Edinburgh

One of the best books I’ve ever read. I don’t often close read books but this is one I had no choice but to close read. His style is eloquent in his absence of detail and the slick way the words seem to jump off the page. It reminds me a bit of Samuel Steward. Definitely not a book to pass by and definitely not a book to stop reading half way through. As a gay asian american, I felt incredibly seen while reading this book. Very much looking forward to devouring the rest of his work.

With “Edinburgh,” Alexander Chee continues to solidify his very distinct voice in fiction. His characters are quite real, which is a testament to the subtlety of his writing. One often hears [reads] that what an author leaves out is just as important as what he or she leaves in – I believe Chee illustrates this maxim splendidly in “Edinburgh.” I look forward to many more fine works from this talented author.
A few favorite passages:
— “Women don’t hate beautiful men, I see as I watch her. They may envy them, but that isn’t hate. Hate is love on fire, set out to burn like a flare on the side of the road. It says stop here. Something terrible has happened. Envy is like, the skin you’re in burns. And the salve is someone else’s skin.”
–“Peter, somehow, shining there in the dark, all the light manages to find an excuse to go his way, to leave the gifts of their colors. In his choirboy robes, bored by the passage of the opera, waiting for the ride home, the tucking into bed. Peter sees me looking at him, finally. He smiles and waves, silent. I wave back. I tell myself, Not even the light should dare to love you.”

I read “How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays” before I read this book. The author alludes to the “Edinburgh” often throughout the book so I ordered it after I was finished. It was so interesting to see how his own life and experiences were woven into Edinburgh. I think most people would have read these two titles in a different order but I am actually glad I read “How to Write..” first. I really enjoyed this book, I am not a literary critic so I am not going to give some long explanation in some intellectual way that no one will understand but if you want to read a unique story that has well developed characters this is a good read albeit with some heavy subject matter this a good book. The author clearly has written characters out of his own life experiences, at times you wonder how much of him is actually written into Fee.

I really enjoyed this book and its storyline. I would have given it 4 stars, possibly 5, except the author seemed not to know how to properly use the objective and subjective when it came to pronouns. Alarming that he teaches. I can’t believe his editors didn’t pick up on this and correct it.

This beautifully written novel’s subject matter will probably alienate some readers, but I urge you to read this entire review before deciding whether this book is for you.
Twelve year old Aphias Zhe, nicknamed Fee, has a crystalline soprano voice, and so when he auditions for a boys choir, he is immediately accepted. What Fee knows intuitively becomes concrete as the choir director, Big Eric, takes Fee and a few other boys on an outing in the woods: Big Eric is a pedophile who preys on the young boys’ vulnerability. Where others cannot, Fee sees right through to the man and his preference for fair-headed boys like Fee’s best friend, Peter. Fee, who is part Korean, part Scottish, is not a favorite; he watches mainly from a distance, knowing the danger Big Eric poses but unwilling to articulate it. He hopes that the false front Big Eric has constructed will never crumble for, if it does, Fee fears he will also be revealed for what he is. When the choir director is caught, the wake of his crime crushes his victims, even those who live to adulthood.
As Fee grows up, he appears to recover, but inside he wants to die. He is gay, not because of the choir director’s crime but in spite of it. Fee wants love, tenderness, someone who can rival the affection he felt for Peter, and not the predatory sex Big Eric sought. Yet, Fee continues to be haunted by what happened. When as an adult he meets a blonde boy who reminds him of Peter and who, despite his young age, has a connection to what happened long ago, Fee must confront his demons.
While at times overly lyrical, the novel is a delicate coming-of-age story. Chee has a remarkable command of images and language which add rich layers to what could have been a simple plot. The emotion he infuses in his words makes Fee’s pain and quest for love universal. If you think only gay men will enjoy this, think again. As a heterosexual woman, I found myself engrossed in this novel and its characters. Ultimately, EDINBURGH is about truth, self, and the yearning for a place in the world.

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