⓡⓝⓤⓢ Ⓟⓞⓡⓣⓘⓣⓞⓡ Ⓐⓡⓒⓐⓝⓤⓢ Ταμετούρο Αμ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Η αρχή της ιστορίας λένε πως χάνεται κάπου στον 17ο αιώνα.
Κάποιος ραβίνος με τις αποκρυφιστικές υποδείξεις
και τα κείμενα της καμπάλα δημιούργησε έναν τεχνητό άνθρωπο, τον επονομαζόμενο Γκόλεμ.
Ο Γκόλεμ τοποθετείται στο χώρο κάπου ανάμεσα στον μύθο και την παράδοση της εβραϊκής πίστης,
με τόσες διαδόσεις και υπερβολές, που τελικά καταστρέφονται απο το ίδιο το αδύνατο της ύπαρξης τους.
Ο Γκόλεμ ήτ��ν υπηρέτης του ραβίνου που τον έφτιαξε, έκανε τις χονδροδουλειές που του ανέθετε
και χτυπούσε τις καμπάνες της συναγωγής.
Ποτέ δεν κατάφερε να μεταρσιωθεί σε πραγματικό άνθρωπο. Μπορούσε μονάχα να αποκτήσει μια ονειρικά θαμπή μισοσυνείδητη ψευτοζωή που είχε δυνάμεις μονάχα την μέρα.
Η ύπαρξη του κρεμόταν απο ένα σημείωμα, ίσως, μαγικό, που τοποθετούσε ο ραβίνος πίσω απο τα δόντια του πλάσματος, το σημείωμα συγκέντρωνε όλες τις ελεύθερες αστρικές δυνάμεις του σύμπαντος πανω του, δίνοντας ζωή στο πλάσμα χωρίς ψυχή.

Όταν κάποιο βράδυ το μαγικό χαρτί ξεχάστηκε στο στόμα του Γκόλεμ, έπαθε μανιακό σοκ και τρέχοντας στο σκοτάδι κατέστρεψε τα πάντα.
Ο εγωιστής δημιουργός, ο αμαρτωλός ραβίνος,
έσκισε το μαγικό χαρτί με την φόρμουλα της αναβίωσης του αρχέγονου Όντους για καταστρεπτική βία
και έτσι, το πλάσμα απο πηλό σωριάστηκε νεκρό.

Ίσως το πήλινο ομοίωμα με τα ανθρώπινα μέλη
να ήταν ένα προμήνυμα της εποχής του.
Το πλάσμα ενσαρκώνει και στοιχειώνει το μέσα και το έξω τοπίο που κινούνται και υπάρχουν οι άνθρωποι στο γκέτο της Πράγας.
Θέλει να καταστρέψει κάθε συλλογική πνευματική δημιουργία στον σκοτεινό κόσμο που σιγοβράζει σε μια δηλητηριασμένη ατμόσφαιρα, η οποία παραμορφώνει και εξεγείρει ποικιλόμορφους χαρακτήρες ανθρώπων, αποκαλύπτοντας όλους τους διπλούς, τους άλλους, τους κρυφούς τρομακτικούς εαυτούς.

Ο άγνωστος που βρικολακιάζει κάθε τριάντα τρία χρόνια , σαν τους θρύλους της αιώνιας επιστροφής
ίσως να μην είναι κάτι άλλο απο τη μορφή που φαντάστηκε ο μεσαιωνικός ραβίνος προτού μπορέσει να την υλοποιήσει.
Τώρα, το ονειρικό παράδοξο συναντάται ερωτικά σχεδόν με μια εξίσου μαγική πραγματικότητα.
Τώρα, σε τακτά διαστήματα, όταν επικρατούν οι ίδιες αστρικές συνθήκες κάτω απο τις οποίες δημιουργήθηκε,
ο Γκόλεμ, ξαναγυρίζει, βασανισμένος και ήπια αιώνιος απο την θέληση του για ενσάρκωνση.
Ανάμεσα στο εδώ και το εκεί, εμφανίζεται και οδηγεί κατά κάποιο τρόπο στην κάθαρση εκτονώνοντας βία και τρόμο.
Μπαίνουμε σε κάτι πολυδιάστατο ανάμεσα σε χωροχρόνους και κόσμους που υπάρχουν ο ένας μέσα στον άλλον.
Σε μια βαθιά πνευματικότητα που τρομάζει τους αμύητους στον πόνο της νόησης, σε αυτούς που δεν ξέρουν να διεισδύουν στο κενό του υποσυνείδητου.
Ο άγνωστος πρόγονος της ζωής θέλει να εγκυμονούν οι ψυχές, μήπως, σε κάποια γέννηση, μια καταληπτική ψυχή, ζωοδόχος και θανατηφόρα, αφήσει το ανθρώπινο κορμί και μεταβιβαστεί στο αινιγματικό ον, στο ξένο πλάσμα, που θα αποτελεί κομμάτι πλέον απο την ανθρώπινη ύπαρξη, απο την οποία ξέκλεψε ανάσες ψυχής και ενσάρκωσης.

Ο Γκόλεμ είναι το μυθιστόρημα του γκέτο της Πράγας.
Το σκηνικό είναι σκοτεινό, μυστικιστικό και παραμορφωτικό.
Η πραγματικότητα και το όνειρο, η ανάμνηση και η ουσία του παρόντος εισβάλλουν το ένα μέσα στο άλλο και κάπου στο βάθος του μίσους, της τερατουργίας,
της παρακμής, της δολιότητας, της οργής, της αναρχίας και της ανθρωπομορφικής φρίκης, εκεί, κοντά αε σπίτια έρημα, λοξά, με στενά καγκελόφραχτα παράθυρα κάτω απο υπόστεγα μισογκρεμισμένα που μοιάζουν με σώματα νεκρών ζώων ή με σπίτια μαγισσών, έτοιμα να ουρλιάξουν, σε αυτή την φευγαλέα και υπαρκτή,
απτή και απροσδιόριστη εξωπραγματική εικόνα θλίψης, φαίνεται σαν άϋλη τερατώδης μορφή σαν βαριά σκιά,
η υλική υπόσταση της λανθάνουσας κατάστασης του Γκόλεμ.

