Document Type

Review

Publication Date

9-8-2018

Department 1

English

Department 2

Judaic Studies

Abstract

The golem crosses many borders. A popular culture icon and an enduring image of creative power, its hybridity contributes to its elusive nature. What it is and what it means shifts over time. Maya Barzilai's Golem: Modern Wars and Their Monsters takes a unique approach. Deeply interdisciplinary, as one must be to explore such a complex and paradoxical figure, and drawing on religious, literary, cinematic, and historical contexts, Barzilai weaves a rich tapestry of golem narratives. All the while, Barzilai keeps a clear eye on the golem's ongoing association with war, seeing its birth in the clay trenches of World War One and tracing its later evolution as emblematic of nuclear weapons, computer technology, and Israeli military policy.

Version

Post-print

ISBN/ISSN

1948-5077

Required Publisher's Statement

The article can also be found on the publisher's website: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/702761#info_wrap

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