Reviews

Me gustó muchísimo este libro; es mi primera vez leyéndome un libro tan largo y más encima histórico. Siento que necesito releerlo en un tiempo que pueda dedicarle todo el tiempo posible, quizá en físico para mejor observar las imágenes y poder tomar apuntes para no perderme tanto. A pesar de mis grandes hiatuses entre lecturas, amé la narración, la constelación de personajes, la vista a la religión y a la historia; quiero leer más de la autora.

andrew61's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I am still trying to digest this remarkable piece of writing.
The story is of a charismatic Jewish man, Jacob Frank in 18th century Poland who become leader of a cult that believe he is the next messiah and leads his followers to convert the Christianity. Told over 900 pages ( which are numbered backwards) it is told in the voices of the people around him as they observe his progress from a young boy who disappears in a local cave to an elderly man lashing out at those who surround him as he face death. These voices are diverse including his local aristocratic sponsor, a female poet, a book loving priest, franks chronolger, and his grandmother who on her death bed takes a spell into her mouth and lives in spirit forever overseeing the life of her grandson.
In between he builds such a following that they create a small town and he appears to begin to abuse his control.
Frank , who was a real character is unlikeable but the cult of the messiah is compelling in a society where anti-Semitism is rife informed by misconceptions of religion including the belief that Jews sacrifice gentile babies for their beliefs leading to persecution.
Like a similar messiah Sabbatai Zevi, who converted to Islam, the basis of Frank's ideology was a conversion from Judaism while retaining their customs and beliefs and among scenes that are described vividly are the mass baptisms that occur.
Frank quickly however is denounced and following a trial in which one of his followers betrays him he is imprisoned for many years although quickly exploits his monastic jailors.
This book was a slow but rewarding read as it explored a period of history I knew little about but the issues still permeate through the centuries both in terms of the creation of states in Eastern Europe but also the tolerance or otherwise of religion.