The Books of Jacob

A Novel

By: Olga Tokarczuk, Jennifer Croft - translator

Narrated by: Allen Lewis Rickman, Gilli Messer

A NEW YORKER “ESSENTIAL READ”

“Just as awe-inspiring as the Nobel judges claimed.” – The Washington Post

“Olga Tokarczuk is one of our greatest living fiction writers. . . This could well be a decade-defining book akin to Bolaño’s 2666.” –AV Club

“Sophisticated and ribald and brimming with folk wit. . . The comedy in this novel blends, as it does in life, with genuine tragedy.” –Dwight Garner, The New York Times

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, TIME, THE NEW YORKER, AND NPR

The Nobel Prize–winner’s richest, most sweeping and ambitious novel yet follows the comet-like rise and fall of a mysterious, messianic religious leader as he blazes his way across eighteenth-century Europe.

In the mid-eighteenth century, as new ideas—and a new unrest—begin to sweep the Continent, a young Jew of mysterious origins arrives in a village in Poland. Before long, he has changed not only his name but his persona; visited by what seem to be ecstatic experiences, Jacob Frank casts a charismatic spell that attracts an increasingly fervent following. In the decade to come, Frank will traverse the Hapsburg and Ottoman empires with throngs of disciples in his thrall as he reinvents himself again and again, converts to Islam and then Catholicism, is pilloried as a heretic and revered as the Messiah, and wreaks havoc on the conventional order, Jewish and Christian alike, with scandalous rumors of his sect’s secret rituals and the spread of his increasingly iconoclastic beliefs. The story of Frank—a real historical figure around whom mystery and controversy swirl to this day—is the perfect canvas for the genius and unparalleled reach of Olga Tokarczuk. Narrated through the perspectives of his contemporaries—those who revere him, those who revile him, the friend who betrays him, the lone woman who sees him for what he is—The Books of Jacob captures a world on the cusp of precipitous change, searching for certainty and longing for transcendence.

In a nod to books written in Hebrew, The Books of Jacob is paginated in reverse, beginning on p. 955 and ending on p. 1 – but read traditionally, front cover to back.

Sometimes tedious but well worth the effort

All cults are the same. In the 18th century, one sociopath led a multitude of Jewish followers through Eastern Europe. He trafficked women and girls, took money from his faithful and promised fulfilment through his own form of decadence. The history of Jacob Frank is told in the voices of his followers. Some of these members were brilliant and unndeserving of the abuse heaped upon them. I wanted to scream at them for masochistiically allowing Frank to destroy their individuality. But nobody twisted their arms. The biggest tragedy I felt was the destructon of his daughter.

Religion is a hoax and a way to hurt outsiders.

A sprawling and engrossing historical novel

I loved this book because of its vast scope and range. It centers on a mid-18th century time of political and religious upheaval in Eastern Europe, specifically around the messianic aspirations of one Polish Jewish man, Jacob Frank, and his followers. But that description does not do justice to the involvement of priests, princes, archbishops, generals, mystics and common people moving from what is now Germany east as far as the Muslim cities of the Ottoman empire and back again. With a couple of dozen or so main characters and a hundred or more secondary ones, extending over 3 or 4 generations in families, I found it useful to refer now and again to a reference list of characters I found online. But that small extra effort was worth it to read this Tolstoyan masterpiece and to go on this long, engrossing ride. Narrators both are excellent. Highly recommended.

Amazing book

The story based on historical events is full of richly developed characters. The narrators are unbelievably good.

Incredible historical fiction

Intricate story of cross cultures, religions and geographical locations. I was amazed by a matter of fact description of woman abuse, which was clearly a common practice back in the 18th century.

A truly gorgeous noble

This is a magnificent work of art. A mix of history, culture, magic realism. The narration is superb highly recommended.