Status
Available
Series
Publication
Anchor (2014), Edition: Reprint, 544 pages
Description
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.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member lisamunro
I didn't finish this, as I couldn't really care quite enough about the characters. The novel seems to try to take a Carl Hiaasen approach and weave multiple stories into a single narrative, though it seemed less than effective here. There's some conflict as Rachel tries to square the guy she knows
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with the super rich guy he is in Asia, but in the end, it doesn't seem to be enough to drive the story forward. Aside from Rachel, the obviously normal person we're supposed to empathize with, there wasn't a single character I liked. The rest of the characters seemed shallow, one dimensional, and utterly intolerable. The writing seemed cliched as well and couldn't hold my interest. I've got other books on my list I want to read more. Show Less
LibraryThing member MickyFine
When Nick Young invites his girlfriend, Rachel Chu, to spend the summer with him in Asia - starting with attending the wedding of Nick's best friend and meeting Nick's family - Rachel is a tiny bit anxious. When Nick and Rachel arrive in Singapore, she discovers that her boyfriend is a member of a
The friend who recommended this book to me told me that it would appeal to the side of me that loves Jane Austen and while it's by no means a readalike for those novels, I have to admit that the book was a hit for me. The novel, while revolving around Nick and Rachel, has a broader cast of characters, all with their own subplots and who all have their own levels of snobbery and (lack of) obsession with wealth. The title is no misnomer, the novel explores the world of an elite of which I had very little knowledge, which makes it all the more fascinating. And while the descriptions of extravagance can be at times charming or nauseating, it is the characters at the heart of the novel that made it so compulsively readable. I will definitely be reading the follow-up novel sooner rather than later.
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family that is amongst the highly exclusive population of insanely rich in all of Asia. As Rachel attempts to grapple with the realities of Nick's social circle fileed with private jets, couture clothing, and jewelry at prices that could feed a small country, Nick's family are desperately trying to prevent the perceived catastrophe that would be Nick's ongoing relationship with a nobody. As world's collide, it remains up in the air as to whether Nick and Rachel's relationship can survive.The friend who recommended this book to me told me that it would appeal to the side of me that loves Jane Austen and while it's by no means a readalike for those novels, I have to admit that the book was a hit for me. The novel, while revolving around Nick and Rachel, has a broader cast of characters, all with their own subplots and who all have their own levels of snobbery and (lack of) obsession with wealth. The title is no misnomer, the novel explores the world of an elite of which I had very little knowledge, which makes it all the more fascinating. And while the descriptions of extravagance can be at times charming or nauseating, it is the characters at the heart of the novel that made it so compulsively readable. I will definitely be reading the follow-up novel sooner rather than later.
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LibraryThing member ASKelmore
est for: People looking for a comic look at the absurdity of obscene wealth.
In a nutshell: Nick is the kind of wealthy that never talks about money. His girlfriend Rachel doesn’t know it. He brings her home to Singapore to meet his family, and things get awkward.
Worth quoting:
“All her life
(I find this metaphor — or is it simile? — ridiculous because women =/= flowers, but I also weirdly like the imagery.)
Why I chose it:
The film’s trailer was released two days ago. I decided it was finally time to suck it up and pick it up (I’d been avoiding it for years because I don’t like the use of words like ‘crazy.’).
Review:
(some minor spoilers below)
After I finished the book I went back to read other Cannonball Read reviews. I’m intrigued by how many folks thought it wasn’t that great — I think maybe we viewed it through different lenses? I went into this knowing that I would find so much of it absurd, and I think the fact that the author is clearly both interested in pointing out the absurdity of many of these people AND is aware that lots of people like absurdly fancy shit (whether than can afford it or not) made it pretty easy for me to dive into this ridiculous world for awhile.
I loved the book. I devoured it. I enjoyed that Mr. Kwan was able to write chapters from multiple perspectives. (Seriously, that takes talent, to not just create many characters, but to take their point of view and have them really be different characters.) I liked that while some of the women were horrible, they weren’t all just one-dimensional materialistic harpies. There were very rich women that were appealing, and very rich women who … super weren’t. The men were also more complicated than just absent fathers or playboys. Nick, for example, seems to be a genuinely good guy, but his actions result in some pretty serious distress for quite a few people because he lacks some self-awareness. Astrid is obviously someone who has no real comprehension of how much money she has, but she’s also, to me, extremely likable in trying to lead a life that matches what her husband is comfortable with.
One of my favorite parts are the friendships between Colin and Nick and between Rachel and Piek Lin. Colin and Araminta pick Nick and Rachel up from the airport in Singapore is so … normal. These are people we will come to learn are essentially Singapore royalty, and they want to do the things friends do: welcome their friends to town and take them out. I also like that Rachel is pretty chill for most of the trip, and then when it makes sense, just sort of loses her shit. Not in a theatric way, but in the way many people do: she completely shuts down.
