From the Bookshelf of Reading the Chunksters…

The Books of Jacob

Olga Tokarczuk,

Jennifer Croft (Translator)

Start date: February 15, 2023

Discussion: The Books of Jacob

Discussion leader: Hugh

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The Books of Jacob

Books of Jacob - whole book spoiler thread
By Hugh · 6 posts · 21 views

last updated Jul 14, 2023 04:09AM

Books of Jacob week 4
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What Members Thought

May 18, 2023 meaningless reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adventure, otherworldly, holy, cosmic, favorites

quickly: it’s a jewish cult in 1700’s poland (an astral traveling matriarch accidentally floating above all of existence / a man who prides himself on being no one and knowing nothing, a simpleton, yet attracts followers from all over / prophetesses who see prophecies fulfilled / sects that are cults that are sects that are cults / a security detail made entirely of women).

this book is as long as life, and just as monotonous, which is what makes it all the more enriching. it is truly a world and quickly: it’s a jewish cult in 1700’s poland (an astral traveling matriarch accidentally floating above all of existence / a man who prides himself on being no one and knowing nothing, a simpleton, yet attracts followers from all over / prophetesses who see prophecies fulfilled / sects that are cults that are sects that are cults / a security detail made entirely of women).

this book is as long as life, and just as monotonous, which is what makes it all the more enriching. it is truly a world and a time, encapsulated in 961 pages. it is a true story, with a thin glaze of magical realism drizzled on top. it reads like the bible (or should i say the Torah), slow, dry, and impactful. it is crowded, like a city street during lunch hour, but if you follow Yente and Jacob through the story, you’ll never get lost.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

more thoughts: SPOILERS

(view spoiler)

A SECRET: There are really only two names to keep up with in the story. Yente, and Jacob. Yente is easy to remember… she is Jacob’s grandmother, and she is also the sky, the wind, the air, and the ether. She is everywhere at all times, at any time, like God. So it’s hard to lose her in the story. Then there’s Jacob. The star upon which all other stars orbit and constellate. If you watch them throughout the pages, all others move around him, forming the loose, lingering, and prescient story arc that only life can form. Everyone else can be identified by their actions.

https://lifesarchive.tumblr.com/post/... ...more

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Jan 09, 2025 Sasha Bogdanov rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Such good historical fiction! This book inspired me to research 18th-century Poland, Judaism, and Christianity in ways I never would have otherwise. It’s also filled with so many beautifully written passages.

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