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Inheritance #5
The Weddings
For Jack Cho, a fortysomething gay man, being able to marry someone he loves is so unfamiliar it’s terrifying. Then a wedding invitation from a college friend brings about a collision with those fears—and his own secret history.
Jack and his new boyfriend, Caleb, are attending the wedding of Jack’s estranged straight friend Scott. No sooner do the guests start to mingle than questions arise about relationships, tradition, Jack’s feelings for the groom, and what’s at stake as he navigates daunting territory, both new and old. In this wry and surprising short story, award-winning author Alexander Chee extends an invitation to the party—and awakening—of a lifetime.
Alexander Chee’s The Weddings is part of Inheritance, a collection of five stories about secrets, unspoken desires, and dangerous revelations between loved ones. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single setting. By yourself, behind closed doors, or shared with someone you trust.
Jack and his new boyfriend, Caleb, are attending the wedding of Jack’s estranged straight friend Scott. No sooner do the guests start to mingle than questions arise about relationships, tradition, Jack’s feelings for the groom, and what’s at stake as he navigates daunting territory, both new and old. In this wry and surprising short story, award-winning author Alexander Chee extends an invitation to the party—and awakening—of a lifetime.
Alexander Chee’s The Weddings is part of Inheritance, a collection of five stories about secrets, unspoken desires, and dangerous revelations between loved ones. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single setting. By yourself, behind closed doors, or shared with someone you trust.
2 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 19, 2019
1731 people are currently reading
1157 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Chee
27 books1,892 followers"Alexander Chee is the best new novelist I've seen in some time. Edinburgh is moody, dramatic - and pure."--Edmund White
“A complex, sophisticated, elegant investigation of trauma and desire - like a white hot flame.”--Joyce Hackett, in The Guardian
“A coming-of-age novel in the grand Romantic tradition, where passions run high, Cupid stalks Psyche, and love shares the dance floor with death . . . A lovely, nuanced, never predictable portrait of a creative soul in the throes of becoming.”--Washington Post Book World
Alexander Chee was born in South Kingston, RI, and raised in South Korea, Guam, Truk and Maine. He attended Wesleyan University and the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop. He is the recipient of a Whiting Writers' Award, an NEA Fellowship in Fiction, fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and was the Visiting Writer at Amherst College from 2006-2010.
His first novel, Edinburgh, won the Michener, the AAWW Lit Award, the Lambda Editor's Choice Prize and was named a Booksense 76 Pick and a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year. His second novel, The Queen of the Night, is forthcoming from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2011. He lives in New York City.
“A complex, sophisticated, elegant investigation of trauma and desire - like a white hot flame.”--Joyce Hackett, in The Guardian
“A coming-of-age novel in the grand Romantic tradition, where passions run high, Cupid stalks Psyche, and love shares the dance floor with death . . . A lovely, nuanced, never predictable portrait of a creative soul in the throes of becoming.”--Washington Post Book World
Alexander Chee was born in South Kingston, RI, and raised in South Korea, Guam, Truk and Maine. He attended Wesleyan University and the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop. He is the recipient of a Whiting Writers' Award, an NEA Fellowship in Fiction, fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and was the Visiting Writer at Amherst College from 2006-2010.
His first novel, Edinburgh, won the Michener, the AAWW Lit Award, the Lambda Editor's Choice Prize and was named a Booksense 76 Pick and a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year. His second novel, The Queen of the Night, is forthcoming from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2011. He lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
December 3, 2019
This is the fourth story in the Amazon Original Stories Inheritance Collection that I’ve read and I was not disappointed. Forty two year old, Jack, a gay man is invited to attend his first gay wedding by his boyfriend, Caleb. Jack is surprised at how it makes him feel and he begins to think about marriage in ways he never has before. It’s the second wedding, a heterosexual one of an old college friend, though, that illicited for Jack (and me) the most thought provoking things. Relationships of the past and how much they remain a part of who one is, self discovery, discovery that some you loved is not who you thought they were, cultural identity, and of course love and marriage. This may still be available on NetGalley and will be available on Amazon kindle for $.99. A good deal for a worthwhile story.
I received an advanced copy of this short story from Amazon Original Stories through NetGalley.
November 9, 2019
Alexander Chee's short story looks at Jack Cho, a 42 year old Korean gay man, attending his first gay wedding in the Catskills with his partner, Caleb. He has never considered the concept of marriage as one for him, but the wedding surprisingly has him not only seeing it as a viable option, but secretly hankering for it, only Caleb is not so keen. His second wedding invitation is from an old college friend, Scott, a straight guy, obsessed with everything Korean, and now marrying his Korean girlfriend, Soon-mi, both of them equity fund partners. Jack has not seen Scott for quite some time, but the two have history that has ensured Scott has remained close to Jack's heart. The wedding turns out to be a socially awkward and dismal affair, raising some uncomfortable issues, and encounters that raise questions about the past as Jack knew it and undermines all that he ever thought he knew about Scott.
Chee provides a picture of how the introduction of gay marriage has led to the gay community approaching marriage much as the straight community does. and of a Jack with a Korean heritage that is not accepted by American society and perceived as not Korean enough by elements of the American-Korean community. A terrific short story that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories for an ARC.