At the same time, I also like how unlikable so many of characters are. Nick’s mother Eleanor and her friends are obnoxious and kind of shitty parents. They can convince themselves they’re trying to do what is best for their kids, but they don’t really KNOW their kids at all. And Eddie … I’ve not wanted to smack a character so badly as I did here. What. An. Asshole.
I’ve seen some reviews that chastise Mr. Kwan for being so ostentatious in his descriptions of things like clothing and decor, but I feel it’s necessary. This isn’t the kind of rich I’m familiar with — these are definitely not the Kardashians. These are next-level rich, and I think that’s fascinating. It’s not the only thing I want to read about in life because it’s not realistic, but then neither is the world of Game of Thrones. If the only books available were books like this, that would be a problem (I want novels about people who aren’t absurdly rich), but I think Mr. Kwan does a great job with this one. I’m interested in the characters, and I’m putting off starting the next book until tomorrow because it’s late and I know I’ll just stay up reading it.
In a nutshell: Nick is the kind of wealthy that never talks about money. His girlfriend Rachel doesn’t know it. He brings her home to Singapore to meet his family, and things get awkward.
Worth quoting:
“All her life
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she’d been treated like a hothouse flower, when in fact she was a wildflower that was never allowed to bloom fully.”(I find this metaphor — or is it simile? — ridiculous because women =/= flowers, but I also weirdly like the imagery.)
Why I chose it:
The film’s trailer was released two days ago. I decided it was finally time to suck it up and pick it up (I’d been avoiding it for years because I don’t like the use of words like ‘crazy.’).
Review:
(some minor spoilers below)
After I finished the book I went back to read other Cannonball Read reviews. I’m intrigued by how many folks thought it wasn’t that great — I think maybe we viewed it through different lenses? I went into this knowing that I would find so much of it absurd, and I think the fact that the author is clearly both interested in pointing out the absurdity of many of these people AND is aware that lots of people like absurdly fancy shit (whether than can afford it or not) made it pretty easy for me to dive into this ridiculous world for awhile.
I loved the book. I devoured it. I enjoyed that Mr. Kwan was able to write chapters from multiple perspectives. (Seriously, that takes talent, to not just create many characters, but to take their point of view and have them really be different characters.) I liked that while some of the women were horrible, they weren’t all just one-dimensional materialistic harpies. There were very rich women that were appealing, and very rich women who … super weren’t. The men were also more complicated than just absent fathers or playboys. Nick, for example, seems to be a genuinely good guy, but his actions result in some pretty serious distress for quite a few people because he lacks some self-awareness. Astrid is obviously someone who has no real comprehension of how much money she has, but she’s also, to me, extremely likable in trying to lead a life that matches what her husband is comfortable with.
One of my favorite parts are the friendships between Colin and Nick and between Rachel and Piek Lin. Colin and Araminta pick Nick and Rachel up from the airport in Singapore is so … normal. These are people we will come to learn are essentially Singapore royalty, and they want to do the things friends do: welcome their friends to town and take them out. I also like that Rachel is pretty chill for most of the trip, and then when it makes sense, just sort of loses her shit. Not in a theatric way, but in the way many people do: she completely shuts down.
At the same time, I also like how unlikable so many of characters are. Nick’s mother Eleanor and her friends are obnoxious and kind of shitty parents. They can convince themselves they’re trying to do what is best for their kids, but they don’t really KNOW their kids at all. And Eddie … I’ve not wanted to smack a character so badly as I did here. What. An. Asshole.
I’ve seen some reviews that chastise Mr. Kwan for being so ostentatious in his descriptions of things like clothing and decor, but I feel it’s necessary. This isn’t the kind of rich I’m familiar with — these are definitely not the Kardashians. These are next-level rich, and I think that’s fascinating. It’s not the only thing I want to read about in life because it’s not realistic, but then neither is the world of Game of Thrones. If the only books available were books like this, that would be a problem (I want novels about people who aren’t absurdly rich), but I think Mr. Kwan does a great job with this one. I’m interested in the characters, and I’m putting off starting the next book until tomorrow because it’s late and I know I’ll just stay up reading it.
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LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Book on CD read by Lynn Chenn
NYU Economics professor and PhD, Rachel Chu has sworn off Asian men. But then her good friend introduces her to the new history professor, Nicholas Young, who transferred from Oxford. They hit it off and after dating for a couple of years he invites her to join him
Okay I knew it was chick-lit going into it, and of course I’ve seen the incessant trailers for the movie. Sounded like a fun, quick, breezy beach-read kinda book.
