Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan

Decadence and opulence on every page!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Did I buy this book because I loved the film? Yes, yes I did. Did I like it as much as the film? Not exactly. This isn't a bad book at all, in fact it is quite a compelling read and I will be buying the two sequels, but it is a lot more intricate than the film version, and it delves a lot deeper into the family tree which makes it a hell of a lot more complicated!

Down-to-earth New York economist Rachel Chu has no idea of the world she is about to walk into when she agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend. After two years she is about to meet Nick's family for the first time, but nothing could have prepared her for these crazy rich Asians, their lavish lifestyles and their unabashed snobbery. This summer is certainly not going the way she expected!

This book is a lesson on 'how the other half live', extreme Asia edition. Descriptive passages of interior decor span full pages, and fashion designers and obscure artists are name-dropped in every conversational interaction. At first I'll admit I found this quite irritating, it made some sections really hard work to get through and it felt like it was interrupting the narrative. However, the further I read I realised that this absurd over the top imagery provided by Kwan is intentional, and feeds into a cleverly cultivated alienating effect that drives home the 'them' and 'us' dichotomy of the book.

Another thing I loved about this book is how deliciously gossip-y it is. It is basically like Mean Girls on steroids in thirty degree heat, and it makes for some highly entertaining reading. I know we all like to kid ourselves that we don't like to get involved in bitchiness and drama, but this reels you in, hook, line and sinker!

Sadly, for me the ending left a lot to be desired. I understand that it leads on to the second novel, but I found it a bit disappointing. Maybe that is because I have seen the film, and it provides the classic happy ending that the book only nods it's head towards? Who knows, but even so I am excited to dive into the second book of the trilogy 'China Rich Girlfriend' , and see where the story leads next!

H x