Chee provides a picture of how the introduction of gay marriage has led to the gay community approaching marriage much as the straight community does. and of a Jack with a Korean heritage that is not accepted by American society and perceived as not Korean enough by elements of the American-Korean community. A terrific short story that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories for an ARC.
February 27, 2020
Attraction
The Weddings is an intriguing short story looking at gay relationships within the dynamics of marriage, somewhat satirical, somewhat deferential. Marriage, now a legally recognised possibility that has opened up for gay partnerships but the same criteria and decisions need to be made on a personal level. None shout louder than loyalty, commitment and truth.
Jack Cho is a forty-two-year-old Korean man, invited to a gay wedding along with his partner Caleb. The wedding stirs emotions in Jack and the seed of a desire of marriage to Caleb begins. Shortly after this first wedding, Jack is invited to the wedding of a friend from the past, Scott, and his Korean girlfriend Soon-mi. Jack and Caleb accept but for Jack, the decision has an emotional draw, as he and Scott have a hidden history.
Scott is enthralled with Asian culture and people, and while leading a heterosexual public persona, had a fling with Jack, whom he claims was the only man he’d ever been with. Jack has a deep attraction to Scott and has always yearned for the time they spent together, something he has kept from Caleb. Caleb has shown restraint by not pushing the burning questions – what are they doing at the wedding and what is the history between Jack and Scott.
What was fascinating in the story was the mix of emotions and scenarios which were painted so carefully, with such wonderful writing. The blend of desire, disloyalty, lies, falsehoods, and commitment, keep the story engrossing as we watch how each engagement acts out often with a huge flavouring of irony.
The Weddings, is the fifth book of the Inheritance Collection and I would recommend reading it. Not my favourite in the series but a solid story 4 stars.
The Weddings is an intriguing short story looking at gay relationships within the dynamics of marriage, somewhat satirical, somewhat deferential. Marriage, now a legally recognised possibility that has opened up for gay partnerships but the same criteria and decisions need to be made on a personal level. None shout louder than loyalty, commitment and truth.
Jack Cho is a forty-two-year-old Korean man, invited to a gay wedding along with his partner Caleb. The wedding stirs emotions in Jack and the seed of a desire of marriage to Caleb begins. Shortly after this first wedding, Jack is invited to the wedding of a friend from the past, Scott, and his Korean girlfriend Soon-mi. Jack and Caleb accept but for Jack, the decision has an emotional draw, as he and Scott have a hidden history.
Scott is enthralled with Asian culture and people, and while leading a heterosexual public persona, had a fling with Jack, whom he claims was the only man he’d ever been with. Jack has a deep attraction to Scott and has always yearned for the time they spent together, something he has kept from Caleb. Caleb has shown restraint by not pushing the burning questions – what are they doing at the wedding and what is the history between Jack and Scott.
What was fascinating in the story was the mix of emotions and scenarios which were painted so carefully, with such wonderful writing. The blend of desire, disloyalty, lies, falsehoods, and commitment, keep the story engrossing as we watch how each engagement acts out often with a huge flavouring of irony.
The Weddings, is the fifth book of the Inheritance Collection and I would recommend reading it. Not my favourite in the series but a solid story 4 stars.
November 18, 2019
How do we measure the value of marriage? What is the purpose of the marriage ceremony, and what should a wedding reflect? Does the ceremony echo the vows of the couple, or does it mirror something else? How has it changed and why has it changed?
Jack and Caleb have enthusiastically returned from their first gay wedding when Jack is invited to Scott's wedding. Though he has not heard from Scott in years, his invitation to Scott and Soon-mi's wedding causes old memories in Jack to resurface. What is Jack hiding in his past? Jack worries about attending Scott's wedding because of the past, but Jack's boyfriend Caleb ensures that everything will turn out fine. When they attend the wedding, both Jack and Caleb are met with a surprises.
"Jack wasn't used to weddings. His friends were mostly people who didn't, wouldn't, or couldn't- until this year- marry."
The layers shaped underneath the weddings were intricately scaled and finely calculated. I really enjoyed the irony of relationships, purposeful characterizations, and cultural significance presented in this short story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.
Jack and Caleb have enthusiastically returned from their first gay wedding when Jack is invited to Scott's wedding. Though he has not heard from Scott in years, his invitation to Scott and Soon-mi's wedding causes old memories in Jack to resurface. What is Jack hiding in his past? Jack worries about attending Scott's wedding because of the past, but Jack's boyfriend Caleb ensures that everything will turn out fine. When they attend the wedding, both Jack and Caleb are met with a surprises.
"Jack wasn't used to weddings. His friends were mostly people who didn't, wouldn't, or couldn't- until this year- marry."
The layers shaped underneath the weddings were intricately scaled and finely calculated. I really enjoyed the irony of relationships, purposeful characterizations, and cultural significance presented in this short story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.
November 20, 2019
The Weddings was the most engaging short story from the Inheritance series. While it didn't make me feel things as strongly as The Lion's Den, I found this one to be the most enjoyable.
