New Edition of Alexander Chee's 'Edinburgh' Explores Trauma and Time

A new edition of Alexander Chee's novel 'Edinburgh' is being released, featuring an introduction that examines the book's innovative treatment of time and trauma. The novel, first published twenty-five years ago, tells the story of Aphias Zhe, known as Fee, who experiences childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a choir director named Big Eric. The narrative employs a first-person present tense that is retrospective, blending immediate experience with reflective wisdom. This technique creates a disorienting sense of time, where past and present merge, reflecting the psychological impact of trauma. The introduction notes that the novel's formal choices respond to a crisis in Fee's experience of time, turning it into a question. The story also incorporates generational trauma, as Fee's father is Korean and his paternal grandparents live in Maine, and weaves in myths such as that of a fox-demon. The novel critiques heroic narratives, suggesting that Fee must abandon ideas of saviorhood to minimize harm. Ultimately, it offers a vision of living with impurity and finding value in what is missing, as exemplified by Fee's grandfather's tai chi practice and his relationship with Bridey, a man he meets in college. The new edition includes this introduction, which was drawn from the original text.