Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
Series: Rabbi Small, Book 1
By: Harry Kemelman / Narrated By: George Guidall
Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
Slow, leisurely pacing, grand character development, excellent narration—What a charmer!
First, lemme point out that this takes place in the 1960s, which makes the social mores of the times… well, if you can withhold some judgment re: political correctness along with your suspension of disbelief? You’ll be on a better footing as you wander into Friday the Rabbi Slept Late.
I say wander cuz our hero Rabbi David Small kinda comes and goes, lost in Talmudic teachings and arguments going on in his head. His wife Miriam has quite the job, sending him out neat and tidy in the morning only to see him all rumpled, hair mussed by the time he’s serving his congregation. Small has the mind suited to study, tho’ his heart is totally with that of teaching to his congregants.
They’re a rather liberal lot, unused to his style, and wish that he weren’t so unyielding when it comes to his guidance. They’ve got to do business with their non-Jewish neighbors, and they’re all about business, and fitting in, and bringing the paychecks home. Rabbi Small is NOT their style, enough to the point where they’re about to nix extending his contract. And when the body of a pregnant nanny is found dumped on synagogue grounds, and her purse is found in the backseat of the Rabbi’s car? Well, things aren’t looking very good for the Rabbi or for the Jewish community at large.
None of this, however, is enough to ruffle the Rabbi’s feathers; as a matter of fact, it’s all very stimulating, and he starts using the way his mind untangles heavy arguments, massive problems, methodically and with mulling over this possibility first, finding it doesn’t work, and going onto the following possibilities after that. Along this journey of musings, Small discovers kinship in the Irish-Catholic policeman who’s been tasked with solving the murder. The two have grand old times approaching clues and factors in kinda sorta the same methodical manner, but the cop comes to have nothing but respect for the Rabbi’s style of thought… tho’ there IS the matter of Small being the chief suspect… Oooops!
Get ready for a slowly-paced tale that is more story than bang! action! And do be ready for it being all right to be a serial-cheater as long as said cheater can’t have sex with his wife cuz she’s MS-stricken. Yup, totally okay because if a man’s Needs aren’t getting met, he can pick up anybody. And do be ready for, like, EVERYone to be smoking ceaselessly. Some of the proof in the Rabbi’s car? A lipstick-stained cigarette in the back ashtray that proves that the nanny was still alive when she was back there, and Miriam does NOT smoke in the backseat. And do be ready for a boss making sex part of the bargain for employment. I mean, good HEAVENS! Say what you will about quote/unquote “Cancel Culture”, but jeez! tell me there were SOME repercussions back then for riDICulous choices…
But I digress, I see…
Okay, on to George Guidall who, ‘twould appear, is entirely incapable of turning in a bad performance. And indeed a performance this is as he juggles a multitude of characters from the Rabbi himself, down to the riDICulous (Again!) boss who is wheedling sex outta an underling. Add verrrrry orthodox Jewish congregants mixed in with verrrrrry liberal Jewish congregants, and this was yet aNOther delightful narration by Guidall.
No, no whizzbang action, and yup, even I figured out Whodunnit from an early clue, but this is more about personalities galore. Plus, I did so love the Rumpled Rabbi and his strict adherence and admiration for Talmud scholarship. And I LOVED it when he refused to Bless the Boats, saying: In our religion, we don’t ask God for anything; we give him thanks for what He’s already given us.
What’s NOT to love about a Rabbi who brings to Life all that Religion and Spirituality are wonderful for?
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