Name: Crazy Rich Asians
Rating: 3.825056433408578 (886 reviews)
ISBN: 9783036957975

Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians

Envisioning a summer vacation in the humble Singapore home of a boy she hopes to marry, Chinese American Rachel Chu is unexpectedly introduced to a rich and scheming clan that strongly opposes their son's relationship with an American girl.

It was a light-hearted book, however, there were so many characters and stories woven into the one overall story that it was difficult to keep track of everyone and everything.  The author tended to describe everything in a setting which added to the weight of reading the book.  

Beverley McInnis

Tim Pendry

The 'Crazy Rich Asians' franchise appeared at just the right time, much like Peter York's 'The Sloane Ranger Handbook' in 1982, reporting on a real phenomenon, re-creating and extending what had been observed for the market where it blossomed into rising middle class aspiration. There really are Crazy Rich Asians as much as there really were Sloane Rangers (I dated a few of the latter back in the day so I have evidence of their existence). My East Asian wife has testified to the existence of the former although they are by no means as extreme as Kevin Kwan's satirical creations. This is a shallow world in which vast sums of money are expended on status, style, fashion, food, interior design and expensive travel. It is a book about Rich People's Problems and so should not engage us too much as mere mortals. Yet it is well crafted and entertaining as light reading. The author knows his audience. This is not the subject of his satire but the comfortably off middle classes who circulate the rich like dust motes around a lamp. They need to feel morally superior while not condemning too much what they not-so-secretly fantasise about becoming. Kwan does this by creating a love story of class tension between two thoroughly Westernised young Asian professional people (Michael and Rachel) who are plunged into the crazy rich world of East Asia when Rachel visits Michael's family for the first time just as their relationship becomes 'serious'. The romantic model here is an old one - Jane Austen's shade can be seen flitting around in the background. Of course, we all know that the solid, ethically grounded and serious two little 'bourgeois' will triump over an ethically challenged and shallow East Asian environment. Kwan writes well when he wants to. The final chapters of misunderstanding and reconciliation represent a sensitive understanding of human psychology yet the bulk of the book remains a catalogue of lists of brands, foods, the interiors of houses, ambition and posturing. There is quite a bit of nastiness here but no one is presented as truly evil. Kwan's satire is quite muted whenever there is any risk of it slipping over into a critique of how these Asians got their wealth, of capitalism and exploitation and so on and so forth. It is just a shallow entertainment. He does get in a nice crack about the Opium Wars at one point and the book is riddled with ethnic snobberies but, while we do see that not everyone is rich very occasionally, the situation is taken as read. This is just how the world is and is it not fun?! It is comfort food for the Asian-origin wing of the Western upper middle classes filling that age old need for validation of their own status by demonstrating moral superiority to those with more than they have while never questioning their material position in relation to those who have less. But there is no point in getting overly serious about what is the literary equivalent of one of the ornate sweet foodstuffs about which the protagonists may enthuse. It was written for the market and it works at the level. When Kwan can get off the ride and the theme is exhausted (there are at least two more sequels and, of course, his rights from the movie), it will be interesting to see if he can use the literary talent that sometimes emerges despite the tale to create something different and more interesting. However, like Peter York, even if he does nothing else, Kwan has created a memorable meme and encapsulated in this book at least one classic phenomenon of globalisation that needed its satirical voice without frightening the horses. In that, he has succeeded.

Renee Dick

I had a really hard time getting into this book. it was a book club selection, very different from what I usually read. however, once I got to about halfway, I sailed through it, and in the end, am f glad I finished. it was a good book. too many characters to be able to keep straight at times, but it was enjoyable.

A hilarious and heartwarming New York Times bestselling novel—the basis for the acclaimed major motion picture! "There's rich, there's filthy rich, and then there's crazy rich ... A Pride and Prejudice-like send-up about an heir bringing his Chinese-American girlfriend home to meet his ancestor-obsessed family.” –PEOPLE When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor. On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers. Look for Kevin Kwan’s latest novel, Sex & Vanity!

Jennifer

Quick, light read. The best, most exciting part of the story was the end. Plot twist! Finally some depth to the world of shallow aesthetics. Fun surprise: There’s so much I learned from the footnotes - the Malaysian/Singaporean history, culture, language, etc. Are these characters based on real people?? I can’t imagine this kind of wealth. I also wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep up with all the characters but referring to pictures of the movie cast helped me remember who was who. Kerry is the real MVP. (Also Peik Lin) I would read Kerry’s story as a novel any day over this tbh.

Made me cackle while simultaneously making me confused. yk, rich ppl problems lol

wdds.