But I have to say that I really hated most of these characters. Rachel and Nick were okay but Kwan does little to really explore their relationship. Every time I thought we’d get to something important regarding the two of them, the story was side tracked to Nick’s cousin Astrid and her marital problems, or to his crazy mother and her friends, or to the crazily jealous “bridesmaids” of the aforementioned wedding party. (Talk about bachelor and bachelorette parties from hell!) I also got tired of all the “product placements” for designer this and designer that … much of which was lost on me. Not impressed.
And then it ends with basically nothing resolved …. WTF?! I’ll just put on my Walgreen’s sunglasses and Kohl’s sandals and enjoy a different book at the beach. (Though I might still go to the movie on $5 Tuesday …)
P.S. At the risk of sounding as shallow as most of these characters … for a book about the ultra rich who are SOOooo concerned about the latest fashions, this has got to have the ugliest cover EVER. Though, if you wanted to judge the book by the cover .. you wouldn’t be far off.
Lynn Chenn does a pretty good job of the audio performance. But she didn’t have very good material to start with. At least she moved along at a brisk pace. Her accents were all over the place and I found them distracting, but I think she was trying to differentiate all the many characters.
NYU Economics professor and PhD, Rachel Chu has sworn off Asian men. But then her good friend introduces her to the new history professor, Nicholas Young, who transferred from Oxford. They hit it off and after dating for a couple of years he invites her to join him
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during their summer break for a visit back to Singapore, where he’s to be best man at his best friend’s wedding. Rachel has no idea what she’s getting into. Nick is the scion of an ultra rich, and extremely private OLD money Singapore family. Okay I knew it was chick-lit going into it, and of course I’ve seen the incessant trailers for the movie. Sounded like a fun, quick, breezy beach-read kinda book.
But I have to say that I really hated most of these characters. Rachel and Nick were okay but Kwan does little to really explore their relationship. Every time I thought we’d get to something important regarding the two of them, the story was side tracked to Nick’s cousin Astrid and her marital problems, or to his crazy mother and her friends, or to the crazily jealous “bridesmaids” of the aforementioned wedding party. (Talk about bachelor and bachelorette parties from hell!) I also got tired of all the “product placements” for designer this and designer that … much of which was lost on me. Not impressed.
And then it ends with basically nothing resolved …. WTF?! I’ll just put on my Walgreen’s sunglasses and Kohl’s sandals and enjoy a different book at the beach. (Though I might still go to the movie on $5 Tuesday …)
P.S. At the risk of sounding as shallow as most of these characters … for a book about the ultra rich who are SOOooo concerned about the latest fashions, this has got to have the ugliest cover EVER. Though, if you wanted to judge the book by the cover .. you wouldn’t be far off.
Lynn Chenn does a pretty good job of the audio performance. But she didn’t have very good material to start with. At least she moved along at a brisk pace. Her accents were all over the place and I found them distracting, but I think she was trying to differentiate all the many characters.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
Not bad, but after awhile it was exhausting to read about the snobbery and materialism. I get that the premise relies on it, but I still didn’t love it. Glad I read it before the movie comes out, but I doubt I’ll read the sequels.
LibraryThing member a-shelf-apart
"I can't watch these people spend a gazillion dollars on a wedding when half the world is starving."
Eat the rich.
Honestly I just couldn't get in the "this is so fun and hilarious!" mood that a lot of other reviewers seem to have felt. For one, the writing really wasn't very good. Conversations were
But mostly, I get no enjoyment out of reading about this level of obscene wealth. It's unnecessary, unsustainable and unforgivable.
Eat the rich.
Honestly I just couldn't get in the "this is so fun and hilarious!" mood that a lot of other reviewers seem to have felt. For one, the writing really wasn't very good. Conversations were
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stilted, characters were far too numerous and indistinguishable (there's a family tree at the start, but that's not a lot of help when you're reading an ebook) and the plotting was predictable and pedestrian.But mostly, I get no enjoyment out of reading about this level of obscene wealth. It's unnecessary, unsustainable and unforgivable.
