Short Friday
$ 10.00
Author: Isaac Bashevic Singer
Publisher: Fawcett 3457
Year: 1977 Print: 1 Cover Price: $1.95
Condition: Book Grades. Very Good. :ight wear
Genre: Fiction/Short Stories/Folklore
Pages: 287
70126120E
The collection serves as a vibrant, bittersweet tapestry of pre-World War II Eastern European Jewish life, primarily set in the traditional, rural villages (shtetls) of Poland. The stories seamlessly weave together the mundane realities of impoverished townspeople with the supernatural world of Jewish mysticism, frequently featuring appearances by demons, dybbuks, and unseen spiritual forces.
Rather than treating the occult as pure horror, Singer uses these supernatural elements to explore deeply human themes: temptation, the conflict between faith and modern doubt, the warmth of love, and the corrupting nature of human weakness.
Notable Stories in the Collection
- "Short Friday" (The Title Story): A beautiful, fable-like tale focusing on Shmul-Leibele, a deeply devout but impoverished tailor, and his beloved wife, Shoshe. On the shortest Friday of winter, as they prepare for the Sabbath, they quietly suffocate in their sleep from a malfunctioning clay oven. Because of their pure lives and love for one another, they awaken seamlessly together in Paradise, unaware at first that they have passed away.
- "Taibele and Her Demon": A tragicomic story about a lonely, deserted wife who is tricked by a local prankster into believing he is a demon visiting her at night, exploring themes of desperation, secrets, and the need for human connection.
- "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy": One of Singer's most famous works, which debuted in this collection. It follows a young woman who disguises herself as a man so she can study Jewish law and Talmudic text, completely upending traditional gender
