Rating: 
Summary: An interesting first novel....
Review: Edinburgh explores the story of a boy named "Fee," his life as a child and later that of an adult. I was very engrossed in the first 2/3 of the book which focused on Fee growing up, his devasting experiences to him as a child, and those to his friends. It was disturbing, yet intriguing, to see how he dealt with the trauma and experiences. However, the next part of the book took a bit of jarring turn as the point of view immediately switched to another boy. Although I understand the reasoning behind it, I was a bit distracted having to suddenly see "the story" from another viewer. In the last section, it returns to Fee's POV as an adult. Again, it was a bit jarring to switch POVs again, but at least I was familiar with this one. I think it somewhat made me lose interest in the characters and I couldn't wait for the story to end. Don't get me wrong, it was a great build-up of a story the first 2/3 of the book, so I recommend reading it -- I just wish it had a similarly interesting finish. And although the author's disposal of quotation marks was a bit distracting as well to see where conversation began and ended, I see this as a writing style that Chee is shooting for.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting first novel....
Review: Edinburgh explores the story of a boy named "Fee," his life as a child and later that of an adult. I was very engrossed in the first 2/3 of the book which focused on Fee growing up, his devasting experiences to him as a child, and those to his friends. It was disturbing, yet intriguing, to see how he dealt with the trauma and experiences. However, the next part of the book took a bit of jarring turn as the point of view immediately switched to another boy. Although I understand the reasoning behind it, I was a bit distracted having to suddenly see "the story" from another viewer. In the last section, it returns to Fee's POV as an adult. Again, it was a bit jarring to switch POVs again, but at least I was familiar with this one. I think it somewhat made me lose interest in the characters and I couldn't wait for the story to end. Don't get me wrong, it was a great build-up of a story the first 2/3 of the book, so I recommend reading it -- I just wish it had a similarly interesting finish. And although the author's disposal of quotation marks was a bit distracting as well to see where conversation began and ended, I see this as a writing style that Chee is shooting for.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting first novel....
Review: Edinburgh explores the story of a boy named "Fee," his life as a child and later that of an adult. I was very engrossed in the first 2/3 of the book which focused on Fee growing up, his devasting experiences to him as a child, and those to his friends. It was disturbing, yet intriguing, to see how he dealt with the trauma and experiences. However, the next part of the book took a bit of jarring turn as the point of view immediately switched to another boy. Although I understand the reasoning behind it, I was a bit distracted having to suddenly see "the story" from another viewer. In the last section, it returns to Fee's POV as an adult. Again, it was a bit jarring to switch POVs again, but at least I was familiar with this one. I think it somewhat made me lose interest in the characters and I couldn't wait for the story to end. Don't get me wrong, it was a great build-up of a story the first 2/3 of the book, so I recommend reading it -- I just wish it had a similarly interesting finish. And although the author's disposal of quotation marks was a bit distracting as well to see where conversation began and ended, I see this as a writing style that Chee is shooting for.
Rating: 
Summary: Every word is a masterpiece
Review: I loved this book. You can take any page from it and just that one page alone is a masterpiece. Chee writes like a poet, but he has the talents of a storyteller. This means that not only is the plot engaging, but the way he relates it is seductive. I won't go into plot since so many of the other reviewers have, but you will definitely think about these characters long after you finish the last page.
