![]() ![]() It is a sort-of extended philosophical inquiry about life as a quest for knowledge, and the story of Jacob Frank (and his followers and detractors), rendered through a series of mythic narratives, epic in scope and rich in historical detail, becomes a universal tale of the struggle against rigid, religious thinking that fuels fanatical sectarianism and violence. ![]() Displaying a dazzling virtuosity and thematic richness, the novel is a work of immense erudition that celebrates the gifts of reading, writing and language, and cultures rich in tradition. Revolving around the controversial 18th century Polish-Jewish religious leader and mystic Jacob Frank (prophet? new messiah? dangerous heretic?), the novel is a monumental recreation of the lost world of 18 th century Poland, transpiring over 50 years, 7 borders, 5 languages, and 3 major religions. When Olga Tokarczuk won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Nobel committee lauded her “narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life,” and especially cited her magnum opus, The Books of Jacob. ![]()
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