Αλλά, ο Γκόλεμ είναι πολύ πιο σοβαρός, βαθιά ριζωμένος στις πραγματικές ιστορικές πεποιθήσεις,
στις υπέρ-ορθολογικές δυνάμεις του καλού και του κακού, απο όλες τις φανταστικές λογοτεχνικές υπάρξεις των τελευταίων αιώνων της μυσταγωγικής δράσης.

Αναγνωρίζεται εύκολα και απλά η δύναμη του συγγραφέα και το ταλέντο του πάθους του για μια ευρωπαϊκή προέλευση του μαγικού ρεαλισμού με άπειρα στοιχεία ρομαντικού γοτθικού τρόμου
και άρωμα απο τα νεκρά άστρα και τα μολυσμένα με απέθαντα πνεύματα ποτάμια της σελήνης,
κάποιου μπαρόκ ψυχαναγκαστικού θρύλου.
Η μαγεία σε αυτό το
βιβλίο σαν ακατέργαστο διαμάντι υπερβαίνει με τη λάμψη της κάθε λογοτεχνική χειραγώγηση και κάθε μορφή τέχνης.

Ο συγγραφέας με την πένα του και την υποκίνηση σκοτεινών κόσμων της ψυχής και του μυαλού του χτυπάει τις κρυμμένες πόρτες στο βασίλειο της πολιτιστικής μνήμης.

Εύκολα χαρακτηρίζεται εγχειρίδιο λήθης, μνήμης
και υπνωτισμού, με εύλογες προσεγγίσεις σε έγκυρες αναλύσεις και γνωματεύσεις αναφορικά με την επιστήμη της ψυχολογίας.
📚📚📚
Η Μάσκα του Κόκκινου Θανάτου φτιαγμένη με αβυσσαλέα φρίκη απο τον Έντγκαρ Άλλαν Πόε
καλύπτει ολόκληρο το γκέτο της Πράγας,
επεκτείνεται σε όλο το μυθιστόρημα του Μέϊρινκ,
γεμάτο με ακόμη πιο καταστροφικές αναταράξεις των χειρότερων δικών του ονείρων.

💯👻💀☠️👽👹👺💯

Καλή ανάγνωση
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.

[Το Άθχημο γατί του θενιόρ Γκουαναμίρου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Τί αριστούργημα θεέ μου! Με τί κομψό τρόπο το όνειρο αγγίζει την πραγματικότητα! Και η Πράγα, περιγράφεται σαν μια πόλη γεμάτη μυστήριο και μαγεία, ειδικά η εβραϊκή συνοικία, εκεί που ζει ο Αθανάσιος Πέρναθ, ο καλλιτέχνης (χαράκτης λίθων) που αποτελεί το κεντρικό ήρωα. Νομίζω πως το Γκόλεμ είναι η επιτομή του φιλοσοφικού μυθιστορήματος. Κι αν αυτό ακούγεται υπερβολικό, έστω είναι ένα από τα πιο αριστοτεχνικά γραμμένα και βαθιά φιλοσοφημένα μυθιστορήματα που έχω διαβάσει.

Στην αρχή νόμιζα πως θα είναι μια ιστορία για ένα μαγικό πλάσμα με δαιμονικές ιδιότητες, ένα πλάσμα που προέρχεται από την εβραϊκή μυθολογία, το οποίο τρομοκρατεί τους κατοίκους μιας γειτονιάς. Έκανα λάθος. Δεν έχει καμία σχέση με αυτό. Ο κεντρικός ήρωας έχει την ικανότητα, ένα χάρισμα να μπορεί να βλέπει πέρα από τα πέπλα της πραγματικότητας. Όλα ξεκίνησαν όταν ένας γιατρός τον υπνώτισε για να τον βοηθήσει να ξεπεράσει μια τραυματική εμπειρία, που του είχε προκαλέσει νευρικό κλονισμό. Αυτό είχε ως αποτέλεσμα να σβηστεί ένα κομμάτι από το παρελθόν του και να ξεκινήσει να βιώνει πρωτόγνωρες πνευματικές εμπειρίες. Η αντίληψή του για τον κόσμο, δεν είναι πλέον ανθρώπινη. Έχει γίνει ένας φορέας του θείου, ενας φωτισμένος, ένας προφήτης.

Σύμφωνα με την κοσμοθεωρία του συγγραφέα (βλέπε σελ. 313 της ελληνικής έκδοσης) :

"Ο άνθρωπος είναι σαν γυάλινος σωλήνας που μέσα του κυλούν πολύχρωμες μπαλίτσες. Στους πιο πολλούς περνά μόνο μία σ' ολόκληρη τη ζωή τους. Είναι η μπαλίτσα κόκκινη; Λέγεται "κακός" ο άνθρωπος. Είναι κίτρινη; Είναι "καλός". Αν περάσουν δύο, η μία πίσω από την άλλη, μια κόκκινη και μια μπλε; Τότε έχουμε έναν "άστατο" χαρακτήρα. Αλλά εμείς, οι "δαγκωμένοι από το φίδι" περνάμε συνήθως στη ζωή μας ό,τι περνά ολόκληρη η ράτσα μέσα σ' έναν αιώνα. Οι χρωματιστές μπαλίτσες κυλούν μέσα στο γυάλινο σωλήνα η μία μετά την άλλη κι όταν τελειώσουν, τότε γινόμαστε προφήτες. Γινόμαστε ο καθρέφτης του Θεού. "

Έτσι η καθημερινή ζωή μια φτωχικής συνοικίας, με τις μικρές και μεγάλες χαρές, λύπες και αγωνίες των ανθρώπων που την κατοικούν, μέσα από τα μάτια του μαστρό - Πέρναθ, αποκτά μεταφυσικές διαστάσεις, γίνεται ένα όνειρο, άλλοτε όμορφο όνειρο, άλλοτε εφιάλτης.

Εξαιρετικός συγγραφέας ο Γκούσταβ Μέιρινγκ. Μοναδικός. Θα ήθελα να διαβάσω και άλλα έργα του.

[Nickolas B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Λοιπόν αυτό ήταν ένα παράξενο βιβλίο... Ο συγγραφέας μπλέκει δυο πραγματικότητες εκ των οποίων η μια είναι η ονειρική!! Μέσα από μια Γκόθικ ατμόσφαιρα και στηριζόμενος σε ένα εβραϊκό μύθο (αυτό του Γκόλεμ) ο Μέιρινκ μας βάζει μέσα στην εβραϊκή συνοικία της Πράγας όπου φαινομενικά ο βασικός πρωταγωνιστής είναι ο Αθανάσιος Περνάθ ένας χαράκτης πολύτιμων λίθων...

