Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians
Kevin Kwan, 2013

Premise: Romance meets riches in Singapore as a wedding brings relationships under tension in a sprawling wealthy clan.

I saw the movie adaptation (sort of) last year, and I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it. (I saw a version cut for TV while I was in the hospital for the birth of my daughter, so it was, shall we say, a nontraditional movie-watching experience.)

There are some differences between the movie and the book (notably the resolution of the main plot), but having seen the movie really helped me follow the book in this case. I didn’t get sidetracked trying to remember all the side characters because I knew the main players and the major plot beats. 

The result of all that? I really liked the book a lot. 

I liked Rachel and Nick, the main couple, and while I liked their romance, I really liked how the book called Nick out more for being oblivious to his own wealth and how it would affect their relationship. 

I liked Astrid a lot; I found her story compelling and sad. I liked how much time the book could spend elaborating on the larger family and the bizarre quirks of their insular world. 

Overall the book is about how much that kind of money screws up relationships, and you see that play out many times across many couples, as well as friends. Plus it’s fun and funny. I’m probably going to check out the sequel... before the movie comes out. 

4 Stars - A Very Good Book