The Dyke and the Dybbuk

by Ellen Galford

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Description

Dybbuk Kokos, a soul-stealing demon of Jewish folklore, is freed after 200 years trapped inside a tree. She seeks the descendant of the woman she was to haunt long ago--but finds the unexpected in Rainbow Rosenbloom.

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anonymous user You WILL love it. Trust me.

Member Reviews

5 reviews
This is a lot of fun. Rainbow Rosenbloom is a lesbian, a London taxi driver, and a non-observant Jew. She's also the great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of a woman who jilted her lover two centuries back. Kokos is a dybbuk who's been contracted to possess the female descendants of that woman - although, having been stuck in a tree for the past two centuries, Rainbow is the first one she's got to. Hilarity, as they say, ensues.

I enjoyed the glimpses of lesbian London (with the exception of the biphobia), and Jewish London, and the intersection of the two, in the early 90s. Beyond that, it reminded me of nothing so much as Good Omens in its portrayal of a supernatural bureaucracy which is all too reminiscent of the earthly show more sort. Kokos is an engaging if unreliable narrator, and the ending has a satisfying twist (though the direction the plot takes to get there feels a bit forced and melodramatic).

Good fun, though with a hefty dose of fridge horror.
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Very entertaining, especially for readers who know anything about lesbian culture, movies, or Judaism -- and hilarious for those who know about all three.
A delightful book, as are all of Ellen Galford's books. Laugh-out-loud funny.
½
the occasional laugh but really too silly.
½

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Jewish Women's Fiction
2 works; 1 member

Author Information

Author
22+ Works 1,665 Members

Awards and Honors

Common Knowledge

Original publication date
1993
People/Characters
Dybbuk
Important places
London, England, UK
Dedication
For Ellen Kelly,

and for all the aunts and cousins

of the Lowenstein clan
First words
If planet Earth slips off its axis tomorrow, put the blame on Rainbow Rosenbloom.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Count on that.

Classifications

Genres
LGBTQ+, Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Fantasy, Horror
DDC/MDS
823.914Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction1900-1901-19991945-1999
LCC
PR6057 .A383 .D95Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish Literature1961-2000
BISAC

Statistics

Members
267
Popularity
120,036
Reviews
4
Rating
½ (3.56)
Languages
English
Media
Paper
ISBNs
4
ASINs
3