Θα συναντήσουμε περίεργους χαρακτήρες όπως μαργιονετίστες, μάγους, γιατρούς, παλαιοπώλες, πόρνες και αλχημιστές σε σκοτεινα σοκάκια, χαμαιτυπεία, ταβέρνες και στοιχειωμένα σπίτια... Οι χαρακτήρες κάθε άλλο παρά επίπεδοι είναι. Θα έλεγα μάλιστα πως κάθε ένας από αυτούς είναι/έχει σχεδόν ένα ψυχολογικό προφίλ για μελέτη!!

Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο μας δίνει ακόμα πολλές πληροφορίες και πολιτιστικά στοιχεία για την εβραική μυθολογία. Ραβίνοι, ταρώ, καμπάλα και πάει λέγοντας...

4 αστεράκια μόνο και μόνο γιατί ο μεταφραστής θα έπερπε να ξέρει πως δεν είμαστε όλοι εξοικειωμένοι με την εβραϊκή μυθολογία...

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There is nothing mysterious about it at all. It is only magic and sorcery.”

If you still have me featured in your feeds, I assume it is not for my good looks or to know what is trending but rather to discover some obscure weird novels and hidden gems of the fantasy genre. This is one of those!

Before you start pondering whether or not this novel is worth your time, please read the Author’s bio on Goodreads site. Golem, the book by Gustav Meyrink, also known as the Satan from Prague, encapsulates the mindset of the Czech bohemia, full of occultism, mysticism, and secret books and teachings (Kabbalah is the word). It is clear that Meyrink in many respects did not fit into his own century, and perhaps this is the reason why his books still can be appreciated by a contemporary reader.

Golem brings together the best of Kafka Franz, Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. It is atmospheric and original. I was struck by an unprecedented combination of the dark ambience, esoterism, mystery, Kabbalah, mysticism, and ambiguity enhanced by trances, hallucinations, hard to define and ever morphing, intangible reality. Golem is a literary equivalent of absinth and indeed it would be fitting to have a bottle ready when reading!

While this is an excellent book, it does require absolute devotion, mindfulness, and concentration (all of those are amply rewarded!) not only because of the writing style but mainly because of the content and many-layered messages. Certainly, it is not a book for commuters.

The setting is important. The story takes place in Prague (as a resident of the Czech Republic I try to familiarise myself with Czech prose, hence my interest in Meyrink). Meyrink called Prague “a city with the secret heartbeat” and it’s definitely something that he captured better than the coveted Laini Taylor in her reprise of the Romeo and Juliet.

Descriptions of the Jewish Quarter, which is the arena of most events, in themselves can sow a seed of anxiety in the reader: dark alleys, gloomy tenement houses that seem to observe passers-by, underground tunnels leading nowhere, a city that morphs and hoards secret places like squirrel would hoard hazelnuts. But the pages of the book are also populated by several strange, not exactly defined characters, including the protagonist himself.

Golem tells the story of Athanasius Pernath, an art conservator and jeweller artist, who leads an ordinary life, until he is visited by a mysterious man who commissions him to fix the initial on the Book of Ibbur. The meeting transforms our protagonist, and from then on he sets off on a difficult and unusual journey, full of obstacles, secrets and a sense of anxiety.

Read superficially, analysed only on the basis of what actually happens in the book, Golem does not make any sense. Some of the threads are cut off, not fully explained or remain largely unclear. The main protagonist is equally ambiguous. He is wandering between no one knows what, he finds various symbols, he is mixed up in some conspiracies, he is in love, but in whom exactly can be debated. We do not even find out why what had happened to him happened, as the retrospective is incomplete and whimsical.

Nonetheless, we can notice two main interwoven themes. The first of these is mundane: Intrigues, jealousy, romance hidden in a real mix of genres (a crime story, a bit of horror and esoteric, love and some family dramas). Everything evolves around the medical scams and murderous urges motivated by revenge (Charousek, you broke my heart!). The second is an existential journey of a self-discovery aimed at making oneself a whole that we are not by default. Already at the beginning one of the protagonists compares people from the Jewish ghetto to golems (mechanical beings who lack a human soul to be complete), this metaphor also applies to other characters we meet, with Athanasius himself at the lead. Only when the hero passes all trials (symbolised by tarot figures) and rejects what is temporal (symbolized by vulgar Rosina and passionate Angelina), he is able to discover the true Self.

The events are interspersed with deep symbolism, oneiric travels, reaching into one's past. Demons appear to offer a choice that will influence the main character’s mental destiny. There are autobiographical motifs depicting the senselessness of bureaucracy and its connections with the prison system. But most of all, Golem is a mystical textbook for occultists. A guide to enlightenment, a primer to self-development. What is the truth? Can anyone be turned into a passive puppet or to the contrary made free of the constraints? Does love strengthen or destroy? In Golem we are challenged with these and many more similar questions.

To sum up, although Golem is worth judging from the perspective of the time in which the book was written, it is still extraordinary, if not an outstanding novel. However, due to its heavy and intricate nature, many readers may be put off and not like it. A reader expecting a gripping golem-monster action can be disappointed when s/he realises that what is offered is the existential experience of traveling deep into our own self. Meyrink’s mystical tale deserves to be acknowledged by a modern reader as a pass to the world of magic. Magic still imprisoned and comprehended in a very traditional way. The title of classic fantasy is, in this case, the most adequate.