Rating:
Summary: A Fine First Novel Beautifully Written
Review: I suppose Mr. Chee had no way of knowing this novel would be so topical given the current child molestation scandal in the Catholic Church. He has written a very fine first novel about the horror of molestation told from the child's standpoint. Fee, a Korean-American growing up in Maine, is molested by his choir director Big Eric. Not one to shy away from thorny subjects, Mr. Chee, nevertheless, treats the delicate subject of molestation with restraint and grace. He is very good at creating a certain mood with few words. This novel is full of colors. The dark Fee is attracted to the gold of blondes. White, the color of death, is associated with the absence of color. The final section of the book is entitled "Blue." My one criticism of this novel is that I was unable to distinguish the voice of Fee from that of the character Waren. Mr. Chee writes so well, however, that it hardly matters. I look forward to his next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Every word is a masterpiece
Review: I would like to recommend this book without giving any of the plot away. The author is Amerasian and in this book he has mixed East and West, an Eastern myth within the form of a Greek tragedy. Like a tragedy, the novel opens with a prologue, which I think should be read at the beginning and end of the book to get the full effect of the story. What follows is not a tragey's parados chorus, but the story of some Maine choir boys. The present tense prose is so lyrical, the reader is drawn in; like a car accident you can't help but look at, even though it may be painful, you read on. The lake at the choir's summer camp appears still, but the author shows that the ripples from the choir master's abuses are waves that run deep, wide, and unseen; they are as devastating as the wake of the Black Plague.
Rating:
Summary: a novel with a great surprising story and engaging language
Review: I would like to recommend this book without giving any of the plot away. The author is Amerasian and in this book he has mixed East and West, an Eastern myth within the form of a Greek tragedy. Like a tragedy, the novel opens with a prologue, which I think should be read at the beginning and end of the book to get the full effect of the story. What follows is not a tragey's parados chorus, but the story of some Maine choir boys. The present tense prose is so lyrical, the reader is drawn in; like a car accident you can't help but look at, even though it may be painful, you read on. The lake at the choir's summer camp appears still, but the author shows that the ripples from the choir master's abuses are waves that run deep, wide, and unseen; they are as devastating as the wake of the Black Plague.
Rating:
Summary: It's NOT about Scotland!
Review: The title is just the very first of one of the many surprises encountered in this extremely well-written, impressive, and multi-layered novel. There are frequent passages which are so on target and gorgeously done that they gave me chills. I did a lot of rereading in parts. This is a novel that eludes simply categorization such as 'Coming Out' or 'Issue' novel. Give it a try. This seems the start of a very promising career for Chee. Can't wait to see what he does next!!!
Rating:
Summary: A stunning debut by a thoroughly unique talent
Review: There is a joy in discovering new novels by fresh young writers that compares favorably with the elation of returning to the works of the masters. Alexander Chee has burst onto the scene with a novel unique in language, in mode of storytellng, in nuances of imagery that the oft overused adjective "stunning" feels to be the only appropriate descriptor. Known only to this reader from his contribution to the touching anthology LOSS WITHIN LOSS, Chee emerges here in his debut novel EDINBURGH as fully groomed storyteller, wordsmith, poet, and excavator of the human plight. His ability to wrap a tough story in the atmospheric language that adroitly mirrors the onomatopoeia of the Asian language patterns while enchanting us with the beauty of Korean mythology and anthropomorphism takes what could be a loathsome tragedy and creates a sensitive coming of age and rites of passage tale. The story is well documented on this site by the editorial and customer reviews and that is adequate to inform you of what lies between the covers of this seemingly short novel. But the story seems only a matrix to explore, with the metaphors of air/earth/fire/water that Chee so consumately weaves in this poetic tapestry, a young man's journey through the abyss and height of self discovery, of sexuality, of ancestral imprints, to the eventual knowledge of his pace in the cosmos. Consider even the chosen title EDINBURGH: in the state of Maine (and in the state of youth) the main character enters a safe haven library whose ceiling is a fresco of that city in Scotland struck by the Great Plague and whose library contents contain the centuries old last words of a man dying from that disaster. Chee takes that particular moment to let us envision the past and the future of a young man on the journey to self discovery. How perceptions and memories of childhood eventually inform our sense of adult self, how the choices of repetition of pain and old habits can lead to self destruction or, conquering them, foster a spiritual state of grace and resolved peace - these are the gentle lines of thought that tie this wondrously written book tighly together. Reading EDINBURGH is an ultimate joy, like hearing a new piece of music on its opening performance. Chee appears securely destined to be a very important voice in American literature over the next decades. Read him now, at the beginning, and grow. This is a stunning book.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written, sensitively told
Review: 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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