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LibraryThing member norabelle414
A massive cast of characters embroiled in drama among the super rich families of Singapore. Normal New Yorker Rachel Chu goes on vacation with her seemingly-normal boyfriend Nicholas Young and meets his family - who are so rich that even the very rich have never heard of them. Nicholas' mother
This book was so much fun to read. The world is so intricate and so foreign to me that it might as well be a fantasy. There are strict rules about who can talk about what and who can wear this and how those people are related. Schools, designers, last names, and generations of money are of the utmost importance. It's comedy-of-manners hilarious, like Downton Abbey or a Jane Austen novel. Nick and Astrid's other cousin Eddie is a delightful comic device - so spoiled and rude (despite his many-generational fortune) that the rest of the family can't stand him (and he gets a very satisfying comeuppance!). Best of all, there are FOOTNOTES! And a FAMILY TREE! The footnotes (and sometimes the text) contain just enough SE Asian history and politics to provide context without being overwhelming (nor does it feel condescending). While nothing about the plot leaves me dying to know what happens next, I enjoyed reading this so much that I would do myself a disservice if I didn't read the sequels. Highly recommended if you like light-hearted family drama, and "old money vs. new money" feuds. And footnotes!
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Eleanor is convinced that Rachel is a gold-digger and enlists a private investigator, and her friends' daughters (all of whom would rather have Nick to themselves), to help scare her off. Nick's glamorous cousin Astrid likes Rachel a lot, but is too busy buying next season's fashion in Paris and supporting her working-class husband to come to Rachel's rescue. Nick's best friend Colin is getting married and whisks Nick off on a jet-set dubiously legal bachelor party weekend, leaving Rachel to join fiancee Araminta's bachelorette weekend at her parents' resort. Can Rachel stand up to this kind of life? This book was so much fun to read. The world is so intricate and so foreign to me that it might as well be a fantasy. There are strict rules about who can talk about what and who can wear this and how those people are related. Schools, designers, last names, and generations of money are of the utmost importance. It's comedy-of-manners hilarious, like Downton Abbey or a Jane Austen novel. Nick and Astrid's other cousin Eddie is a delightful comic device - so spoiled and rude (despite his many-generational fortune) that the rest of the family can't stand him (and he gets a very satisfying comeuppance!). Best of all, there are FOOTNOTES! And a FAMILY TREE! The footnotes (and sometimes the text) contain just enough SE Asian history and politics to provide context without being overwhelming (nor does it feel condescending). While nothing about the plot leaves me dying to know what happens next, I enjoyed reading this so much that I would do myself a disservice if I didn't read the sequels. Highly recommended if you like light-hearted family drama, and "old money vs. new money" feuds. And footnotes!
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LibraryThing member zmagic69
Yes it is a chick book, but it was very entertaining. it made books by Jackie Collins and Sydney Sheldon as well as Harold Robbins look like they are written about poor people! Best of all was the insight in the difference between old money and new money, and how the people with each type of money
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behave. I actually did not want this book to end. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jessika.C
This story was so big and ambitious I was honestly surprised how invested I became in the lives of all of the family members and then some.
To include a summary in my review would be a waste. Nick Young has fallen in love with Rachel Chu, Rachel wants to finally meet Nick's family, Eleanor Young has
And I'm going to give a shoutout to Peik Lin, Michael, and Charlie. These secondary characters made the relationships they had with specific main characters made me like all of them so much more.
I wouldn't say this book is hilarious or overly romantic. I felt as nosy as Cassandra Shang or "Radio One Asia" while I was reading but it was just too much of a juicy story not to keep reading. I'm really excited to pick up the next two books.
To include a summary in my review would be a waste. Nick Young has fallen in love with Rachel Chu, Rachel wants to finally meet Nick's family, Eleanor Young has
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heard whispers of her son being with some random Chinese girl and knows nothing about her, Astrid Leong lives a fabulous life but it's not all champagne and roses, and Eddie Cheng is the pompous rich guy you will love to hate. You root for Rachel and Astrid because of how good human beings they are. While you don't understand Nick or Eleanor at first you still want to like them anyway. Nick with his charming demeanor and Eleanor with her misguided but love and protective nature when it comes to her son. Anytime something stupid happens to Eddie you get a good laugh at his misfortune.And I'm going to give a shoutout to Peik Lin, Michael, and Charlie. These secondary characters made the relationships they had with specific main characters made me like all of them so much more.
I wouldn't say this book is hilarious or overly romantic. I felt as nosy as Cassandra Shang or "Radio One Asia" while I was reading but it was just too much of a juicy story not to keep reading. I'm really excited to pick up the next two books.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Rachel Chu and her boyfriend Nicholas Young have been going out for a couple of years when Nick asks her if she'd like to come to his family home in Singapore for his best friend's wedding. Rachel says yes, not realizing what she's in for - Nick's family is super rich and he's considered quite the
This sort of over-the-top romantic comedy is really more my type of movie than book. I enjoyed it, there were moments I chuckled, but I wasn't absolutely sucked in or compelled to keep reading to find out what happened. This says so much more about me than the book, though. It's perfect if you like satirical, crazy-dramatic situations. It's fast-paced, episodic and funny.
