I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it's a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to the life and teachings of Sabbatai Sevi. Sevi was odd individual, a Kabbalist who claimed to be the Messiah, yet who converted to Islam and claimed that his very conversion was part of his mission. Sevi continued to be important in various mystical Jewish groups, including the Frankists and now the neo-Sabbatians.

However, what Freely offers is by his own acknowledgment basically a summary of Scholem's Sabbatai Sevi: The Mystical Messiah. In many ways this is a good thing, since Scholem is acknowledged as one of the best scholars of Kabbalism and few of us have the time to commit to reading a thousand-page book.

But, Freely touts his book as "In Search of the Mystical Rabbi." Freely searches for any remnants of Sevi, either intellectual or physical, but comes up empty. It's not particularly exciting to read about his going to Izmir and not finding what he's looking for. (One gets the feeling that, perhaps with more time and knowledge of the language and area, Freely may have been more successful, but one has no way of knowing that for sure.) Personally, I would have found it more interesting to read about the various neo-Sabbatian groups that have grown up which, though they may have little historical connection to Sabbatai Sevi, draw on his teachings or upon him for inspiration. Or, it would have been interesting to see more historical photos and descriptions of the world that has passed away.

In short, I enjoyed the book, and it's inspired me to read Scholem's (if I ever have time). But I was a little disappointed at how fruitless Freely's search was. ( )