Jack and Caleb have been dating for a year when Jack gets a call from an old friend, Scott, who invites him to his wedding. Jack remembers him as the guy who was obsessed with Asian culture—he'd say things like "I feel Korean inside" and he'd only ever date Asian girls. Jack had always had a crush on him, but Scott was straight. Or so he thought. Shortly after graduating, the two had a fling after which, Jack never heard from him again. Until a few years later when he came across his old friend and they met for dinner where Scott claimed that Jack was the first and only man he'd ever been with. And now, years after that, he was inviting Jack to his wedding to a Korean-American woman, Soon-mi.
What I really liked about this book was the way Alexander Chee managed to put forth every complex emotion that Jack experiences at the wedding—a slight hopefulness that Scott would still be in love with him; guilt at feeling that way and the question that constantly nags him: was Scott the person Jack thought he was. Or had it all just been a charade?
Jack's regret at not being in touch with his Korean culture as much as he would have liked, is something, I'm sure a lot of people can relate to. It gave the book a realistic touch and brought the characters to life. It's not the best story from the series but it's definitely one of the better ones and I really enjoyed it.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Alexander Chee for this ARC.]
The Inheritance Series:
Can You Feel This?
The Lion's Den
Everything My Mother Taught Me
Zenith Man
Jack and Caleb have been dating for a year when Jack gets a call from an old friend, Scott, who invites him to his wedding. Jack remembers him as the guy who was obsessed with Asian culture—he'd say things like "I feel Korean inside" and he'd only ever date Asian girls. Jack had always had a crush on him, but Scott was straight. Or so he thought. Shortly after graduating, the two had a fling after which, Jack never heard from him again. Until a few years later when he came across his old friend and they met for dinner where Scott claimed that Jack was the first and only man he'd ever been with. And now, years after that, he was inviting Jack to his wedding to a Korean-American woman, Soon-mi.
What I really liked about this book was the way Alexander Chee managed to put forth every complex emotion that Jack experiences at the wedding—a slight hopefulness that Scott would still be in love with him; guilt at feeling that way and the question that constantly nags him: was Scott the person Jack thought he was. Or had it all just been a charade?
Jack's regret at not being in touch with his Korean culture as much as he would have liked, is something, I'm sure a lot of people can relate to. It gave the book a realistic touch and brought the characters to life. It's not the best story from the series but it's definitely one of the better ones and I really enjoyed it.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Alexander Chee for this ARC.]
The Inheritance Series:
Can You Feel This?
The Lion's Den
Everything My Mother Taught Me
Zenith Man
February 2, 2020
This is the fifth short story in the Amazon Original Stories Inheritance Collection and is by far my favorite of the three I have read.
Jack is a forty-ish Korean gay man who is dating 32-year-old Caleb, a white man. Gay marriage has just been legalized. Jack and Caleb attend their first gay wedding, an obviously new concept to Jack, which gets him thinking if that is something he would eventually like. A bit later the couple attends a second wedding, this one a heterosexual wedding between Jack’s close college friend Scott (a man who still occupies a significant place in Jack’s heart, particularly after a short sexual affair) and a Korean woman. This wedding has an entirely different and much more entangled effect on Jack.
This tale really struck a chord with me, and I quickly connected with Jack. Over a short time frame we are privy to Jack’s inner workings as he tries to figure out his complex feelings surrounding Caleb, Scott, ethnicity, homosexuality, misunderstandings, and the meaning of his relationships. I do wish the author had devoted a whole novel to this character—I found him fascinating and didn’t want the story to end.
Mr. Chee is a wonderful writer. I immediately went to his author page to see what else he has written as I definitely want to read him again. Thanks to the Amazon Original Stories Inheritance Collection for introducing me to this author.
Jack is a forty-ish Korean gay man who is dating 32-year-old Caleb, a white man. Gay marriage has just been legalized. Jack and Caleb attend their first gay wedding, an obviously new concept to Jack, which gets him thinking if that is something he would eventually like. A bit later the couple attends a second wedding, this one a heterosexual wedding between Jack’s close college friend Scott (a man who still occupies a significant place in Jack’s heart, particularly after a short sexual affair) and a Korean woman. This wedding has an entirely different and much more entangled effect on Jack.
This tale really struck a chord with me, and I quickly connected with Jack. Over a short time frame we are privy to Jack’s inner workings as he tries to figure out his complex feelings surrounding Caleb, Scott, ethnicity, homosexuality, misunderstandings, and the meaning of his relationships. I do wish the author had devoted a whole novel to this character—I found him fascinating and didn’t want the story to end.
Mr. Chee is a wonderful writer. I immediately went to his author page to see what else he has written as I definitely want to read him again. Thanks to the Amazon Original Stories Inheritance Collection for introducing me to this author.
December 23, 2019
The Weddings is the last to the Amazon Original Short Stories Inheritance Collection I have read. Well, not my favourite of the five I still really enjoyed it. The strength of this one is in the dynamics here between the characters at the weddings. I found the relationships, speculation and secrets here with the characters quite interesting. A few themes are explored here with the characters and an interesting as it all was I found a lot was said and not enough left to provoke deeper thoughts.
