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Wedlock
Jonathan R. Rose’s feminist fable slices into the reader with the satirical razor of Angela Carter. — James M Wright
Growing up in a small highway town, Elena Corzo always dreamt of attending university in her country’s capital city. After leaving home and finally arriving in the sprawling metropolis however, she becomes overwhelmed by its relentless movement, suffocating population, strange customs and unaffordable prices. Less than a month to go before her classes begin, Elena finds herself trapped in perdition, where she catches the eye of Diego Bustamante. Handsome, successful and protective, he showers her with thoughtful gifts and undivided attention. He is like a prince, dedicated to treating Elena like a princess. But she is unaware of the steep price princesses have to pay for their fairy tales, a price that becomes all too real, and all too frightening, when it is finally revealed. Thrilling and unsettling, Wedlock will make you think twice about the cost of losing yourself and accepting the ring.
An acidic and addictive parable of a toxic marriage. Jonathan R. Rose turns a gritty lens on our quest for the perfect romance, skillfully showing just how insane society can get with its espousal of the long term relationship. —David Massengill, author of Red Swarm and The Skin That Fits .
Wedlock begins innocently a young girl moves to the big city and meets Prince Charming, except in this fairy tale, happily ever after is a deadly illusion. A story about the dangers of patriarchy and blind acceptance of the status quo, Wedlock is claustrophobic, unsettling, and infuriating, in all the best ways. Rose is a master at turning the mundane into a nightmare. Wedlock might be the most “realistic” of his novels but that only makes the escalating terror more devastating. —Alana I. Capria, author of Wrapped in Red and Mother Walked Into the Lake
Jonathan R. Rose’s feminist fable slices into the reader with the satirical razor of Angela Carter. The novel takes off like a runaway you think you know where it’s going but you have to ride it to the end. An enthralling book with serious thought behind it. His dissection of the common masculine conceit that women must be protected is definitive. It’s not about protection, it’s about control. Rose is spot on in this flawlessly told story. Read it and weep for the sad plight of women, men, and marriage. —James M Wright, author of Rhizome and The Kraken Imaginary .
Growing up in a small highway town, Elena Corzo always dreamt of attending university in her country’s capital city. After leaving home and finally arriving in the sprawling metropolis however, she becomes overwhelmed by its relentless movement, suffocating population, strange customs and unaffordable prices. Less than a month to go before her classes begin, Elena finds herself trapped in perdition, where she catches the eye of Diego Bustamante. Handsome, successful and protective, he showers her with thoughtful gifts and undivided attention. He is like a prince, dedicated to treating Elena like a princess. But she is unaware of the steep price princesses have to pay for their fairy tales, a price that becomes all too real, and all too frightening, when it is finally revealed. Thrilling and unsettling, Wedlock will make you think twice about the cost of losing yourself and accepting the ring.
An acidic and addictive parable of a toxic marriage. Jonathan R. Rose turns a gritty lens on our quest for the perfect romance, skillfully showing just how insane society can get with its espousal of the long term relationship. —David Massengill, author of Red Swarm and The Skin That Fits .
Wedlock begins innocently a young girl moves to the big city and meets Prince Charming, except in this fairy tale, happily ever after is a deadly illusion. A story about the dangers of patriarchy and blind acceptance of the status quo, Wedlock is claustrophobic, unsettling, and infuriating, in all the best ways. Rose is a master at turning the mundane into a nightmare. Wedlock might be the most “realistic” of his novels but that only makes the escalating terror more devastating. —Alana I. Capria, author of Wrapped in Red and Mother Walked Into the Lake
Jonathan R. Rose’s feminist fable slices into the reader with the satirical razor of Angela Carter. The novel takes off like a runaway you think you know where it’s going but you have to ride it to the end. An enthralling book with serious thought behind it. His dissection of the common masculine conceit that women must be protected is definitive. It’s not about protection, it’s about control. Rose is spot on in this flawlessly told story. Read it and weep for the sad plight of women, men, and marriage. —James M Wright, author of Rhizome and The Kraken Imaginary .
174 pages, Paperback
Published May 25, 2022
3 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan R. Rose
4 books67 followersBorn and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, Jonathan R. Rose has always been surrounded by different cultural perspectives and experiences, which inspired his love of learning and exploration. As a result, he has spent more than a third of his life in other countries, including Mexico, where he lived for almost 10 years, and Argentina, where he lived for 2 years.
His first novel, Carrion, was published by Montag Press (based out of Oakland, California) in 2015. Montag Press also published his second novel, The Spirit of Laughter, in June of 2020, and his third novel, Wedlock, in June of 2022. His newest book, a work of nonfiction titled After The Flames, was released by Dundurn Press in January of 2024.
His short stories have appeared in several literary magazines, including The Spadina Literary Review, The Danforth Review, Nebula Rift Science Fiction Magazine and Lumiere De Nuit (based out of Puebla, Mexico).
To learn more about Jonathan R. Rose, you can visit his website at www.JonathanRRose.com
His first novel, Carrion, was published by Montag Press (based out of Oakland, California) in 2015. Montag Press also published his second novel, The Spirit of Laughter, in June of 2020, and his third novel, Wedlock, in June of 2022. His newest book, a work of nonfiction titled After The Flames, was released by Dundurn Press in January of 2024.
His short stories have appeared in several literary magazines, including The Spadina Literary Review, The Danforth Review, Nebula Rift Science Fiction Magazine and Lumiere De Nuit (based out of Puebla, Mexico).
To learn more about Jonathan R. Rose, you can visit his website at www.JonathanRRose.com
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 13, 2022
Wedlock is a character driven Fish out of water story that cranks the main character’s discomfort as she makes her way through a new life of materialism, intimacy, and regret.
Rose makes use of subtle character choices to tell us about his protagonist (Elena), and writes the book from Elena’s perspective, which leaves us wondering about Diego and his intentions. This doubt provides the central motivation for pushing from one chapter to the next as we make the same guesses as the central protagonist.
Equal parts character study and romance, Wedlock makes for impulsive reading. I’m going to read ‘the spirit of laughter’ by the author next.
Rose makes use of subtle character choices to tell us about his protagonist (Elena), and writes the book from Elena’s perspective, which leaves us wondering about Diego and his intentions. This doubt provides the central motivation for pushing from one chapter to the next as we make the same guesses as the central protagonist.
Equal parts character study and romance, Wedlock makes for impulsive reading. I’m going to read ‘the spirit of laughter’ by the author next.
Displaying 1 of 1 review