The Swedish Academy that awarded Olga Tokarczuk the Nobel Prize for Literature called The Books of Jacob her magnum opus. It is certainly a stupendous novel at almost 1000 pages, carefully researched, minute in detail, taking on such subjects as the nature of religion, forgiveness, the interconnectedness of things. It is a dense historical novel about a real figure in history, Jacob Frank, the head of an odd religion, a Jewish heresy.
Frank emerges from another Jewish heresy, a group called the Shabbatians, who believe the Messiah has already come and therefore according to teachings, the Mosaic law is broken. The new law, according to Frank, is whatever he says to do. This story is told from multiple perspectives, notably that of Nahman, one of his earlier followers, who attempts to document his life and beliefs.
The movement, which begins in the mid-18th century, is formed mostly of Shabbatians, some of whom are merchants but others of whom are very poor. Frank’s teachings seem to consist mostly of story telling, but as with other cult leaders, one big feature is the sexual exploitation of women, first by all of them sucking a woman’s breast and later by Jacob assigning men partners even from the unmarried girls. You can guess that Frank is charismatic.
This fantastic story follows this group of people, which gets larger and larger, first from southeastern Poland down to Turkey, where Jacob briefly converts to Islam, then back to Lwow in Poland. There, they are attacked by the Talmudic Jews until from revenge they tell the authorities that it’s true that Jews use Christian blood in their rites, a lie that ends in the execution of 14 Jews, including rabbis.
After fleeing Poland again, Jacob decides that their route lies with conversion to Christianity, an act that he can justify with teachings but that also has the end goal of the members being allowed to own land and gain other honors denied them as Jews. Although the path is not always smooth and a lot more traveling ensues, the upward mobility of the group after that decision is phenomenal. Ultimately, Jacob becomes an intimate of the King of the Habsburg Empire.
The research that this novel reflects is phenomenal. As a reader, I was often enthralled but reluctantly had to put up with some deep philosophical discussions, including deeply confusing ones about numbers, since some of the members are kabbalists. The most difficult part of it, though, was the sheer number of characters, especially Frank’s followers. I was keeping up okay until they converted and all changed their names. Then I was usually lost.
I wouldn’t recommend this book as the first you read by Tokarczuk, and it’s certainly not an easy read, but it’s a fascinating story.
whatmeread 
That book is an undertaking, for sure! It’s on my vague list of “books that intimidate the heck out of me, but that I’d like to tackle someday…”
Since you recommend not starting Tokarczuk’s work with this one, is there one you would recommend?
I really enjoyed Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead, despite its creepy title.
I grabbed that one last year while it was on a kindlebook super sale, so that seems like a logical place for me to start, as well.
Good idea!
I think this book, Flights, and Drive Your Bones are the only books by her so far that have been translated from Polish. But this information could be out of date.
Well done, that’s a marathon read, I’ve only read Drive Your Plow which I thought was brilliant.
Yes, I did, too!
I enjoyed Drive your … and have heard that this might be her best. Although, I am aware it is a thick book, and you confirm it is not an easy read. I might get to it one day.
I don’t know if I would call it her best as much as ambitious. Only three of her books have been translated into English, so I have no way of knowing what else she wrote.
1000 pages is quite an undertaking! It does sound interesting, though – maybe I’ll get to it one day.
It was a long time spent with one book!
Once upon a time I would buy books on their size. The bigger it was the more likely I was to buy it! Not so much any more.
Thanks for sharing your review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge!
This was a big one!