I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley.
I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley.
February 1, 2021
4★
“That someone might like you just for your ethnicity was its own violence.”
Rich and famous people are never quite sure if others like them for themselves or just hope some of the glitz will rub off on them. Jack is a gay Korean American, so his concerns are not only about looking Korean but also about being gay. His white roommate in college had always been obsessed by Koreans, so he was never quite sure about Scott’s feeling towards him.
“Scott was Jack’s white friend from college most likely to end up in a Korean wedding ceremony. He had dated a series of Asian women for his entire life, as if auditioning them for a role, and most of them were Korean.”
Jack and Scott have an unusual relationship and lose touch over the years. These days, Jack’s steady partner, Caleb, is white, and they are enough of a couple that they are invited to the wedding of a long-term gay couple as soon as it is made legal in the US. A good time is had by all.
“What was a federal gay marriage like? If this was any example, it involved a wedding with line dancing, a glitter cannon, Frozé and cheeseburgers served at midnight, and then afterward, everyone got high around a campfire and wandered back to their rented cabins, mostly with the people they came with.”
The second wedding is quite different, half Korean and half western, which has Jack questioning the invitation. Is he making up the numbers? If so, which? Jack knows very little about Korean culture – he looks Korean but was raised American – so he’s not sure how or where he fits.
This is a good read and a thoughtful piece about how we take things literally at face value when we see someone from a particular ethnic background. It also touches on many of the issues in the gay community, and I enjoyed Jack and Caleb’s affection and cautiousness around the fact that they are at weddings, when their own relationship isn’t that longstanding – yet.
I believe this is going to be an interesting collection of stories, and I thank Amazon for putting them together and NetGalley for allowing me a preview copy.
“That someone might like you just for your ethnicity was its own violence.”
Rich and famous people are never quite sure if others like them for themselves or just hope some of the glitz will rub off on them. Jack is a gay Korean American, so his concerns are not only about looking Korean but also about being gay. His white roommate in college had always been obsessed by Koreans, so he was never quite sure about Scott’s feeling towards him.
“Scott was Jack’s white friend from college most likely to end up in a Korean wedding ceremony. He had dated a series of Asian women for his entire life, as if auditioning them for a role, and most of them were Korean.”
Jack and Scott have an unusual relationship and lose touch over the years. These days, Jack’s steady partner, Caleb, is white, and they are enough of a couple that they are invited to the wedding of a long-term gay couple as soon as it is made legal in the US. A good time is had by all.
“What was a federal gay marriage like? If this was any example, it involved a wedding with line dancing, a glitter cannon, Frozé and cheeseburgers served at midnight, and then afterward, everyone got high around a campfire and wandered back to their rented cabins, mostly with the people they came with.”
The second wedding is quite different, half Korean and half western, which has Jack questioning the invitation. Is he making up the numbers? If so, which? Jack knows very little about Korean culture – he looks Korean but was raised American – so he’s not sure how or where he fits.
This is a good read and a thoughtful piece about how we take things literally at face value when we see someone from a particular ethnic background. It also touches on many of the issues in the gay community, and I enjoyed Jack and Caleb’s affection and cautiousness around the fact that they are at weddings, when their own relationship isn’t that longstanding – yet.
I believe this is going to be an interesting collection of stories, and I thank Amazon for putting them together and NetGalley for allowing me a preview copy.
November 20, 2019
Jack Cho and his boyfriend Caleb have recently returned from attending their first gay wedding, a wedding between two men who had been a couple for ten years, and were finally able to marry legally. It was held in the Catskills, a woodsy, happy but casual affair.
Until recently, there had been no reason for Jack to even contemplate marriage, as a 42 year-old gay man it had always been a closed avenue. But this wedding, a union of a couple already emotionally bound one to another, seemed to stir feelings he hadn’t realized he felt. Add to that, a second invitation arrives and Jack is invited to attend the wedding of Scott and his soon-to-be-bride, Soon-mi. It’s been years, which brings back memories of their friendship and old feelings return.
Like the other stories in this Inheritance Collection this story slowly reveals the thoughts, fears and dreams of these people as they navigate the changes that come as the years pass by.
Pub Date: 19 Dec 2019
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley
Until recently, there had been no reason for Jack to even contemplate marriage, as a 42 year-old gay man it had always been a closed avenue. But this wedding, a union of a couple already emotionally bound one to another, seemed to stir feelings he hadn’t realized he felt. Add to that, a second invitation arrives and Jack is invited to attend the wedding of Scott and his soon-to-be-bride, Soon-mi. It’s been years, which brings back memories of their friendship and old feelings return.
Like the other stories in this Inheritance Collection this story slowly reveals the thoughts, fears and dreams of these people as they navigate the changes that come as the years pass by.
Pub Date: 19 Dec 2019
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley
October 29, 2019
A real treat... by
Alexander Chee, who wrote “Queen of the Night”...a dazzling sensational novel.
“The Weddings”, captures all that is complicated and wonderful about being gay, about being straight, about weddings, and about secrets & predicaments.
“The Weddings”, is part of the Inheritance collection (5 book series)...