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catch, while his friend's wedding is the event of the season in their set of upper echelon "crazy rich Asians."This sort of over-the-top romantic comedy is really more my type of movie than book. I enjoyed it, there were moments I chuckled, but I wasn't absolutely sucked in or compelled to keep reading to find out what happened. This says so much more about me than the book, though. It's perfect if you like satirical, crazy-dramatic situations. It's fast-paced, episodic and funny.
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LibraryThing member CLStern
This was a fun read, full of gossip and Singaporean food porn.
LibraryThing member ccayne
Fun, fun, fun. I read this in a remote camp in the Adirondacks and was a world away from the one described in this book. Reminded me of a contemporary Jane Austen - love thwarted by families and social standing.
LibraryThing member bookmuse56
This was a 3.5 star read for me. I rounded up because of the originality of the subject/storyline.
Zany! Pop open a bottle of your favorite “bubbly” and enter into the opulent closed-society world of the “crazy rich Asians” whose antics will entertain, dazzle and amuse readers as they
When Rachel Chu accepts Nicholas Young’s, her boyfriend of two years, to spend the summer in Singapore, his hometown, little does she know that her expectations will be so far from reality. Unknown to Rachel, Nicholas is “crazy rich” and the most eligible bachelor in his world – and everyone will be gunning, often in a comedic way, to know who is this Rachel Chu and why does she think she is worthy of Nicholas. Unfortunately, Nicholas is often oblivious to the dramatic actions of his eccentric and neurotic family and friends, leaving Rachel with few allies to hold on to her sanity.
I was pulled into the story from the engaging prologue which read like a movie scene. The author introduces us the characters, culture, and most of all the food often using a “tongue-in-cheek” humor to move the storyline along. This worked well for most of the book for me but towards the end of the book the mood of the story changed for me – from fun and flirty to a more serious tone with other seemed a little rush and forced.
Overall I enjoyed the story and it was the perfect read for lazy summer afternoons
Zany! Pop open a bottle of your favorite “bubbly” and enter into the opulent closed-society world of the “crazy rich Asians” whose antics will entertain, dazzle and amuse readers as they
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circle-the-wagons to protect family and money. When Rachel Chu accepts Nicholas Young’s, her boyfriend of two years, to spend the summer in Singapore, his hometown, little does she know that her expectations will be so far from reality. Unknown to Rachel, Nicholas is “crazy rich” and the most eligible bachelor in his world – and everyone will be gunning, often in a comedic way, to know who is this Rachel Chu and why does she think she is worthy of Nicholas. Unfortunately, Nicholas is often oblivious to the dramatic actions of his eccentric and neurotic family and friends, leaving Rachel with few allies to hold on to her sanity.
I was pulled into the story from the engaging prologue which read like a movie scene. The author introduces us the characters, culture, and most of all the food often using a “tongue-in-cheek” humor to move the storyline along. This worked well for most of the book for me but towards the end of the book the mood of the story changed for me – from fun and flirty to a more serious tone with other seemed a little rush and forced.
Overall I enjoyed the story and it was the perfect read for lazy summer afternoons
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LibraryThing member jakesam
I could not put this book down, have not read a book this good in a long time
LibraryThing member ekrall
I really enjoyed this book right up until the last pages. The name dropping, the designer labels, the disdain of Americans and all things American and the ostentatious display of money are very funny. I can only assume that since this is the author's first book, he fumbled the ending and fell a
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soap opera landing. Show Less
LibraryThing member pinkcrayon99
Nicholas Young and Rachel Chu are young professors that have been dating for the past two years while living in New York City. When Nicholas asks Rachel to attend his best friend's wedding and meet his family in Singapore, she is eager to accompany him. What Rachel is not prepared for is how "crazy
Nicholas' parents and grandparents have "dusty" coins ::Tamar voice:: or what is known as old money. When Rachel arrives in Singapore and the introductions start she is immediately overwhelmed by all the opulence. What she doesn't know is how much gossip proceeds her arrival. Rachel is like a lamb being led to the slaughter.
Peik Lin, Rachel's best friend and Singapore native, is her guardian angel of sorts that navigates her through all the do's and don'ts of the Singapore elite. Peik Lin is not able to give Rachel a crash course on how evil the crazy rich can be when it comes to shutting out outsiders from their inner circle. Rachel is dealt a life changing blow by Nicholas' mother that almost destroys her relationship with Nicholas and her relationship with her own mother. The crazy rich are not here for your feelings or life.
The supporting narratives of Nick's cousins and family friends were so fitting and often times hilarious. If you are into fashion the descriptions of haute couture pieces and extravagant jewelry will bring you joy. If you are one to troll gossip blogs this novel will not disappoint. One of the characters in the novel said it best: "At some point, we all have to pay the price for our excess." I can't wait to read more from Kevin Kwan!
