Quick Synopsis

A novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

Publisher’s Synopsis

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years―she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe’s plan―which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined―and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.

Book Review

The Wedding People is a contemporary fiction novel that takes place at a wedding in Newport, Rhode Island. When Phoebe Stone checks into the Cornwall Hotel, she discovers that she is the only overnight guest not attending the wedding set on the grounds. But Phoebe’s plan for her stay is disrupted by the bride Lila, who is concerned Phoebe will ruin her perfectly-planned wedding.

I had seen so much hype for this book pre-publication and was excited to read and hopefully love it. Sadly, I could not make it even 100 pages into The Wedding People. The story starts extremely slowly without establishing a reason for readers to care about any of the characters introduced. After slogging through 89 pages, I eventually gave up after having heard from a slew of friends who agreed that this book is not it. (I also heard from some friends who suggested that I continue on at least until “the boat scene” on page 115 and others who suggested I try it as an audiobook.) Since I did not finish the novel, I cannot provide a full review, but I can tell you why I put it aside despite working really hard to capture a perfect picture for the title.

As I mentioned, The Wedding People is incredibly slow to start as it establishes that Phoebe’s life has fallen apart. Her husband left her. She is floundering at work. And now her only companion, her cat, is dead. Although it is crucial to the plot that these things be established, the nature in which they are makes the first 50+ pages a depressing slog. I particularly struggled with this after the synopsis had promised me a funny, tender read.

Things really started to go wrong when it becomes clear that Phoebe intends to kill herself. I still cannot believe the flippant tone and impertinent nature in which Allison Espach discusses suicide. It is not handled in a serious nature, and Phoebe’s intention is not easily believable. Moreover, the way in which her “suicide attempt” is narrated felt incredibly insensitive. I am not entirely sure what is to blame – the writing, the tone, or the characters’ actions.

In addition, I did not enjoy Espach’s writing. The Wedding People reads as overwritten. It is clear that Espach desperately wanted the prose to be cunning but her attempts fail. Readers are left with overly earnest writing that forces humor, sometimes in odd places.

The last straw for me was Lila, the bride-to-be. As soon as she is introduced, it becomes clear that Lila will become a main character. Not only is she the epitome of spoiled rich girl who is completely oblivious to other people, Lila is rude and self-centered, yet loquacious. To be honest, I just cannot right now with out-of-touch wealthy people. I feel like I am forced to listen to too many of their opinions as is and reading about another one who is spending more than $1 million on a wedding is completely unappealing.

Overall, The Wedding People is a divisive book that has split people. The consensus seems to be that you either like it from the start or around 100 pages in, or it never holds your interest.

Rating

Did Not Finish