[Théo d'Or]

"Golem" is not a novel that will let you enter it without a certain difficulty.
Any prose in which the dose of the unknown is higher than that of the familiar - imprints a resistance to reading. In any case, the whole story, linked on a bizarre, sincopated structure, which cultivates mystery and ambiguity - has, in the substratum, symmetries and correspondences related to esotericism, alchemy, Tarot and Kabbalah.
An unfamiliar reader with them, perceives their presence only through what they hide, through the feeling of anxiety. The legend of Golem is used by Meyrink to bring to light a profound truth of our psyche, namely that dimension wich Carl Jung calls " shadow" - and which refers to what we reject from ourselves, to what we do not want to acknowledge as part of our ordered being, in terms of consciousness.
The novel begins with a scene in wich a man no longer knows who he is. Athanasius Pernath is the confused man around whom entire novel will be built.
Beyond the fantastic dimension, you can't help but gradually distinguish a sensation that accompanies the discovery that each individual has a dark side, an evil and autonomus twin.
Who, then, is this " Me" ? - with this question begins a bizarre adventure of a consciousness who meets its double.
There are many dark areas of the book, which speak of an unnamed evil, raised from the tensions of a Ghetto, an evil that must take a form, in order to exorcise it, and that form is always a strange one, here - the Golem.

[Hendrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schauergeschichten vermögen selten bei mir die beabsichtige Wirkung auszulösen, sprich Gefühle des Unheimlichen zu wecken. Dafür bin ich zu sehr der materiellen Wirklichkeit verhaftet, als das mich irgendwelche fiktiven Grusel- und Spukgestalten ernsthaft schrecken könnten. Grusel oder ein latentes Unbehagen stellt sich erst ein, wo der Bereich des Unbewussten berührt wird, wie z.B. in unseren Träumen. Jener Bereich, der unserer bewussten Kontrolle entzogen ist. Genau in diese Spiegelwelt der Wirklichkeit führt Der Golem von Gustav Meyrink. Hinein in das alte jüdische Ghetto von Prag, mit seinen dunklen Gassen, voller sinisterer Gestalten und uralter Legenden. Der Handlung ist eine psychedelische Qualität zu eigen, ein Schweben zwischen den Grenzen von Außen- und Innenwelt. Man wird davon in Bann geschlagen, ohne dass dazu plumpe Horroreffekte nötig wären. Selbst der Golem, jenes künstliche Geschöpf des Rabbi Löw bleibt in der Geschichte stets nur eine Randfigur. Eher ein Mythos der sich in der Vorstellung der Menschen manifestiert, denn eine offensichtliche Erscheinung. Wie diese untergegangene Welt – gleich einer verschwommenen Halluzination – heraufbeschworen wird, hat mich im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes begeistern können.

[Andrei Tamaş · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fără doar şi poate unul dintre cele mai frapante paragrafe citite vreodată: "Wassertrum a silit-o pe mama să fie a lui, cine ştie prin ce mijloace drăceşti - ca toţi cei de teapa asta, dacă nu altcumva, într-un fel şi mai cumplit. Pe urmă... pe urmă a vândut-o la un bordel... nu-i lucru greu, dacă tovarăşii tăi de afaceri sunt jurisconsulţii poliţiei. DAR N-A FĂCUT-O PENTRU CĂ ERA SĂTUL DE EA, VAI, NU! ÎI ŞTIU INIMA, I-O ŞTIU PÂNĂ ÎN CELE MAI FERITE ASCUNZIŞURI: A VÂNDUT-O ÎN ZIUA CÂND ŞI-A DAT SEAMA CĂ O IUBEŞTE!"
Printr-o tehnică narativă al dracului de ingenioasă, cititorul este introdus în ghetto-ul (evreiesc) din Praga, nereuşind să facă distincia între realitatea concretă a romanului sau visul propriu-zis al personajului-narator, părtaş al acţiunii...
Nu prea am avut contacte cu literatura de factură iudaică -şi, la drept vorbind, Gustav Meyrink nu pune în centrul romanului său religia, ci mai degrabă mistica, analogă magiei- însă modul în care sunt înfăţişate "lucrările" din ghetto-ul evreiesc e de-a dreptul frapant.
În ceea ce priveşte personajele, ele sunt mai degrabă construite pe principii romantice: "excepţionale", extreme, pătimaşe, maniace.
Într-o lume de coşmar, în care relaţiile interumane sunt vitale, conceptul de mit se impune. Întrepătrunderea planurilor temporale -situate la 33 de ani unele de altele- este un alt aspect important al romanului, definitoriu pentru stabilirea realităţii concrete care întemeiază opera, făcând distincţia între planurile temporale din contiinta personajului.
Acum... având în vedere că primul capitol descrie personajul principal ca zvârcolindu-se în pat, preocupat de filosofia indiana, tocmai terminând de citit o carte buddhistă, iar în ultimul capitol el se trezeşte într-o cameră de hotel, după un somn lung, ar trebui să-l facă pe cititor să-şi pună o întrebarea referitoare la obârşia visului protagonistului (care nu e exclusiv rupt de realitate).
Ceea ce stă la baza romanului este însă obscuritismul, conflictul dintre personaj şi alterego, întruchipat în diferitele personaje care apar de-a lungul romanului, relaţia dintre voinţă şi "minune", înţeleasă în sens iudaic. Însă acest aspect are o prea mare anvergură pentru a putea fi, chiar şi sumar, redat aici...



Abordare filosofică spinozistă, aducând aminte de "Substanţă", sub forma contemplaţiei: "... n-om fi şi noi, fiinţele vii, un fel de zdrenţe de hârtie? Nu cumva vântul, sau altceva, cine ştie ce, ne mâna, nevăzut, neînţeles, încoace şi încolo, hotărând ce să facem şi ce nu, când noi, neştiutori, ne încredem în voinţă şi zicem că-i a noastră?"

"Fiecare întrebare pe care şi-a pus-o omul îşi găseşte răspunsul chiar în clipa în care şi-a pus-o în minte [...]. Viaţa nu-i nimic altceva decât o sumă de întrebări care au prins formă, purtând germenele răspunsurilor în ele."

"Câtă metodă în nebunia lui Charousek! Să fie oare nebunie? [...] El ascultă de porunca pe care i-o dă un instinct cu putere peste tot şi toate, fără să se gândească nicio clipă la vreo răsplată, aici sau dincolo."

"Dacă-l îmbătai, îl apuca o tristeţe fără margini şi, înfrigurat, cu lacrimi şi sughiţuri, decupa întruna, coală după coală, acelaşi profil ascuţit de fată până le termină pe toate."

"... sunt atât de sărac cum nici mie nu-mi vine să cred că poate să fie cineva!"

"... cuvântul viu să încremenească în dogmă moartă!"