Sold by Amazon Digital Services)
The contributing authors to this series are:
Alice Hoffman, Julie Orringer, Anthony Marra, Jenifer Haigh, and Alexander Chee.
Alexander Chee, who wrote “Queen of the Night”...a dazzling sensational novel.
“The Weddings”, captures all that is complicated and wonderful about being gay, about being straight, about weddings, and about secrets & predicaments.
“The Weddings”, is part of the Inheritance collection (5 book series)...
Sold by Amazon Digital Services)
The contributing authors to this series are:
Alice Hoffman, Julie Orringer, Anthony Marra, Jenifer Haigh, and Alexander Chee.
December 8, 2019
The last story for me to read in this Amazon Inheritance Collection. Let me say this has been a remarkable collection of short stories, all of them of great quality and truly memorable.
The Weddings is about a gay couple who tackle the idea of getting married themselves at the same time as attending two weddings of their friends. These two weddings are very different from each other and raise very different issues for both Jack and Caleb.
I read this one while sitting at an airport waiting for a plane, and I was so engrossed in the story I only just managed to notice when my flight was called. I thought the characters of Jack and Caleb were both delightful and I enjoyed spending time with them very much.
A short but sweet read and I wish the author had given them a much longer book!
My thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Weddings is about a gay couple who tackle the idea of getting married themselves at the same time as attending two weddings of their friends. These two weddings are very different from each other and raise very different issues for both Jack and Caleb.
I read this one while sitting at an airport waiting for a plane, and I was so engrossed in the story I only just managed to notice when my flight was called. I thought the characters of Jack and Caleb were both delightful and I enjoyed spending time with them very much.
A short but sweet read and I wish the author had given them a much longer book!
My thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
December 8, 2019
This is an interesting short story on the role of marriage in today's society. Not long after gay marriage was legalised in the US, Jack Cho, a gay Korean American man attends his first gay wedding with his partner Caleb. He enjoys it a lot more than he expected to and starts to think that he might get married one day, although Caleb is not so keen. Accepting an invitation to the wedding of an old college friend, Scott to an American Korean woman, Soon-mi he finds it a very different sort of affair. Although he hadn't seen Scott for some years, they had history together but at the wedding finds he is not the man he thought he knew. He also is also made to confront the fact that in keeping with his parents emphasis on becoming American he has ignored his Korean heritage and knows little of the language or culture. A thoughtful short story that fits in well with the overarching theme of this Inheritence collection of stories from Amazon about secrets, unspoken desires, and dangerous revelations between loved ones.
With thanks to Netgalley and Amazon for a digital copy to read
With thanks to Netgalley and Amazon for a digital copy to read
January 5, 2020
So nice to meet you??? Ha! The story of the Buffalo wedding....a memory worth repeating for our protagonists.
After the first wedding they attended, Jack thinks Caleb is the one, but Caleb isn't quite into marriage. Then a surprise call and a second wedding invitation from one of Jack's past close friends....a friendship that still brings back fond feelings....and more than one dark secret, as it turns out, for the newly married straight groom.
My fourth read in the Inheritance Collection; another entertaining short read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the complimentary ebook in exchange for review.
August 29, 2020
Meh. Not feeling the love...
The star of this short story is a 42-year-old gay Korean-American man named Jack. He and his boyfriend go to a straight wedding. Jack is all in a tizzy about his secret, long-ago relationship with the groom. Scrambled-up emotions galore.
The story for sure is well-written, but I was bored and didn’t connect with Jack. I’m an outlier, but what can I say? Only that I looked at the “percentage read” at the bottom of my Kindle page way too often.
This is one of five short stories in Amazon’s 2019 Inheritance Collection, a pretty cool Kindle series. The other stories are: The Lion's Den, Zenith Man, Everything My Mother Taught Me, and Can You Feel This? (my favorite). Most of the writers are well-known.
I’ve read all five; The Weddings is my least favorite. The stories are cheap and available on Kindle--$1.99! They also are available as audio.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a copy.
The star of this short story is a 42-year-old gay Korean-American man named Jack. He and his boyfriend go to a straight wedding. Jack is all in a tizzy about his secret, long-ago relationship with the groom. Scrambled-up emotions galore.
The story for sure is well-written, but I was bored and didn’t connect with Jack. I’m an outlier, but what can I say? Only that I looked at the “percentage read” at the bottom of my Kindle page way too often.
This is one of five short stories in Amazon’s 2019 Inheritance Collection, a pretty cool Kindle series. The other stories are: The Lion's Den, Zenith Man, Everything My Mother Taught Me, and Can You Feel This? (my favorite). Most of the writers are well-known.
I’ve read all five; The Weddings is my least favorite. The stories are cheap and available on Kindle--$1.99! They also are available as audio.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a copy.
November 30, 2020
Rating: Very Good
Genre: Contemporary + LGBT
This short story is all about what a wedding is and what it means in the gay community. Jack Cho is a Korean man in his forties and he is invited to a gay wedding along with his long time white boyfriend Caleb. This wedding awakens many different feelings inside Jack. Does Jack wish to get married to his boyfriend? Yes, but of course, any wedding is the union of two persons so Caleb has to be ready for it too. After some time the couple gets invited to a straight wedding, the marriage of Jack’s friend Scott with whom he had a short sexual affair. The first wedding awakened certain feelings in Jack but the second will reinforce them inside out!
