That the Wise Might Have It for a Record, That My Compatriots Reflect, Laypersons Gain Some Understanding, and Melancholy Souls Obtain Some Slight Enjoyment. An epic historical fiction that spans the. The Books of Jacob is a historical novel based on a real-life figure, Jacob Frank, who, in 1750s Poland declared himself the Messiah. 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. Nobel Laureate Olga Tokarczuk's Magnum Opus has been translated from the Polish by Jennifer Croft. Deep breath: “A Fantastic Journey Across Seven Borders, Five Languages, and Three Major Religions, Not Counting the Minor Sects. Even its voluminous subtitle is a witty expression of Tokarczuk’s irrepressible, omnivorous reach. “The Books of Jacob” is finally available here in a wondrous English translation by Jennifer Croft, and it’s just as awe-inspiring as the Nobel judges claimed when they praised Tokarczuk for showing “the supreme capacity of the novel to represent a case almost beyond human understanding.” In terms of its scope and ambition, “The Books of Jacob” is beyond anything else I’ve ever read. But nothing should overshadow Tokarczuk’s literary presence in the United States now.
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