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rich" Nicholas' family and friends are. Nicholas' parents and grandparents have "dusty" coins ::Tamar voice:: or what is known as old money. When Rachel arrives in Singapore and the introductions start she is immediately overwhelmed by all the opulence. What she doesn't know is how much gossip proceeds her arrival. Rachel is like a lamb being led to the slaughter.
Peik Lin, Rachel's best friend and Singapore native, is her guardian angel of sorts that navigates her through all the do's and don'ts of the Singapore elite. Peik Lin is not able to give Rachel a crash course on how evil the crazy rich can be when it comes to shutting out outsiders from their inner circle. Rachel is dealt a life changing blow by Nicholas' mother that almost destroys her relationship with Nicholas and her relationship with her own mother. The crazy rich are not here for your feelings or life.
The supporting narratives of Nick's cousins and family friends were so fitting and often times hilarious. If you are into fashion the descriptions of haute couture pieces and extravagant jewelry will bring you joy. If you are one to troll gossip blogs this novel will not disappoint. One of the characters in the novel said it best: "At some point, we all have to pay the price for our excess." I can't wait to read more from Kevin Kwan!
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LibraryThing member diovival
The title. It's all about that title. Couldn't resist. This was such great fun to read. I really hope Kevin Kwan revisits this story. It seems as if there is still lots to explore with such a large cast of characters. Three old money Chinese families living LARGE in Singapore. It was difficult to
*unavoidable pun
**I'm not knocking Cheetos. I would some crush Cheetos. Especially if I had a small bag of flaming hots all to myself. Mmmmm, flaming hots.
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put down. I'm talking not-getting-enough-sleep compulsively readable. Admittedly, it also could be considered literary junk food. Don't care! The settings and the characters were just so rich*, more like cheesecake than Cheetos**.*unavoidable pun
**I'm not knocking Cheetos. I would some crush Cheetos. Especially if I had a small bag of flaming hots all to myself. Mmmmm, flaming hots.
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LibraryThing member jmoncton
Being Chinese American, I have met a lot of Asians in my life, but none of them are anything like the characters in this book. The obvious flaunting of wealth and the obsession with who had how much was an eye opener for me. It felt like reading about a cast of Paris Hilton's with a Chinese twist.
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What might that look like? These are people who are richer than Midas, but still bargain over everything. And why pay the money for a taxi if you are only going 9 blocks away? Hilarious and crazy crazy fun. Show Less
LibraryThing member edachille
This is the story of two economics professor at NYU who fall in love.Nicholas Young brings Rachel his “ABC” (American-born Chinese) girlfriend of two years home to attend his best friend's wedding. She is unaware that Nicholas comes from an old-money Chinese Singaporean family.
She goes home
Chinese born but American raised, Rachel is a scholar of note in America; but is considered a second class citizen in Asia. She rises above this, finding love and happiness in the end.
This is a fun, gossipy, engaging novel. While some characters excesses are jaw-dropping, this story is really about staying true to yourself even when everything around you is in a whirlwind. The story hits all the right points of a romance--attraction, conflict, resolution, happy ending.
is a classic Cinderella story.
She goes home
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with him and finds herself facing a jolting culture shock. What Rachel doesn't realize is that the pending nuptials are Singapore's version of the British royal wedding -- only far more over-the-top. Chinese born but American raised, Rachel is a scholar of note in America; but is considered a second class citizen in Asia. She rises above this, finding love and happiness in the end.
This is a fun, gossipy, engaging novel. While some characters excesses are jaw-dropping, this story is really about staying true to yourself even when everything around you is in a whirlwind. The story hits all the right points of a romance--attraction, conflict, resolution, happy ending.
is a classic Cinderella story.
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LibraryThing member nyiper
The audio reader, Lynn Chen, was wonderful with her performance of so many different character voices. I was listening and wondering just how much of this story of extremes had some solid truth behind it---the descriptions were incredible which means, what an imagination---or is Kwan describing
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things he has actually seen? Knowing little to nothing about Singapore, I need to do a little research!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member blodeuedd
Wow, that was some crazy rich Asians. There were old money, and new money. Mainland Chinese and those who had lived in Singapore longer. Everyone looked down on everyone else. Some flaunted their money and some were richer than God but did not show it. It's so tacky to talk about how much money you
A quote on the cover called it Pride and prejudice meets Dallas. Now do not think it's Pride and Prejudice. No, it's more about the whole prejudice thing like I already talked about. Against each other and flashbacks how they were treated before when they went to the west. How could they afford anything? Any later how they were not liked cos they just bought too much.