Andrei Tamaş,
20 mai 2016

[Auntie Terror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think Kafka - but on whatever Lewis Carroll was on for "Alice in wonderland" [prtf]

[Eirini Proikaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ένα απο τα πιο περίεργα βιβλία που έχω διαβάσει.Με μπέρδεψε,άργησα μπω στο κλίμα του γιατί περίμενα μια τελείως διαφορετική ιστορία και παραλίγο να το αφήσω στην αρχή αλλά με κράτησε ο υπέροχος τρόπος γραφής του Μέιρινκ.Περίμενα μια ιστορία με επίκεντρο το μυθικό Γκόλεμ που εμφανίζεται και σπέρνει τον πανικό και βρέθηκα σε ένα κόσμο μαγικό,ονειρικό,οπου η φαντασία μπλέκεται με την πραγματικότητα....αλλά ποια είναι η πραγματικότητα και ποια η φαντασία;Που σταματάει το όνειρο και τι ακριβώς συμβαίνει;
Είναι ένα βιβλίο πολυεπίπεδο,γεμάτο συμβολισμούς(δεν είμαι σίγουρη οτι έπιασα όλα όσα ήθελε να πει),και μύθους που άλλους γνώριζα και για άλλους αναγκάστηκα να ψάξω λιγο,και με δυσκόλεψε αρκετα.Βρέθηκα πολλές φορές να γυρίζω πίσω και να ξαναδιαβάζω τα ίδια κομμάτια γιατί ήμουν σίγουρη οτι κάτι έχασα.
Τελειώνοντάς το ,έχω να πω οτι όταν σταμάτησα να προσπαθώ να καταλάβω τι συμβαίνει με τον Πέρναθ και άφησα την ιστορία και την μαγευτική γοτθική ατμόσφαιρα της Πράγας να με παρασύρει ,περιμένοντας να μου λυθούν οι απορίες στο τέλος,το απόλαυσα πραγματικά.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bei diesem Klassiker hatte ich von Beginn an zwei Hauptkritikpunkte. Der erste von beiden wurde vom Autor gar grandios gegen mich verwendet, indem er mich am Ende der Geschichte meisterlich am Nasenring vorführte und meine Kritik nicht nur vorwegnahm, sondern gegen mich verwendete. Chapeau! Großes Kino und geniales Schreibhandwerk. Der zweite Kritikpunkt, der versteckte Antisemitismus, bleibt bedauerlich bis zum Ende bestehen und wird auch nicht ausgemerzt, im Gegenteil, er ist so subtil und manipulativ eingesetzt, dass mich so etwas immer gegen eine Geschichte aufbringt, egal, wie alt sie ist, ob so etwas zu dieser Zeit normal war und wie gut der Roman sonst fabriziert wurde. Doch nun zum Detail der beiden Punkte.

Kritikpunkt eins, der gar genial am Ende des Werkes verpufft, war die an den Haaren herbeigezogene auf Zwang gebürstete bedrohliche Umgebung, die es im realen Prag, das in dem Fall zu mehr als 85% noch genauso heutzutage existiert, gar nicht gibt und auch damals gar nicht geben konnte.

Mein realistisches Hintergrundradar schaltet da immer vollautomatisch auf Detektion.
Vor allem, weil ich genau die Wege und die Gebäude innen und außen seit meinem Geburtstag im Jänner 2020 kenne, als wir uns einmal ohne Touristenwahnsinn die Prager Altstadt genau anschauen wollten. Klar, ist das ganze oft auch dem Wetter geschuldet, aber es war halt bei meinem Besuch auch Jänner es war auch dunkel kalt, aber es war sehr wenig gruselig, weder in der Judenstadt (wo ich es mir noch eher vorstellen könnte, da seit der Renovierung heute ja nur noch Bruchteile stehen), noch auf dem Hradschin, noch auf dem Weg vom 2. Bezirk auf den Hradschin. Wenn man jetzt einwenden möchte, dass wir ja heute in einer anderen Zeit leben mit all dem Licht und den modernen Gebäuden, dann muss ich dagegenhalten, dass die ganze Strecke, die Meyrink beschreibt, bis auf die Judenstadt noch heute original ist, inklusive der Straßenbeleuchtung, die definitiv aus der Jahrhundertwende stammt, da die Lampen original Jugendstil sind. Eines, dachte ich, hat Meyrink auch nicht berücksichtigt, wenn er die fürchterlich gruseligen Steinstufen zum Hradschin hinaufsteigt, dann geht Protagonist Pernath rechter und linker Hand mitten durch einen Weinberg, dieses Weingut des Heiligen Wenzel gibt es schon seit dem 10 Jahrhundert. https://www.prague.eu/de/objekt/essen...

Das fand ich halt usprünglich schon a bisssi Dings, wegen der Stimmung im Roman, einen der ungruseligsten Wege so auf Grauen aufzumascherln. Denn an einem Weinberg ist gar nix gruselig nicht mal mit viel Nebel.

Abgesehen davon, dass die geschilderten Umstände unrealistisch sind, wenn man die Gegebenheiten kennt, schafft es Meyrink jedoch meisterlich, ein bedrohlich waberndes Hintergrundszenario zu kreieren. Was dem Autor zudem außerordentlich genial gelingt, ist es, eine paranoide Hintergrundstimmung in den zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen in die Geschichte einzubauen. Obwohl alle Figuren nicht wirklich sehr bedrohlich agieren und nur hin und wieder a bissi altagsaggressiv sind, spürt ein von Verfolgungswahn geprägter Geist wie die Hauptfigur Pernath sofort die dunklen Mächte und das wird der Leserschaft wirklich sehr glaubwürdig vermittelt.

Meyrink hat mich am Ende also an der Nase rumgeführt und genau meiner Kritik, wie sie sicher auch unter anderen Pragauskennern sehr häufig geäußert wurde, vollständig den Zahn gezogen und sie pulverisiert. Am Ende war alles nur ein paranoider Wahn und ein Hirngespinst, das der Hut von Meister Pernath ausgelöst hat. Der Finder des Hutes geht am Ende des Romans dieselbe Strecke und konstatiert, in der Realität angekommen, genau dasselbe wie ich, dass der beschriebene Weg in jedem Fall total ungruselig ist. Das ist sowas von abgedreht so als hätte der Autor meine ursprüngliche Kritik vorausgeplant, um mich dann auch noch am Nasenring vorzuführen. Das ist ganz große Literatur!

