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A review by andrew61
The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk
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.
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.