It is Tokarczuk's ninth novel and is the product of extensive historical research, taking her seven years to write. That the Wise Might Have It for a Record, That My Compatriots Reflect, Laypersons Gain Some Understanding, and Melancholy Souls Obtain Some Slight Enjoyment. The Books of Jacob (Polish: Ksigi Jakubowe) is an epic historical novel by Olga Tokarczuk, published by Wydawnictwo Literackie in October 2014. 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. 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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