Zu Kritikpunkt 2: Ich kämpfte den ganzen Roman diesem unsäglichen unterschwelligen Antisemitismus, der aus jedem Satz Meyrinks tropft. Da ich aus dieser Zeit bisher fast nur österreichisch-jüdische Literatur gelesen hab (Musil, Roth, Schnitzler…), wo so etwas einfach nicht üblich war, bin ich so einen selbstverständlichen Judenhass überhaupt nicht gewohnt ...das triggert mich immer sehr stark, wiewohl ich natürlich historisch weiß, dass das natürlich in anderen literarischen Werken außerhalb Österreichs durchaus üblich war.

Ich kann auch in historischen Werken mit dem ganz gut versteckten Antisemitismus nix anfangen, da gruselt es mich mehr als bei den gruseligen Beschreibungen. Klar ist Meyrink kein offener glühender Antisemit, aber er bedient vortrefflich verdeckt und ziemlich manipulativ die antisemitischen Codes. Ja, seine fast allesamt jüdischen Figuren frönen dem Selbsthass und es kommt kein einziger Tscheche vor, der offen antisemitische Aussagen tätigt. Aber die den selbsthassenden Figuren zugeschriebenen Eigenschaften sind halt typisch jene, die den Juden vorgeworfen werden: Geiz, Geldgier, heimlicher Reichtum, unerträgliche Hässlichkeit (rote Haare bei Frauen, Hasenscharte und andere Deformationen bei Männern, Judennase), ungesundes Blut, Rücksichtslosigkeit ... .

Das ist für mich insofern problematisch, da ich schon sehr viele Darstellungen jüdischer Schriftsteller von jüdischem Leben gelesen habe und vor dem Holocaust war keine von solchem Selbsthass geprägt, der eben die typischen zugesagten jüdischen Eigenschaften fokussierte, dieser Selbsthass war nur eine Projektion und eine sich selbst erfüllende Prophezeiung, die der Antisemitismus und der Holocaust angerichtet haben. Im Gegenteil, die Wiener Juden des Mittelstands waren um 1900 ein fröhliches großzügiges sehr bildungsbewusstes Völkchen und die chassidischen Juden des Ostens waren tiefreligiöse Menschen auch total ungeizig und nur ein bisschen auf Leiden programmiert. Wenn sie Selbsthass zeigten und im exzessiven Leiden aufgingen wie Joseph Roths Hiob, dann in ganz normalen anderen menschlichen Gebieten. Sie litten so wie alle Menschen ihres Kulturkreises - ich meine nichtjüdische Österreicher, Tschechen und Deutsche - auch am Tod von Kindern, an normalen Krankheiten, an der Armut ohne grausliche Gier und Rücksichtslosigkeit und anschließend natürlich am Krieg.

Meyrink beschreibt ja dieses von antisemitischen Selbsthass-Codes geprägte jüdische Leben nicht aus Innensicht, denn er ist Deutscher - dies ist also erstens eine Zuschreibung und entsprach zumindest vor den Nazis auch nie der Realität. Aus diesem Grund kann ich dieser ganzen auf naiv getrimmten Beschreibung der furchtbaren Zustände in der Judenstadt Prags nicht die gute Absicht des Autors abkaufen. So eine geballte Ladung aus typisch auf jüdisch bösartigen Menschen gab es nirgends, nicht Mal in den ärmsten Vierteln. Eine oder zwei Figuren vielleicht, in jedem nichtjüdischen Wohnviertel gibt es ein paar asoziale Arschlöcher und Verbrecher, aber nicht in dieser Dichte.

Ein kleiner Gedankensprung von mir noch: Was die Konzentrationslager anschließend mit den Juden gemacht haben - nämlich dass sie durch die Folter, den täglichen Überlebenskampf und die psychopathischen Methoden durch die Nazis dazu gebracht wurden, sich genauso zu verhalten, wie man sie vorher immer fälschlich beschrieben hat - beschreibt Edgar Hilsenrath extrem gut in seinem grausam realistischen Roman Nacht. Dass so was aber nicht nur mit Juden, sondern mit allen Menschen funktioniert, beschreibt das Stanford Prison Experiment.

Fazit: Von der sprachlichen und plottechnischen Komposition war das Werk genial, es ist gruselig, spannend und rasant, die Geschichte hält die Leser*innen in den Klauen. So geht Gruselgeschichte literarisch anspruchsvoll und sprachlich auf höchstem Niveau. Die Figuren, wenn sie auch antisemitisch gezeichnet waren, waren psychologisch sehr tief und „liebevoll“ (besser gesagt eigentlich akribisch und schlüssig hasserfüllt) konzipiert. Letztendlich hat sich der Roman bei mir noch auf ca. 3,5 Sterne gedreht, die ich wohlwollend auf 4 aufrunde, oder auch nicht. Muss mir noch überlegen, wie ich heutzutage einen manipulativ versteckten Antisemitismus aus einer Zeit abstrafen bzw. bewerten soll, in der so etwas in der deutschstämmigen, tschechischen und polnischen Bevölkerung normal war. Soll ich literarisch oder inhaltlich emotional urteilen?

P.S: Einen Kritikpunkt habe ich noch an die Adresse des Reclam Verlages. Das Hintergrundmaterial, das sonst immer im Verlag üblich z.B. bei den Schnitzler Werken außerordentlich umfangreich, erhellend und großartig beigefügt wurde, fehlt diesmal völlig. Wahrscheinlich weil der Roman eh schon so lang ist. Trotzdem vermisse ich schmerzlich einen Prager Stadtplan mit den Stationen der Geschichte, so wie im Leutnant Gustl und eine Einordnung des Romans in die Zeit, so wie bei den restlichen Schnitzler Werken. Den typischen umfangreichen Anhang in den schmaleren Reclam Bänden empfinde ich nämlich nicht als Lückenfüller, sondern als echte Notwendigkeit und Bereicherung.

[Martin Iguaran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lo encontré muy aburrido. Personajes apenas descriptos, tramos en que se vuelve difícil distinguir si se habla del presente o el pasado, el Golem que en realidad nunca ocupa un espacio significativo en la narración, y un villano que aglutina absolutamente todos los estereotipos anti-semitas. Quizás otras personas lo encuentren entretenido, pero no fue mi caso.

[Tanabrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro strano, quasi a due volti.
A tratti scorre bene e fa interessare alla storia di Athanesius Pernath nel quartiere ebraico di Vienna, tra i suoi problemi personali legati al suo passato e l'intricata ragnatela di vendette in cui si ritrova suo malgrado invischiato, e a tratti invece colpisce in testa il lettore con fumosi capitoli che ondeggiano tra l'onirico e il mistico più sfrenati.

Non stupisce leggere in calce al romanzo che l'autore si era a lungo interessato all'occultismo diventandone un esperto, né il ritrovare nella sua vita situazioni che vagamente richiamano scene del libro (come l'ingiusta detenzione preventiva, per dirne una, o i pensieri suicidi).
Però tutti questi vaghi accenni cabalistici e mistici, che attingono a piene mani dalla spiritualità e dalle tradizioni più arcane ebraiche, privi di qualsiasi spiegazione o approfondimento risultano solo nebulosi e incomprensibili per il lettore digiuno di un'infarinatura nel campo dell'occulto.

E così si ritorna ai due volti del romanzo.
Alle parti occulte che inizialmente uno cerca di seguire immaginandosi una loro rilevanza nella trama, salvo poi perdersi tra simbolismi, nomi e allusioni, e alle parti di storia vera e propria, alla povertà vera o fittizia nel quartiere, agli amori e agli odi, al bene e al male, al degrado e alla nobiltà.

Peccato che l'interesse per la seconda vena presente nel libro (e no, il fatto che la voce narrante non sia affidabile, l'oniricità del tutto e il finale non mi sono affatto dispiaciuti, anzi!, così come certe scene confuse ma che generano un'ottima atmosfera degna di Lovecraft) sia controbilanciato dalla confusione che poi sfocia in fastidio e poi in noia della prima vena ampollosamente mistica, che spinge invece al disinteresse,

Combattuto tra l'interesse e la noia, alla fine non posso che dare una valutazione mediana al libro.
Probabilmente servono diverse conoscenze nel campo del mistico rispetto alle mie, per poterlo pienamente apprezzare...

[S̶e̶a̶n̶ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gustav Meyrink's unique infusion of Kabbalism and the Wandering Jew mythos into the Golem legend can get murky at times, but in light of the author's own divided spiritual pursuits it makes sense that clarity remains elusive. As an early fictional reflection of this restless search for inner truth, the book is not as evenly developed as Meyrink's later occult tour de force The Angel of the West Window. Thus, this novel is at times episodic in nature (it was originally published in serial form), alternately dwelling on various possible explanations for what is going on, while only tangentially maintaining contact with the overarching narrative. Though it comes full circle in a manner of speaking, it is still deliberately vague in its conclusion. One can imagine then the narrator placing his own hat back on his head and continuing forth—reinvigorated in his exploration of what dwells within and paying close attention to dreams throughout his ongoing search for hidden truth.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Con ‘El Golem’ no hay término medio. O la consideras una obra capital dentro del gótico del siglo XX, o la desprecias sin más, teniéndola por una novela enrevesada y pesada. Yo soy de los primeros. Al principio, y sin tener mucha idea de lo que me iba a encontrar, pensaba leer una historia de terror con la figura del mito del Golem de la literatura judía como tema principal. Y no es así, porque el terror brilla por su ausencia. Es posible que este sea uno de los principales motivos por los que la gran mayoría de lectores se lleven una decepción una vez metidos en su lectura, ya que esperan algo que no llega a surgir nunca, además de encontrarse con una prosa llena de simbolismos.

La novela tiene como protagonista a Athanasius Pernath y transcurre en el gueto de Praga, tal vez a finales del siglo XIX. Entre sueños y alucinaciones, donde es difícil distinguir qué es real, Meyrink nos va adentrando más y más en esa Praga oscura de la mano de Pernath y de los demás personajes secundarios, mezclando sus historias tal como van surgiendo, espontáneamente. Pero lo que puede parecer confuso para el lector, realmente lo que hace es crear una atmósfera de tal intensidad que es imposible no seguir con obsesión la historia de Pernath, que transcurre entre edificios con entradas secretas, personajes que buscan venganza, amantes con oscuros secretos, amigos que no lo son tanto y enemigos ruines, y todo ello le sucede a un Pernath que no recuerda muy bien su pasado y que deambula por un presente que le sobrepasa.

Sin lugar a dudas, ‘El Golem’, publicado en 1915, es un libro que no deja indiferente a nadie. Seguramente no sea una lectura para todo el mundo y tenga un tipo de lector específico, pero si logras adentrarte en sus páginas, llenas de imágenes poderosas, el recuerdo que deja es imborrable.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"La vida ya es demasiado triste como para amargarla además con odio."

La obra nos introducirá en la vida de un hombre sin recuerdos. El escenario, antiguo guetto de praga, oscuro y lúgubre.

Todo comienza con la aparición de un extraño sombrero, lo que nos adentrará en la vida del maestro Pernath, quién poco recuerda de su pasado, pero resulta que estos recuerdos irán volviendo a él, confundiendo su realidad y creando un escenario onírico muy caótico, con sentimientos de venganza, crimenes y extraños pasadizos que formarán parte de lo que nos relata nuestro protagonista.

En este proceso en el que va tomando conciencia de su pasado, los sueños y pensamientos de nuestro protagonista se van introduciendo espontáneamente en la trama, y algo similar sucede con los personajes, van apareciendo con muy poca presentación.

Una historia gótica plagada de misterio, simbolismos, surrealismo, escenarios oníricos y elementos sobrenaturales.

La prosa del autor es exquisita, muy elegante y cuidada. Utiliza el escenario, situaciones y al protagonista de forma tan prolija que hace muy adictiva la novela e incita a saber más de él, de su búsqueda y de su extraña situación.

No es un libro que genere miedo, pero la situación que se narra es inquietante, manteniendo un alto nivel de expectación y tensión a través del manejo de lo onírico, creando una atmósfera de misterio de principio a fin.
Si leen este libro en busca de la gran criatura de la leyenda judía en plena acción, no es lo que encontrarán, aquí el golem es más la representación de algo.

