Jan Miklas-Frankowski
University of Gdańsk
The Transgressive Messiah: Jakub Frank and his Followers in
Olga Tokarczuk’s Novel ‘The Book of Jacob’
Olga Tokarczuk, one of the best Polish novelist and the most often translated Polish author, wrote in
2014 ‘The Book of Jacob’ based on the life of Jakub Frank. The novel in 2015 won the Nike Award,
the most prestigious Polish literary award. The story is set in 1752. The mysterious newcomer from
Smyrna begins to preach ideas that quickly introduce discord into the Jewish community. Jakub
Lejbowicz Frank announces that he is the Messiah, which marks the birth of heresy within Judaism
that later will be called Frankism. His messianic mission symbolically starts near the grave of Nathan
of Gaza in Skopje. As the Messiah he taught his followers to disregard limitations of tradition, dogma
and custom. In expectation of the great Messianic revolution they rejected the Torah and the Talmud
in favor of Kabbalah and incorporated from Christianity the concept of Trinity and the Virgin. Later
Frank proclaims himself as direct successor to Sabbatai Sevi and convert with his followers to
Catholicism. My paper will be an attempt at representing literally vision of transgression of Frank
heresy in Tokarczuk’s ‘The Book of Jacob’.
The Transgressive Messiah: Jakub Frank and his Followers in Olga Tokarczuk’s Novel ‘The Book of Jacob’
Olga Tokarczuk, one of the best Polish novelist and the most often translated Polish author, wrote in 2014 ‘The Book of Jacob’ based on the life of Jakub Frank. The novel in 2015 won the Nike Award, the most prestigious Polish literary award. The story is set in 1752. The mysterious newcomer from Smyrna begins to preach ideas that quickly introduce discord into the Jewish community. Jakub Lejbowicz Frank announces that he is the Messiah, which marks the birth of heresy within Judaism that later will be called Frankism. His messianic mission symbolically starts near the grave of Nathan of Gaza in Skopje. As the Messiah he taught his followers to disregard limitations of tradition, dogma and custom. In expectation of the great Messianic revolution they rejected the Torah and the Talmud in favor of Kabbalah and incorporated from Christianity the concept of Trinity and the Virgin. Later Frank proclaims himself as direct successor to Sabbatai Sevi and convert with his followers to Catholicism. My paper will be an attempt at representing literally vision of transgression of Frank heresy in Tokarczuk’s ‘The Book of Jacob’.