ie They are NOT coming from overseas !!
WEDNESDAY THE
RABBI
GOT WET
- By Harry Kemelman -
ISBN: -
Publisher: William Morrow, New York, USA
Published: 1976
Binding: HARDcover with Dustjacket 312 pages
Condition: UNread & displayed condition! HERE in MELBOURNE! A retired display
copy as illustrated!
Edition: FIRST EDITION: 1st printing 1976
TIGHT, SCARCE HARDCOVER WITH DUSTAJCKET~ IN MELBOURNE ...
WHY do ebayers buy from US?
Because you KNOW what you're getting. My close up photos are of the actual item!!
Remains UNread - it was the display copy instore . It is Tight - neat, no inscriptions or marks within. Appears as in my photos - this is the exact copy!! A nicely preserved copy - superb!
No discernible shelf wear, the interior is tight and spotlessly clean with 312 pages. Clean black endpapers. THIS copy is the FIRST EDITION: First printing from 1976 - the US publishing by William Morrow, New York.
SCARCE title - this is an UNread copy!!
In original orange papered boards with blue quartercloth to the spine HARDcover binding, in publisher's glossy dustjacket which are in excellent condition overall - the dust jacket has some wear /rubbing to top & bottom spine area. Author portrait to back panel.
(Stored with 2021!)
Measures approx. 8¾ x 5¾ inches or 22 x 15cms
SYNOPSIS ....
Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet is a mystery novel written by Harry Kemelman in 1976, one of the Rabbi Small series.
The sixth in the book series of definitive editions of Rabbi David Small mysteries by Edgar Award-winning author Harry Kemelman.
A member of Rabbi Small's congregation dies a mysterious death during the worst hurricane Barnard's Crossing has seen in years. When the suspect turns out to be a troubled but likable young man, Rabbi Small comes to his aid - drenching himself in a decidedly non-kosher mystery involving prescription drugs, real estate shenanigans, and possibly, pre-meditated murder . . .
Things aren't kosher in Barnard's Crossing. An unpleasant member of the congregation dies mysteriously and the suspect is a troubled young man. Rabbi Small comes to the case with Talmudic reasoning and insight - and finds a solution that no one else sees.
About the Author
Harry Kemelman was an American mystery writer and a professor of English. He was the creator of one of the most famous religious sleuths, Rabbi David Small.
His writing career began with short stories for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine featuring New England college professor Nicky Welt, the first of which, "The Nine Mile Walk", is considered a classic.
The Rabbi Small series began in 1964 with the publication of Friday the Rabbi Slept Late, which became a huge bestseller, a difficult achievement for a religious mystery, and won Kemelman a 1965 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. The Rabbi Small books are not only mysteries, but also considerations of Conservative Judaism.
Very Interesting & Entertaining read!
Reviews
I really enjoy this series. I'm glad my sister introduced me to it. The books are informative about Judaism, and thought-provoking about religion in general. The rabbi reasons out the mysteries and the conclusions are usually a surprise to me.
I really do like the rabbi in this series. … And I particularly like that the people in his congregation and the other people that are interacted with are well-rounded characters. I like Lanigan and the relationship they have. I do not like that the rabbi has a daughter named Hepsibah (really? Hepsibah?), but presumably that's a cultural thing. I enjoyed the mystery here, especially since I didn't see the resolution coming - I will say that the 18 bothered me throughout and I was a bit annoyed when it seemed like it wouldn't be resolved, but I felt the same way about the way the temple board behaved and that didn't get resolved. I do hope that Kaplan felt appropriately chastened for his behaviour.
FIVE STARS FROM ME! … A mystery novel or any writing for that matter, that presents such sparkling arguments in favour of rationality and spiritualism vis-a-vis religious ritualism using a religious figurehead - a Rabbi, as key protagonist and the voice of reason, is certain as daylight to have my undivided attention.
The language is simple. Yet, the insights into human motivations is rooted in complexities. Religion is often deliberately used to serve as a front to further personal and material wants and needs, and as the plot intensified, I found myself rooting for the one who was deliberately outnumbered but refused to be outwitted.
