Research Catalog
The books of Jacob, or: A fantastic journey across seven borders, five languages, and three major religions, not counting the minor sects. Told by the dead, supplemented by the author, drawing from a range of books, and aided by imagination, the which being the greatest natural gift of any person. That the wise might have it for a record, that my compatriots reflect, laypersons gain some understanding, and melancholy souls obtain some slight enjoyment
- Title
- The books of Jacob, or: A fantastic journey across seven borders, five languages, and three major religions, not counting the minor sects. Told by the dead, supplemented by the author, drawing from a range of books, and aided by imagination, the which being the greatest natural gift of any person. That the wise might have it for a record, that my compatriots reflect, laypersons gain some understanding, and melancholy souls obtain some slight enjoyment / Olga Tokarczuk ; translated by Jennifer Croft.
- Author
- Tokarczuk, Olga, 1962-
- Publication
- New York : Riverhead Books, 2022.
- ©2021
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| Status | Format | Access | Call Number | Item Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Schwarzman Building to submit a request in person. | Text | Use in library | JFE 22-2178 | Schwarzman Building - Main Reading Room 315 |
Details
- Additional Authors
- Croft, Jennifer (Translator)
- Description
- [964] pages : illustrations, map; 25 cm
- Summary
- "In the mid-eighteenth century, as new ideas -- and a new unrest -- begin to sweep the Continent, a young Jew of mysterious origins arrives in a village in Poland. Before long, he has changed not only his name but his persona; visited by what seem to be ecstatic experiences, Jacob Frank casts a charismatic spell that attracts an increasingly fervent following. In the decade to come, Frank will traverse the Hapsburg and Ottoman empires with throngs of disciples in his thrall as he reinvents himself again and again, converts to Islam and then Catholicism, is pilloried as a heretic and revered as the Messiah, and wreaks havoc on the conventional order, Jewish and Christian alike, with scandalous rumors of his sect's secret rituals and the spread of his increasingly iconoclastic beliefs. The story of Frank -- a real historical figure around whom mystery and controversy swirl to this day -- is the perfect canvas for the genius and unparalleled reach of Olga Tokarczuk. Narrated through the perspectives of his contemporaries -- those who revere him, those who revile him, the friend who betrays him, the lone woman who sees him for what he is -- "The Books of Jacob" captures a world on the cusp of precipitous change, searching for certainty and longing for transcendence"--
- Uniform Title
- Księgi Jakubowe. English
- Ksieg̜i Jakubowe. English.
- Alternative Title
- Księgi Jakubowe.
- Subject
- Frank, Jacob, approximately 1726-1791 > Fiction
- Frank, Jacob, approximately 1726-1791
- 1700-1799
- Jewish messianic movements > Europe > History > 18th century > Fiction
- FICTION / Cultural Heritage
- FICTION / World Literature / Poland
- FICTION / Biographical
- Jewish messianic movements
- Poland > History > 18th century > Fiction
- Europe
- Poland
- Genre/Form
- Historical fiction.
- Biographical fiction.
- Fiction.
- History.
- Note
- Pages are numbered backward starting with 964 and ending with 2.
- Originally published in Poland as Ksieg̜i Jakubowe by Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków, in 2014. English language edition first published in Great Britain by Fitzcarraldo Editions, London, in 2021.
- Bibliography (note)
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 7-5).
- Awards (note)
- Noble Prize in Literature, 2018
- Contents
- Prologue -- I. The book of fog -- II. The book of sand -- III. The book of the road -- IV. The book of the comet -- V. The book of metal and sulfur -- VI. The book of the distant country -- VII. The book of names.
- Call Number
- JFE 22-2178
- ISBN
- 9780593087480
- 0593087488
- 9780593332528
- 0593332520
- LCCN
- 2021020020
- OCLC
- 1249712027
- Author
- Tokarczuk, Olga, 1962- author.
- Title
- The books of Jacob, or: A fantastic journey across seven borders, five languages, and three major religions, not counting the minor sects. Told by the dead, supplemented by the author, drawing from a range of books, and aided by imagination, the which being the greatest natural gift of any person. That the wise might have it for a record, that my compatriots reflect, laypersons gain some understanding, and melancholy souls obtain some slight enjoyment / Olga Tokarczuk ; translated by Jennifer Croft.
- Publisher
- New York : Riverhead Books, 2022.
- Copyright Date
- ©2021
- Edition
- First American edition.
- Type of Content
- text
- Type of Medium
- unmediated
- Type of Carrier
- volume
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 7-5).
- Awards
- Noble Prize in Literature, 2018
- Chronological Term
- 1700-1799
- Added Author
- Croft, Jennifer (Translator), translator.
- Added Title
- Ksieg̜i Jakubowe. English.
- Other Editions:
- Reproduction of (manifestation): Tokarczuk, Olga, 1962- Books of Jacob. Melbourne, Vic. : Text Publishing, 2021 9781922330680
- Other Form:
- Online version: Tokarczuk, Olga, 1962- Books of Jacob. First American edition. New York : Riverhead Books, 2022 9780593087497 (DLC) 2021020021
- Research Call Number
- JFE 22-2178