I liked this short story because it tackles so many important subjects like sexuality, equality, race, and ethnicity in a light way. Everything is discussed subtly and I was able to engage with the characters and their opinions. There are some funny moments as well which will make you smile or maybe laugh. The story is well written and despite being a short one I think the characters were well developed too. This is the fifth and last short story in the Inheritance series by Amazon and I recommend reading it.
Genre: Contemporary + LGBT
This short story is all about what a wedding is and what it means in the gay community. Jack Cho is a Korean man in his forties and he is invited to a gay wedding along with his long time white boyfriend Caleb. This wedding awakens many different feelings inside Jack. Does Jack wish to get married to his boyfriend? Yes, but of course, any wedding is the union of two persons so Caleb has to be ready for it too. After some time the couple gets invited to a straight wedding, the marriage of Jack’s friend Scott with whom he had a short sexual affair. The first wedding awakened certain feelings in Jack but the second will reinforce them inside out!
I liked this short story because it tackles so many important subjects like sexuality, equality, race, and ethnicity in a light way. Everything is discussed subtly and I was able to engage with the characters and their opinions. There are some funny moments as well which will make you smile or maybe laugh. The story is well written and despite being a short one I think the characters were well developed too. This is the fifth and last short story in the Inheritance series by Amazon and I recommend reading it.
December 14, 2019
3.5
The Weddings was the fourth short story I read from the Amazon Original Stories.
It is a competently written short-story, albeit I didn't feel as invested or captivated by it as it was the case with the previous three short stories I read.
Fourty something Korean American gay man feels like a fish out of water, as many of his gay friends and acquaintances are getting married, following the relatively recent legalisation of same-sex marriage.
When he's invited to an old college friend's wedding, memories resurface from his twenties. Will a certain chapter in his past close and will he be able to move on?
While this was not my favourite story, it was still well worth my time.
I've received this via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
The Weddings was the fourth short story I read from the Amazon Original Stories.
It is a competently written short-story, albeit I didn't feel as invested or captivated by it as it was the case with the previous three short stories I read.
Fourty something Korean American gay man feels like a fish out of water, as many of his gay friends and acquaintances are getting married, following the relatively recent legalisation of same-sex marriage.
When he's invited to an old college friend's wedding, memories resurface from his twenties. Will a certain chapter in his past close and will he be able to move on?
While this was not my favourite story, it was still well worth my time.
I've received this via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
June 15, 2020
3.5 stars
This was a really nice analysis of race and fetishization specifically through the lens of a middle aged, gay, Korean man named Jack. His experiences as a second gen immigrant and the only out gay man at his college, shaped how he interacts with his peers and in love/relationships in the future. This was a good read and I’m eager to read more from Chee. However I couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied at the end, there was this interesting subplot that never really amounted to anything, but in hindsight perhaps that was the point.
This was a really nice analysis of race and fetishization specifically through the lens of a middle aged, gay, Korean man named Jack. His experiences as a second gen immigrant and the only out gay man at his college, shaped how he interacts with his peers and in love/relationships in the future. This was a good read and I’m eager to read more from Chee. However I couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied at the end, there was this interesting subplot that never really amounted to anything, but in hindsight perhaps that was the point.
December 26, 2019
3-4 stars. In all honesty I didn’t find this one as interesting as the other two I’ve read in this collection. It didn’t captivate me although I think it’s very well written I’m not entirely what to make of it.
Jack Cho is gay, is Korean American but was raised with no understanding of his Korean heritage as his parents wanted full immersion in their adoptive country. His partner is Caleb. Whilst at college Jack had a brief fling with Scott who is obsessed with all things Korean. Scott invites Jack to his wedding to Korean Soon Li. Jack finds himself caught between two worlds. He’s not Korean enough for Korean Americans as he doesn’t speak the language nor is he accepted by elements of American society because he is gay and Korean to boot. He feels regret for his lack of knowledge of his heritage. The wedding is very bizarre and odd to say the least and you do feel Jack’s discomfort.
Jack Cho is gay, is Korean American but was raised with no understanding of his Korean heritage as his parents wanted full immersion in their adoptive country. His partner is Caleb. Whilst at college Jack had a brief fling with Scott who is obsessed with all things Korean. Scott invites Jack to his wedding to Korean Soon Li. Jack finds himself caught between two worlds. He’s not Korean enough for Korean Americans as he doesn’t speak the language nor is he accepted by elements of American society because he is gay and Korean to boot. He feels regret for his lack of knowledge of his heritage. The wedding is very bizarre and odd to say the least and you do feel Jack’s discomfort.