Als Rachel ihren Partner Nick zu einer Hochzeit in dessen Heimatstadt Singapur begleitet, ahnt sie nicht, was sie dort erwartet. Nick, so stellt sie plötzlich fest, stammt aus einer der reichsten Familien Asiens. Konfrontiert mit schrägen Verwandten, listigen Nebenbuhlerinnen und einem Lebensstil, den man eher Königen zuschreiben würde, stellt sich bald die Frage, wie rein Liebe in einer Welt des Glamours und des grenzenlosen Reichtums sein kann. Crazy Rich Asians wurde zu einem weltweiten Hype, stand in den USA monatelang in den Top Ten der New York TimesBestsellerliste und wurde als Crazy Rich erfolgreich fürs Kino verfilmt. Eine unterhaltsame Liebesgeschichte vor einem einzigartigen Hintergrund! »Diese 48-Karat-Strandlektüre macht verrückt viel Spaß.« Entertainment Weekly »Voyeurismus der ausgelassensten Sorte: ein Blick in die sonst hermetisch abgeriegelte Welt der asiatischen Superreichen.« Süddeutsche Zeitung »Die Blockbuster-Strandlektüre dieses Sommers.« The Guardian »Ein Bestsellerroman, der auch noch erfolgreich verfilmt wurde.« The New York Times »Singapur von seiner reichsten und funkelndsten Seite.« O, The Oprah Magazine »Es ist unmöglich, sich nicht in diesen Roman über das Leben einer riesigen Wichtigtuerfamilie hineinziehen zu lassen.« Glamour

Kattia

lauren

personally love this series 😈 so dramatic and delicious!

unnatural dialogue and horribly forced usage of singaporean slang. i did like the luxury stuff

chloe

★★★ // quite entertaining if you read it for cultural knowledge and for the satire. a tiny bit annoying if you think too much about it, considering how shallow most of the characters are, and there's little to no plot to speak of. maybe that’s the point.

duha

Picked up this book after watching the movie adaptation, and I am far from disappointed. Kevin Kwan delves deep into the side characters' story beside the main character's without making it seem redundant and useless. 

Not to mention Rachel and Nick's chemistry! Nothing about them feels forced. Although their relationship is heavily criticized by external sources, his reassurance and dedication to Rachel makes it seem like nothing but a small bump in their relationship. Definitely cried tears of joy by the end of this book.

A fun and delightful read for the weekend, definitely worth to pick up at your local library/bookstore.

Quinn Tenorio

Having seen the movie adaptation already, I went in knowing well that not everything would be the same and I wasn't expecting some deeper meaning behind the stories being told. This is a fantastic book to lose yourself in and enjoy some drama. Thumbs up for a nice fun book, which is easy to blow through in no time! Kwan certainly has a way with setting up the book, stories, and of course leaving cliffhangers that keeps you returning for more.

Patricia Nelson

What an enjoyable ride!! The author does a great job of explaining places and a culture the reader might not be familiar with but the story doesn’t get bogged down with it. Can’t wait to see the movie!

Briar's Reviews

Crazy Rich Asians is a fun, comedic romance that opened my eyes to a whole new world!

Before anyone asks, yes, I read this book because I saw the movie and loved it. Was the movie identical to the book? No. Was it still super cute and a great adaption? Yes. So, now that we're past the point that the movie introduced me to the book, onto my book review!

I found this book to be the perfect mix of romance, comedy and knowledge! I absolutely loved being introduced to a variety of Asian words and concepts in this book. There aren't many books out there (that I have read, anyways) that make me feel like I've learned so much while having a good time! 

The book did feel soap opera-y, but I loved every second of it! I'm at the point that I'm desperate for the sequel, and can't wait to get my hands on it! The characters were interesting and all had crazy backgrounds, the drama was high, and the family values were intriguing. 

I have no idea how honest/true the Asian side of the story is, but it did make me more interested in Asian cultures. I love when books can open your eyes to a world you haven't thought about looking at before, so I give lots of praise to Kevin Kwan! Books like these truly deserve attention, because not only are they well written but they pull the minorities out of the background. Even if it's not totally accurate, I'm sure at least a few more readers can appreciate the Asian culture!

This book could easily be binged (if you have time to read a 500+ page book). I seriously wanted to continue reading it, but I just didn't have time! That being said, every chance I got I was instantly glued to the pages. 

I loved Nick and Rachel, I loved Kerry, I loved Peik Lin, I loved Astrid and I loved every little description that Kevin Kwan had woven into this tale. I seriously felt for these characters all along the way (even the "bad guys"...sometimes...). I really hope the drama between certain characters (like Astrid's story) are expanded in the next books, because they were all so interesting! There wasn't enough pages to really see all of the characters! Luckily there are at least two more books to devour to learn a little bit more about my fave characters...

There are some cons about this book, but for me it wasn't to hard to fly past them. The story jumps a lot between chapters (point of view, time changes, etc.). Also, some of the characters felt very... stereotypical (that's the best word I have for them right now). Is that necessarily a bad thing? No. But many other reviewers are complaining about parts of this book. To me, I didn't really care. It didn't take away from the fun of the story.

Would I recommend this book to other readers? HECK YES! If you love romance, a splash of comedy, and Asian representation, then get on it! The movie just makes this book more in the spotlight, which should help it's sales. The book is dramatic, but it's a fun and wild ride!

Also, I loved the cover. It's simplistic and yet perfectly summarizes the story in a weird way.

Five out of five stars!

Crazy Rich Asians

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