Some of the characters are noble and instill faith in human goodness. And then there are a few of the infamous and familiar tribe who subtly use charades of convenience twisting every rule in the book and skirt being confronted for their less than flattering motives.
I am thrilled to discover this is not just a standalone title and that there is a series by the same author waiting to be explored.
GREAT STORYTELLING! … I really enjoyed this book featuring Rabbi David Small. He's a wise rabbi and always knows his Jewish law. He also knows human behavior and is able to ensure his congregation is acting ethically. In this story, he helps discover what happened to the prescription that killed old man Ketsler. Great storytelling. Plus these were some of my father's favorite mystery stories so it was nice to think about him as I read it.
Fascinating … I enjoyed this and will look for others in the series. It's especially tasty for those of us with an interest in/knowledge of Judaism--those without it will likely feel a little left out (and maybe bored).
Also, the 70s were weird, and don't let the Baby Boomers tell you otherwise.
GREAT series! … Kemelman's books were always as much about learning as solving the mystery. This one was no exception.
I really do like the rabbi in this series. … And I particularly like that the people in his congregation and the other people that are interacted with are well-rounded characters. I like Lanigan and the relationship they have. I do not like that the rabbi has a daughter named Hepsibah (really? Hepsibah?), but presumably that's a cultural thing. I enjoyed the mystery here, especially since I didn't see the resolution coming - I will say that the 18 bothered me throughout and I was a bit annoyed when it seemed like it wouldn't be resolved, but I felt the same way about the way the temple board behaved and that didn't get resolved. I do hope that Kaplan felt appropriately chastened for his behaviour.
Really enhanced my knowledge ... This is a detective novel featuring a rabbi who solves murders in his free time using Talmudic reasoning. In the 1970s, Harry Kemelman published a dozen novels about Rabbi Small. This is the first one I read. The mystery was interesting — it was really more just a fun device to explain basic questions of Jewish theology. What I particularly enjoyed about the novel was a look at life in Jewish communities on the East Coast in the 1970s. Most of the characters were second-generation immigrants: professionals of different sorts, approaching retirement and with adult children, whose parents had came from the "old country." These communities produced many young Jewish radicals of the 1970s. I'm not sure I need another 11 books about Rabbi Small, but this was an entertaining read.
GREAT WRITING! … Another interesting, entertaining and informative Rabbi Small mystery novel. Although the category did not exist when the novel was written, this is one solid 'cozy mystery'.
Great insight into Jewish traditions and culture … The death of an irascible cantankerous and contentious old man was a crime of opportunity that a number of plausible suspects could have been guilty of or it could have been a prank to let him suffer in retaliation to Kestler's stubbornness to see the culprit's point of view. It could have been the perfect crime if not for the Rabbi and the police alerted to the substitution of the medications. Another good one from this author with the added insight on Jewish traditions and law.
FABULOUS … This is my favorite in the series. They are good as little cozy mysteries where you can solve the whodunit with clues in the story, and there's always something to learn about (Kemelman's perspective on) the meaning of Judaism in the context of evolving American culture.
Marvellous Reading!
WHY do ebayers buy from US?
Because you KNOW what you're getting. My close up photos are of the actual item & form part of my description!!
POSTAGE IS $9.90 WITHIN AUSTRALIA
We pack your books with care - using secure, lightweight, waterproof packaging to ensure that they are well protected in transit.
*All items will be shipped within 3 business days of receipt of payment. Payment can be made by Direct Deposit Bank Transfer or Paypal.
Check out my other items-
*Buyer to make contact within 3 days of auction end and payment within 5 days.
*Cash on pick up is fine.
*Bank deposit & PAYPAL available.
*Any questions? Just ask!
Please look for my other
items in our new Ebay Store
'Jingle Bells Books'
~ as there are lots & lots of old, RARE and COLLECTABLE BOOKS to be cleared from our bookshelves. We're new retirees downsizing from 30+ years teaching & clearing an 80 year, 3 generation private family collection of often valuable books ! *HAPPY TO COMBINE POSTAGE up to 3kilos of BOOKS can post WITHIN Australia for $16.90!
THANKS FOR DROPPING BY