A review by lesserjoke
Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry by Harry Kemelman

2.0

A disappointing follow-up to Friday the Rabbi Slept Late. It's still neat to see a Jewish author incorporating authentic lived details into mainstream fiction -- a rarity today, let alone back in 1966 -- but whereas the first novel generally either leaves these things to be understood by context or spells them out for the benefit of the Christian characters, this sequel is packed full of people explaining fairly basic concepts to folks who would clearly already know that information. It also bears a lot more unfortunate hallmarks of its era, from a frankly racist skepticism towards the ongoing Civil Rights Movement to disparaging remarks about patrilineal Jews and those who convert into the faith. (The actual mystery element is a little dull too, although that wasn't exactly a core strength of the series debut either.) The original volume was appealing enough that I might eventually return to give the next one a try, but I'm pretty thoroughly underwhelmed by this second attempt.

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