December 1, 2019
Another short story from Amazon, in a series of 5 books
This little read by Alexander Chee is a small book about love, weddings and a gay perspective about weddings and relationships
It was a good little story, compact and unique
Thank you to the author and Amazon for my early release
TheWeddings #NetGalley
This little read by Alexander Chee is a small book about love, weddings and a gay perspective about weddings and relationships
It was a good little story, compact and unique
Thank you to the author and Amazon for my early release
TheWeddings #NetGalley
February 4, 2020
3.5 stars. This is my last novella in the Inheritance collection, and this was one of my favorites (The other one being The Lion's Den). I’ve not read anything by Alexander Chee before, but I’m sure this will not be my last as I really liked his writing. This short felt fresh, and the voice of the main character very authentic. I especially liked the focus on and descriptions of the characters. Unlike most of the other shorts I felt like this was a complete story and I connected with Jack, which is amazing for a book of 49 pages.
September 23, 2024
This short story and the fifth in Amazon's Inheritance Collection is led by the main protagonist, Jack Cho. We see through Jack's eyes as a 40 something gay man who has fallen deeply in love with his boyfriend, Caleb. Jack cannot help but feel that marriage is just around the corner and yet it terrifies him. When Jack receives a wedding invite from an old college friend, all of these fears come to the surface.
And yet the feeling of wanting to marry someone was so unfamiliar, it was terrifying, and so he pushed it into a little box behind heart for two months, and he kept it there until this next wedding invitation arrived from Scott. When he took it out again.
I don't find that I really have a lot to say about this one. I liked the story but as I look at other reviews of it, I feel a bit like an outlier in that I wasn't as deeply moved as my fellow readers seem to be. 🤷♀️
Goodreads review published 23/06/20
And yet the feeling of wanting to marry someone was so unfamiliar, it was terrifying, and so he pushed it into a little box behind heart for two months, and he kept it there until this next wedding invitation arrived from Scott. When he took it out again.
I don't find that I really have a lot to say about this one. I liked the story but as I look at other reviews of it, I feel a bit like an outlier in that I wasn't as deeply moved as my fellow readers seem to be. 🤷♀️
Goodreads review published 23/06/20
June 13, 2021
I received this book from Net galley, in exchange for an honest review.
Jack and his boyfriend attend two weddings. The first wedding is between a couple of gay friends taking advantage of a change in the law.
This wedding is joyful and relaxed and leads Jack to wonder whether he might now consider getting married, possibly to his present boyfriend, Caleb.
The second wedding is a little more confusing. The groom is an old college friend but a little more. Scott is straight but years previously he and Jack had a one night stand and ever since Jack has been slightly bewildered as to the nature of their relationship.
Adding more confusion to the mix is the fact that although Scott is white he is more than a little obsessed with Koreans, seemingly trying to becoming Korean by constantly surrounding himself with Korean friends.
Unsurprisingly, Scott’s bride is Korean and he is marrying into a large, traditional Korean family.
As Jack observes the other guests he feels distanced from his Korean Heritage. When he looks at the Korean guests and family on the bride’s side of the aisle he wonders how he has ended up on the ‘white side’ of the aisle and realizes that the distance from his heritage is not just due to his parents desire for their children to assimilate but also his rejection by conservative Korean society for being gay.
Although Jack is in his 30s this is almost a coming of age story a journey of self-discovery. Jack is forced to confront some of his memories, examine his assumptions about certain relationships and reassess his cultural identity.
This is an interesting, well told story but it took a little while after I had finished reading to process Jack’s reactions.
I enjoyed it even more once I had mulled it over.
Jack and his boyfriend attend two weddings. The first wedding is between a couple of gay friends taking advantage of a change in the law.
This wedding is joyful and relaxed and leads Jack to wonder whether he might now consider getting married, possibly to his present boyfriend, Caleb.
The second wedding is a little more confusing. The groom is an old college friend but a little more. Scott is straight but years previously he and Jack had a one night stand and ever since Jack has been slightly bewildered as to the nature of their relationship.
Adding more confusion to the mix is the fact that although Scott is white he is more than a little obsessed with Koreans, seemingly trying to becoming Korean by constantly surrounding himself with Korean friends.
Unsurprisingly, Scott’s bride is Korean and he is marrying into a large, traditional Korean family.
As Jack observes the other guests he feels distanced from his Korean Heritage. When he looks at the Korean guests and family on the bride’s side of the aisle he wonders how he has ended up on the ‘white side’ of the aisle and realizes that the distance from his heritage is not just due to his parents desire for their children to assimilate but also his rejection by conservative Korean society for being gay.
Although Jack is in his 30s this is almost a coming of age story a journey of self-discovery. Jack is forced to confront some of his memories, examine his assumptions about certain relationships and reassess his cultural identity.
This is an interesting, well told story but it took a little while after I had finished reading to process Jack’s reactions.
I enjoyed it even more once I had mulled it over.
June 29, 2020
I was impressed by how complex the relationships and characters were in this story of one couple at a series of weddings.
(This story is part of Inheritance, a collection of five stories about secrets, unspoken desires, and dangerous revelations between loved ones from Amazon Original Stories. Not a paid advertisement.)
(This story is part of Inheritance, a collection of five stories about secrets, unspoken desires, and dangerous revelations between loved ones from Amazon Original Stories. Not a paid advertisement.)
