It's a little-known fact that Elvis Presley--the most Christian icon of American pop culture--was Jewish. This book provides a behind-the-scenes account of the authors' search, from Israel to Graceland, to find the true roots of the King. With the help of a Hasidic Jewish Elvis impersonator, Dan Hartel, who performs at senior citizens' homes under the stage name "Schmelvis," and an eccentric Orthodox rabbi named Reuben Poupko, the authors trace Elvis's Jewish roots all the way to Israel.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Disappointing:
I expected more from the author, as he has proven himself to be an excellent essayist on This American Life. Maybe I would have liked it more if I hadn't already heard some of his better material.
Elvis was not Jewish.:
To be Jewish one most either convert or, at a minimum, have a Jewish mother. Elvis did not have a jewish mother. Elvis was not a convert. Elvis was a Christian. He may have had a great-great-grandmother who was Jewish but that does not make one a Jew. The authors obviously had far too much free time on their hands.
who would have guessed it?:
I just finished reading Schmelvis, and, it really is a funny, clever little book. It's totally not your run-in-the-mill novel-- it reads like a travel log, with little tidbits from all the characters, and you really get to know them. It's sort of an anti-novel-- a story in search of a story. The characters are so hilariously believable, that you totally believe they have no idea what they're doing or thinking. It's got dialogues from the film, and the director's notes, and random other stuff, like an... more info
Hilarious!:
This books is really, really funny. Not really about Elvis' Jewish roots but more of a quest for identity. Composed of script bits from the film's (of the same name) production, entries in journals, and little anecdotes about the cast and crew, this book is really the funniest book I've ever read. I highly recommend it.