I have not even begun to talk about what happens. Rachel meets Nick and falls in love. Later he takes her home for a wedding. All should be well, it's just that he forgot that his family is MEGA rich. And his mum is not happy. So she will be treated like dirt and their romance will suffer. The book is also about Nick's cousin Astrid who had troubles of her own, and insights into other characters here and there. Making it a fascinating story.
I read it on the train so I read it non-stop, the story always moved forward and there was never a dull moment. Great characters and a great setting. I hope he writes something more.
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have. All in all making this a very interesting world to read about.A quote on the cover called it Pride and prejudice meets Dallas. Now do not think it's Pride and Prejudice. No, it's more about the whole prejudice thing like I already talked about. Against each other and flashbacks how they were treated before when they went to the west. How could they afford anything? Any later how they were not liked cos they just bought too much.
I have not even begun to talk about what happens. Rachel meets Nick and falls in love. Later he takes her home for a wedding. All should be well, it's just that he forgot that his family is MEGA rich. And his mum is not happy. So she will be treated like dirt and their romance will suffer. The book is also about Nick's cousin Astrid who had troubles of her own, and insights into other characters here and there. Making it a fascinating story.
I read it on the train so I read it non-stop, the story always moved forward and there was never a dull moment. Great characters and a great setting. I hope he writes something more.
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LibraryThing member eenerd
Funny and over the top comedy of manners. The audiobook is especially well done and so fun to listen to!
LibraryThing member agarcia85257
Title - Crazy Rich Asians
Author - Kevin Kwan
Summary -
Rachel Chu has a boyfriend she has been dating for the last two years. He is Chinese with a British accent, well educated, charming and totally unassuming. But her boyfriend, Nick Young, has a secret he hasn't really told her about. A secret
Nick is heading back to Singapore to be best man at his childhood friend Colin's wedding. He takes Rachel along to meet the family. But Nick doesn't understand the true nature of his family. He has always been sheltered by the snobbery and bigotry that his mother and grandmother have. Worse, he has no idea how brutal the women in his family will treat an outsider. Once they feel could never be worthy of them.
A bloody cut open fish in her hotel room. Rumors of Nick's escapades whispered in her ear from cousins. Gold digging cunt written in blood in her room. All this and worse await Rachel. Even her family and their history is not out of bounds as the women in Nick's life decide to destroy this American Born Chinese girl.
Review -
Crazy Rich Asians is a sad, funny, tragic, uplifting and demoralizing novel of family and bloodlines. How far some will go to protect them and how far they are willing to go to maintain the class status they believe they are entitled to. It is cruel and yet at times very funny. The actions and attitudes are those expressed around any table by moms. aunts, sisters and cousins when a favored son is in love with a girl they don't approve of. Only here it is done with an unlimited supply of money behind it.
This is high drama with a more than a little reality show thrown into it. A mix between the old Dallas soap opera and Wives of Beverly Hills or some nonsense.
But the writing and prose Kwan uses raises it above that level. This is a throwback to the old Irwin Shaw novel, Rich Man, Poor Man. The large scale operatic novel of families and dynasty but with a little more humor tossed in to temper the cruelty.
A well paced and enjoyable read.
Author - Kevin Kwan
Summary -
Rachel Chu has a boyfriend she has been dating for the last two years. He is Chinese with a British accent, well educated, charming and totally unassuming. But her boyfriend, Nick Young, has a secret he hasn't really told her about. A secret
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that will tear her world apart. Nick Young comes from a family of crazy, rich Asians.Nick is heading back to Singapore to be best man at his childhood friend Colin's wedding. He takes Rachel along to meet the family. But Nick doesn't understand the true nature of his family. He has always been sheltered by the snobbery and bigotry that his mother and grandmother have. Worse, he has no idea how brutal the women in his family will treat an outsider. Once they feel could never be worthy of them.
A bloody cut open fish in her hotel room. Rumors of Nick's escapades whispered in her ear from cousins. Gold digging cunt written in blood in her room. All this and worse await Rachel. Even her family and their history is not out of bounds as the women in Nick's life decide to destroy this American Born Chinese girl.
Review -
Crazy Rich Asians is a sad, funny, tragic, uplifting and demoralizing novel of family and bloodlines. How far some will go to protect them and how far they are willing to go to maintain the class status they believe they are entitled to. It is cruel and yet at times very funny. The actions and attitudes are those expressed around any table by moms. aunts, sisters and cousins when a favored son is in love with a girl they don't approve of. Only here it is done with an unlimited supply of money behind it.
This is high drama with a more than a little reality show thrown into it. A mix between the old Dallas soap opera and Wives of Beverly Hills or some nonsense.
