WEDDING PICTURES
by Jacqueline Carey
Thirty or so short dialogues, each with a full-page color painting to illustrate, make up this short story (billed as a ``novel'') about the wedding between two yuppies, from their offbeat proposal to the last minutes of the trendy reception. Those expecting a Serial-style flash of humor will be disappointed by this rather mundane tale of reluctant newlyweds surrounded by their adulterous siblings, lecherous friends, and insufferable parents. Not engaging enough to stage as a play, these snippets of upper- middle-class banter might make a good half hour on TV. The illustrations nicely capture key moments in the story, and often add sly little details in the backgrounds. Osborn's New Yorker-ish style will guarantee that this book shows up at bridal showers this wedding season, if only to console more conventional brides.