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reggiewoods's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Jacob Frank was an 18th century Polish Jew who claimed to be the messiah and started a religious movement that managed to piss off pretty much everyone that wasn’t a follower of his. I had never heard of Jacob Frank before this book, so I don’t know how accurate Tokarczuk’s account is, but it is indeed both epic and detailed. The only problem I had with this book happens to be a big one: I did not find Jacob Frank to be anything special. I don’t know if this is a failure of the author, the translator, or my own inherent skepticism, but nothing about Jacob ever helped me understand why people would see him as a prophet or messiah. Otherwise it is a solid book by a terrific author. I recommend it to fans of historical fiction, religious history, and epics.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Violence, Infidelity, Death, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pregnancy, Antisemitism, and Adult/minor relationship
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