But the writing and prose Kwan uses raises it above that level. This is a throwback to the old Irwin Shaw novel, Rich Man, Poor Man. The large scale operatic novel of families and dynasty but with a little more humor tossed in to temper the cruelty.
A well paced and enjoyable read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member trudychar
National Bestseller. I liked how the book started because it was funny. The characters were eccentric.
LibraryThing member bookchickdi
A friend of mine told me that Kevin Kwan's novel, Crazy Rich Asians, was a very funny book and pressed into my hands telling me to read it. So I did.
From the very beginning, a family tree page, I was laughing out loud. The main characters are Nick and Rachel. Nick comes from a very wealthy family
Nick's childhood best friend is getting married back home, and Nick wants Rachel to accompany him and spend the summer in Singapore. That is where the fun begins.
The wedding is over-the-top Kardashian style, but I'm not sure even that clan could imagine how opulent and over-indulgent this wedding will be. We meet Nick's family, including his grandmother who lives in a Buckingham Castle-type home that is so secluded it isn't even on a map.
Nick's mother Eleanor is a controlling woman, who frightens everyone including her posse of friends and family who both fear her and want her approval. His father hides out in Australia to avoid the two women in his life. (And who can blame him?)
Eleanor fears Nick will marry Rachel, a woman whose family is not only not wealthy, but has skeletons in the closet, so she conspires with others to break them up. (That includes a mean girl gang whose vicious bridal shower "prank" is truly awful.)
There are many characters here, but Kwan does a wonderful job giving each of them fair time and creating interesting people you want to read more about. (And we will get more- Kwan's sequel China Rich Girlfriend publishes in July- hooray!)
The descriptions of the houses, clothes (one character regularly shops for couture in Paris) and even food is stunning and so vivid, I can easily see a movie or TV series of this. One of my favorite food passages takes place at a popular food stall:
"A few minutes later, the four of them were seated just outside the main hall under a huge tree strung with yellow lights, every inch of their table covered with colorful plastic plates piled high with the greatest hits of Singaporean street cuisine. There was the famous char kuay teow, a fried omelet with oysters called orb luak, Malay rojak salad bursting with chunks of pineapple and cucumber, Hokkien-style noodles in a thick garlicky gravy, a fish cake smoked in coconut leaves called otay otay, and a hundred sticks of chicken and beef satay."
Crazy Rich Asians drops the reader into a world unlike one most of us can even conceive of, and man is it a blast spending a few hours there.
From the very beginning, a family tree page, I was laughing out loud. The main characters are Nick and Rachel. Nick comes from a very wealthy family
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in Singapore, and Rachel was born in China, but as a baby moved to America with her mother, a real estate agent. They both live in New York and work at a university.Nick's childhood best friend is getting married back home, and Nick wants Rachel to accompany him and spend the summer in Singapore. That is where the fun begins.
The wedding is over-the-top Kardashian style, but I'm not sure even that clan could imagine how opulent and over-indulgent this wedding will be. We meet Nick's family, including his grandmother who lives in a Buckingham Castle-type home that is so secluded it isn't even on a map.
Nick's mother Eleanor is a controlling woman, who frightens everyone including her posse of friends and family who both fear her and want her approval. His father hides out in Australia to avoid the two women in his life. (And who can blame him?)
Eleanor fears Nick will marry Rachel, a woman whose family is not only not wealthy, but has skeletons in the closet, so she conspires with others to break them up. (That includes a mean girl gang whose vicious bridal shower "prank" is truly awful.)
There are many characters here, but Kwan does a wonderful job giving each of them fair time and creating interesting people you want to read more about. (And we will get more- Kwan's sequel China Rich Girlfriend publishes in July- hooray!)
The descriptions of the houses, clothes (one character regularly shops for couture in Paris) and even food is stunning and so vivid, I can easily see a movie or TV series of this. One of my favorite food passages takes place at a popular food stall:
"A few minutes later, the four of them were seated just outside the main hall under a huge tree strung with yellow lights, every inch of their table covered with colorful plastic plates piled high with the greatest hits of Singaporean street cuisine. There was the famous char kuay teow, a fried omelet with oysters called orb luak, Malay rojak salad bursting with chunks of pineapple and cucumber, Hokkien-style noodles in a thick garlicky gravy, a fish cake smoked in coconut leaves called otay otay, and a hundred sticks of chicken and beef satay."
Crazy Rich Asians drops the reader into a world unlike one most of us can even conceive of, and man is it a blast spending a few hours there.
Show Less
Awards
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2013)
100 Iconic Love Stories From Around the World (Singapore)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2013-06-11
Physical description
7.92 inches
ISBN
9780345803788
UPC
884373066333