La ilustradora Chilena Alejandra Acosta es tremenda artista y las ilustraciones de este libro son una maravilla, con un nivel de detalles impresionante.

[Özgür Atmaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batı Penceresin'den sonra korkarak başladığım Golem'den az önce mutlu bir şekilde ayrıldım. Gerçekten bu bunalımlı okuma dönemimde kabalası, ezoterizmi ve yahudilerin inanışınınn kalıplaşmış söylem - efsaneleriyle başka bir dünyaya taşıdı.
Ortaçağ kokulu Prag sokaklarında geçen bu tarihi ve çok katmanlı anlatıyı, mistisizm atmosferli karanlık severler gönül rahatlığıyla okusunlar efendim.
Saygılar.

[Kuszma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vérbeli misztikus kalandregény mindennel, ami a műfaj kötelező eleme: akad itt szerelem, gyilkosság, ármány, kabbalista titkok, rohangálás sötét sikátorokban, ártatlanok szenvedése és gonoszok démoni kacaja. Ugyanakkor van valami, ami az egészet igazán ínyenceknek való csemegévé teszi: az elbeszélő, Pernath figurája, aki mintha ébren álmodná végig a rohanó cselekményt. A megbízhatatlan krónikás iskolapéldája, nem csak rettentő egzaltáltsága okán, hanem azért is, mert nem emlékszik a saját múltjára (ami mondjuk lehet, engem is egzaltálttá tenne), annyit mindenesetre sejt, hogy nemrégiben egy bolondokháza vendégszeretetét élvezte – ezért is bánnak ismerősei vele úgy, akár a hímes tojással. Ő bolyong keresztül-kasul a hátborzongató, gótikusan szürreális prágai gettón, miközben a zsidó mitológia ősszörnye a sötétből fen rá fogat. Persze ez az egész voltaképpen egy metafora: a prágai gettó az elme labirintusának tükörképe, Pernath abban vetődik ide-oda, a Gólem pedig, aki egy ajtók nélküli szobában gubbaszt arra várva, hogy kitörhessen, alighanem Pernath őrülete maga. Meyrink példásan adagolja a miszticizmust, a pszichologizálást és az atmoszférát, aminek csodásan áll az expresszionista máz, jó ez a könyv, jó benne lenni, jó járni az azóta porrá omlott prágai gettó szűk utcáit, és közben fülelni: mi ez? Csak nem lépteket hallunk? Csak nem...

És jön a Gólem.

Jön a Gólem.

A Gólem.

(Mit találtam, miközben képeket kerestem az értékelésekhez? Hát ezt.

Hm, hát már gólem is. Különös, hogy a kormányzati propaganda ezt még így nem kapta fel.)

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good and memorable Gothic tale, that is only loosely based on the original 16th-century Golem of Prague narrative, although this one's also set in Prague (at the present time of publication, 1915 or some 33 years earlier). If you're not put off by mysticism–Jewish and otherwise–I recommend you check it out. It definitely has literary value! I'd put it somewhere in the vicinity of Poe and Kafka, with a little Lovecraft in the mix. It's a quick read, and the ending is, although not entirely unexpected, that of a good short story. I like that, and I will definitely check out more by Gustay Meyrink.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

[Maria Thomarey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5
«Τα όνειρα είναι μια δεύτερη ζωή» Νερβαλ
Καθώς διάβαζα το Γκολεμ, σκεφτόμουν τον Γάλλο συγγραφέα Νερβαλ και συγκεκριμένα το βιβλίο του Αυρήλια . Κι όμως θεωρητικά τον Γκολεμ ανήκει στην κατηγορία :βιβλία τρόμου . Κι όμως δεν είναι .
Πριν δω το βιογραφικό του Μειρινγκ , ήμουν σίγουρη πως ήταν γιατρός και μάλιστα ψυχίατρος . .
Γιατί; Γιατί στο βιβλίο είναι σαν να ψυχανάλυση τους ήρωες και την πόλη . .
Μια πόλη τυφλών στην κακιά και στην διαφθορά , στην πείνα και στο ψέμα .
Αυτή είναι η όμορφη αλλά σκοτεινή και επικυνδινη Πράγα , η γεμάτη ομορφιά και αχρειότητα .
Η Πράγα είναι το Γκολεμ.
Υγ Δεν θα μπω στη λογική να μιλήσω για το ότι το Γκολέμ είναι το πρόπλασμα -ο μύθος βασικά του Γκολέμ είναι το πρόπλασμα -για όλα τα βιβλία ή τις ταινίες που ασχολουνται με ανθρώπους που γίνονται θεοί και δημιουργούν πλάσματα ή μηχανές (ρομπότ). Αυτά θα τα βρείτε στην εισαγωγή

[Simona B · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

“I could sense that there are things, incomprehensible things, which are yoked together and race along side by side like blind horses, not knowing where their course is taking them.

And in the Ghetto: a chamber, a room to which no one can find the entrance, and a shadowy being that lives there, occasionally feeling its way through the streets to sow terror and panic among men.”

The Golem is not a book about golems, not the original one nor any other kind. As a literary work, it is strongly imbued with the idiosyncrasies of its time, which makes it not exactly the ideal pick as a beach read. I have read somewhere it has been described as elliptic, and as far as I'm concerned, there is really no better word for it: The Golem is dense with symbolism, doubles, dreams that maybe are visions that maybe are dreams, and rather than the story of a monster or the story of a man, it actually tells the story of a psyche. The fascination it holds mainly has to do with its dreamlike quality, its deeply disturbing atmosphere, and the feeling that nothing of what is being told deserves your unconditional belief. What this book is, is unreliable, precisely because it confronts the reader with the unbridgeable gulf separating reality, the way reality is perceived, and the powerful but ultimately fleeting words used to describe either of those things.

From this perspective, The Golem is scary, maybe one of the scariest things I have ever read. And personally, I love me a good dose of healthy relativism from time to time, but, while recurrent symbols and patterns helped giving it some cohesion, I found this book to be far too dispersive for my tastes. For the life of me, I couldn't keep myself focused, and unsurprisingly, even though I was prepared for a challenging read, this ruined it for me. I experienced The Golem as a bundle of loose threads, and I certainly did not want that. Still, Meyrink's debut is such an unusual piece of work, so distant from what I normally go for, that it nonetheless turned out quite an interesting experiment.