The Swedish Academy called Olga Tokarczuk’s “The Books of Jacob” her magnum opus when they awarded her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2018.  We will be reading this great historical novel based on the life of the real self-proclaimed messiah Jacob Frank.  The novel itself was also shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker prize for fiction translated into English.  It has been described as a “… vastly eccentric novel … sophisticated and ribald, and brimming with folk wit” as well as “Just as awe-inspiring as the Nobel judges claimed … Miraculously entertaining and consistently fascinating.”  Don’t let the 965 pages of this novel intimidate you, because our adventure through the world of Jewish messiahs and mysticism, the Polish, Ottoman, and Hapsburg Empires of the 18th century, alchemy, and life in a cult will keep us continuously entertained.  As the subtitle of the novel declares, join us for “A fantastic journey across seven borders, five languages, and three major religions, not counting the minor sects.”  We will read 90-100 pages of the novel each week, which we will then discuss in class.