The Mad Disciples of Jacob Frank: A Tale of the Demon Goddess

by Barak A. Bassman

It is the early 1790s in a Poland on the verge of being partitioned into extinction by its greedy neighbors, with the Russian Empire in the lead. The Jewish false messiah Jacob Frank has recently died. Frank had led his followers in escaping persecution from the rabbinical leadership of the Jewish community by pretending to embrace Catholicism, all the while secretly adhering to his occult doctrines of redemption, black magic, and the overcoming of death, poverty, and the ravages of ageing bodies. Once the Church realized his treachery, it imprisoned Frank for more than a decade in the fortress at Czestochowa, home also to the famous painting of the Black Madonna. While a prisoner of the Church, Frank had new and greater revelations of secret powers, which he believed could vanquish decay and disease. But he was unable to wield these esoteric truths to save his flock before his own death.

With the master gone to his grave, his disciples are adrift and lost. One disciple, however, is determined to succeed where the master failed. Allying with a vain and dangerously violent Polish nobleman, this disciple will take Frank’s teachings to their ultimate limit—and reap the consequences.

Genres: Religion, Historical Fiction, Fiction

79 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2024

Reviews

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like another book I've read by Barak Bassman, Necromancy of the Demon Maiden, this short story centers on themes of fanaticism, class and religious tension with elements of folk horror.

In just 79 pages, Bassman takes you into a world of a corrupt lord and a the people he rules who are just trying to avoid persecution one day at a time.

There are fascinating elements of mysticism, with brief but not overly gory elements of horror.

If you have just an hour or less to spare, this is worth picking up.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really had a hard time reading this book. In fact, I forgot I even won the book until goodreads reminded me. I just didn't like the story it didn't hold my attention.

[Finley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mad Disciples of Jacob Frank is an interesting short story about two men's obsessive search and worship of a dark Holy Maiden, in the form of a beheaded young priestess contained in a wooden box, and the Jewish caretaker of the nobleman's estate who is caught in the middle of it. The story opens when Aryeh Leib is pulled from his bed in the middle of the night, summoned by the the son of the former Pan to explain the odd messages left behind by the father. What follows is an odd tale of an odd religious movement headed by a heretic former Jew, a feverish search in the woods for the ruins of a burnt-down church, and the deterioration of the psychological states and friendship between the Pan and Pawel, even as their physical appearances and social statuses are improved by the dark maiden's influence.

As a story, The Mad Disciples is very fascinating, with many twists and turns that keep readers on their toes, as they can never quite expect what will happen next. It is a very unique story, as I don't think I've every read anything exactly like it. The story can feel bit winding at times, as it is almost entirely told through one character relating past events to another, and at times repeating stories that others had told to them (sometimes even multiple layers of separation), though that could likely been intentionally, as it does make the whole development throughout the story feel very realistically like being told old stories by an older companion. The only think I truly dislike is, at least in the version I read, quotation marks were not used, so it was very easy to lose track of who was speaking if the narration was going through multiple layers of secondhand information. Perhaps this was a conscious decision, but I'm not quite sure what benefit this would have, other than simply making it feel more meandering. I would hope that this is something the author would at least consider correcting in future editions.

As for the religious aspect of the story, I'm not quite sure what to say about it, exactly. It's impossible not to consider how religion figures into the narration, even if it's not a subject you want to discuss directly: almost every character, including Leib himself, emphasizes at some point Aryeh Leib's Judaism, and while I can't recall specific examples off the top of my head, the setting is almost certainly a time and location when at least casual antisemitism was simply a part of the culture. That, combined with the focus on a demonic(?) cult which hides among more mundane faiths (the titular Frank among the Jewish community, and later devotees of his religion being baptized into Christianity), makes me feel that this story is almost certainly a commentary on real religions. The author, Barak A. Bassman, has a degree in Classics, and has written many other short novellas with religious themes, both Jewish and other traditions, so he very likely has a lot of knowledge about these topics, though because I can't find any confirmation one way or another on Bassman's personal religious background, it's impossible to say for sure whether the themes discussed in this book are from a place of personal experience or simply academic knowledge of the historical treatment of Jewish people and of others that exist outside of a strict Christian persuasion. Regardless, though, it is definitely thought provoking, if nothing else can be said about it.

As for recommendations, it would obviously be a a good read for anyone who also has an interest in how religion and history affect one another, and stories that focus on cults and religious themes both real and fictional. On the other hand, if religion is a sore subject, regardless of what faith your background is in, it may be better to sit this one out. It should also likely be avoided if mentions of assault may be triggering, as while it doesn't discuss it in detail, there are multiple mentions and allusions of violence and abuses against young women. Outside of that, it's hard to say for sure who will and won't like The Mad Disciples, as it occupies such an odd niche that it hard to say how you will feel about it until you read it for yourself!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the early 1790s, a minor Polish noble comes to find out more about his father’s mysterious dealings with a “Pawel” and Holy Maiden who comes between them.

In my search of folk and/or religious horror that isn’t necessarily based Christianity or Anglophile themes (aka English or American traditions), I have really enjoyed reading Barak A. Bassman’s novellas and of the half dozen or so I have read, he Mad Disciples of Jacob Frank might be my favorite. While a modern writer, you really feel like you have discovered and obscure a story written over 100 years ago.

I recommend this novella and Bassman’s other works for those interested in historical folk and Jewish horror, and discovering new authors.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a short work of fiction but an entertaining read. The author is able to accurately tell a tale that is told with many layers of recounting without the reader getting lost in whose point of view we are currently reading from. As it is told by “pious and modest” people, a lot of the gory details are left for the reader to imagine for themselves. A delightfully quick read!

[Cassie Guerin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy from Goodreads. I guess this just wasn't for me. I found it quite hard to follow, especially since no quotation marks were used to show when people were talking. I ended up just skimming the majority of it to get through the story. The other reviewers seemed to enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me.

[The Musical Catte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well-written and engaging, but it is also very short. There were a few plot elements that could have been developed or resolved more. That said, I liked it so much that I will be seeking out more of the author's work.

[Susann Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is quite a bit of darkness in this short story, but it doesn't go into explicit details regarding cruelties committed, which I appreciated. It was a good story. Definitely worth the read.

[Tamara Barringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting juxtaposition of the respectable Jewish man and the corrupt Russian/Polish nobility. It reads well and reminds me of Russian literature.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is something like the third Bassman I’ve gotten in a giveaway, and they’re all pretty similar but they’re also pretty fun. This is probably the weakest of the bunch so far though.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

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