August 28, 2021
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3.5 stars
In just under fifty pages Alexander Chee examines a man's changing relationship to his old college friend. The weddings of the title are the backdrop to our protagonists' personal crisis.
Jack Cho is a forty-something man in a committed relationship with Caleb. When they are invited to attend the wedding of a friend of Caleb's, Jack finds himself, for the very first time, wondering if he too will marry. Soon after the couple is invited to the wedding of Scott, Jack's college 'friend'.
Jack is forced to confront his own repressed feelings for Scott. As certain details come to light, he becomes aware of having idealised this past relationship.
There were many realistically awkward moments and some great commentary regarding marriage (the pressure to marry, the way weddings become displays of the couple's love).
Jack's self-analysis was detailed in a poignant prose that conveyed his hurt and unwillingness to see Scott for who he truly is.
This short story also touches upon: fetishisation (naive as I am, I had no idea what 'rice queen' and 'rice king' meant), the double 'rejection' that Jack often feels being Korean American (Koreans will not view him as truly Korean and white Americans will question his nationality).
My only 'complaint' is that there was the occasional twee phrase:
Overall however this was a short yet intelligent story that pays careful attention to those awkward pauses and heavy silences that can fill a conversation. It reminded me a bit of Come Rain or Come Shine: Faber Stories by Kazuo Ishiguro and certain short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri.
3.5 stars
“Why am I here? he asks himself. What am I doing?”
In just under fifty pages Alexander Chee examines a man's changing relationship to his old college friend. The weddings of the title are the backdrop to our protagonists' personal crisis.
Jack Cho is a forty-something man in a committed relationship with Caleb. When they are invited to attend the wedding of a friend of Caleb's, Jack finds himself, for the very first time, wondering if he too will marry. Soon after the couple is invited to the wedding of Scott, Jack's college 'friend'.
Jack is forced to confront his own repressed feelings for Scott. As certain details come to light, he becomes aware of having idealised this past relationship.
There were many realistically awkward moments and some great commentary regarding marriage (the pressure to marry, the way weddings become displays of the couple's love).
Jack's self-analysis was detailed in a poignant prose that conveyed his hurt and unwillingness to see Scott for who he truly is.
This short story also touches upon: fetishisation (naive as I am, I had no idea what 'rice queen' and 'rice king' meant), the double 'rejection' that Jack often feels being Korean American (Koreans will not view him as truly Korean and white Americans will question his nationality).
My only 'complaint' is that there was the occasional twee phrase:
“Scott was so much trouble, whatever the reason was. A beautiful disaster.”
Overall however this was a short yet intelligent story that pays careful attention to those awkward pauses and heavy silences that can fill a conversation. It reminded me a bit of Come Rain or Come Shine: Faber Stories by Kazuo Ishiguro and certain short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri.
“Even then, ha he would endlessly be a curiosity and not a person. He would forget this was true and then be reminded this way, this he most recent in the jarring series of moments that threaded thorough his whole life in America. When did it end? When would they all just get used to him—to all of them?”
December 22, 2019
2019 was the year I read all of Chee's works. A great capper to his wonderful writing.
January 14, 2023
Oh my 😳
This was an interesting and sad read, and it really shows how some men are subjected to living lives according to their families instead of being true to themselves. I hope Scott gets out but it really looks like he won’t he will forever be in the closet and as for Jack , I hope he will eventually be happy with Caleb and even their story gives me doubts that they will be happy
This was an interesting and sad read, and it really shows how some men are subjected to living lives according to their families instead of being true to themselves. I hope Scott gets out but it really looks like he won’t he will forever be in the closet and as for Jack , I hope he will eventually be happy with Caleb and even their story gives me doubts that they will be happy
January 16, 2020
A great short story about gay relationships and the questions on marriage if possible
dnf
April 15, 2023DNF @ 3%
Struggled with this entire short story series. By the time I got to this one, I just tried a few pages and gave up for good.
Struggled with this entire short story series. By the time I got to this one, I just tried a few pages and gave up for good.
March 21, 2023
it was interesting
I never heard a gay story so I’m a little at loss for words for all the depictions. But it was a good story nonetheless.
I never heard a gay story so I’m a little at loss for words for all the depictions. But it was a good story nonetheless.
February 7, 2020
3.5 stars
The Weddings by Alexander Chee is a short story.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Amazon Original Stories, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Jack Cho, a gay Korean-American, considers marrying for the first time, now that it is legal. Caleb, his boyfriend, is not yet on the bandwagon.
When Jack is invited to the wedding of his straight college room-mate Scott, who he had crushed on, his mind wanders. Jack ruminates about marriage in general, about his love for this room-mate, and if, perchance, he still actually loves him. He wonders about Caleb, about the fact that he hadn't really told Caleb much about Scott.
My Opinions:
This is one of five stories (all by different authors), in the "Inheritance" Collection of Amazon Short Stories. They are all about secrets within families, and the consequences that come from those secrets.
The story is about love, about marriage, about culture, and simply about fear of the unknown. It was well-written, showing the range of emotions Jack goes through while exploring his regrets, his guilt, his fears, his love.
Overall, it was a good story.
For a more complete review of this book and others (including author information and quotations), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
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