“You’re the only Chinese mother I know who’s actually encouraging her daughter to shack up with a guy.”

“I’m the only Chinese mother with an unmarried daughter who’s almost thirty!”

CRAZY RICH ASIANS

The book:

Readers, I committed an error against book lovers: I watched the movie before reading the book. To be fair, I was trying to support diverse movie casts and heard the movie was excellent (it was). Oh, and I was waiting to receive the book for Christmas (I did)…which somehow prevented me from also checking it out from the library.

Moving past my shame, Crazy Rich Asians (2013) lived up to all of the hype and then some! If all debut novels were this good then the whole world would have as many authors as Iceland. While I’m deep in the slow Spanish past with Don Quixote, I breezed through the modern rom com of high fashion and luxury that is Singapore. However, at 527 pages, this is the longest book I’ve read for this blog (starting strong!) and the first one in a series. Maybe I’ll cover the whole series…maybe I won’t. Stick around!

The author:

As I mentioned above, this is Kevin Kwan’s first novel, and it is NOT autobiographical! I promised in my last post that all my books would not be such, and here I am already following through. For while Kwan was born and raised in Singapore (and have an affinity for fine jewelry), the comparison to his characters ends there. He earned a degree in creative writing and then moved into a successful design career.

No illustrious and fabulously wealthy family dynasty or tragic love affairs for Mr. Kwan. That we know of….

Translation:

No. This time for a good reason: one of the four official languages of Singapore is English! However, Kevin Kwan liberally flavored his novel with naturally used non-English. One of the most delightful parts of reading this book was the extra humor from the footnotes.

Throughout the novel characters use phrases such as Malay (Alamak=oh dear or oh my god!), Hokkien (sah kah=rude hand gesture), and Cantonese (hei mai=isn’t that right?) among other slang and region-specific words. This really helped me feel like I was getting an authentic experience, as well as learning on the go.

What I loved:

The alternating perspectives. It’s very easy to write a “forbidden romance” from simply the lovebirds’ angle, broadly painting the parents as villains. Kwan went deeper into the parents’ (okay, Eleanor’s) psyche and showing their everyday lives and the pressures inherent to their status. While I am a sucker for love (as an unmarried woman nearing thirty), I also understand family obligation and career aspirations. Practicality can lead to happiness.

Rachel: “This surprise invitation, however, sparked some vestigial instinct within her. The long-dormant romantic in her was awakening…”

CRAZY RICH ASIANS

Eleanor “This girl is obviously a cunning, deceitful GOLD DIGGER! You know as well as I do that your son can never marry someone like that.”

CRAZY RICH ASIANS

The family tree. This may seem simple, but I’ve always been a huge fan of reader tools. If you create a new fantasy world, give me a map. If you create your own language, give me a guide (or footnotes). If your novel is based on a convoluted, multi-generational and multinational family, then give me a family tree. Similar to his footnotes, Kwan’s family tree addendums made me chuckle. I flipped back to this chart for reference (and giggles) at least twice every time I sat down to read.

The colorful characters. Kwan intended his novel to be a satire of the extravagant lifestyles and deep-seated prejudices of the families that left China to prosper in Southeast Asia. Peik Lin’s extravagant generosity, the dual psalm and stock trading Bible Study, Radio One Asia (see “family tree”), and even Astrid’s shopping trips. Rachel and Nick could pale by comparison, but Kwan sets them up to be refreshingly simple and original.

Spoiler: After being married in Asia’s wedding of the century, I laughed at Araminta’s incredible pettiness to be annoyed by Astrid’s inadequate fashion choice.

The relationship struggles. I’ve been in a relationship for over five years now and I still remember the near-panic attack I had when my boyfriend casually suggested I meet his parents (over Thanksgiving I might add). I even baked two different types of brownies to put my best foot forward. Rachel and Nick both take many opportunities to discuss their trials with friends, family and eventually each other. Neither is perfect, but both care.

Spoiler: Nothing Rachel did was enough for Nick’s relatives (except probably Astrid and his father), and he was bluntly told not to marry her.

What I liked:

The brand names. I’ll readily admit that I had to Google many of the luxury brand names sprinkled liberally throughout Crazy Rich Asians. However, the variety showed a good depth of research and I appreciated that attention to detail.

Spoiler: During Astrid’s most interesting flashback, it was a nice twist that her boyfriend introduced her to haute couture and living the high life. Way to break stereotypes, Kwan!

What I could do without:

Nothing. Honestly, I enjoyed every bit of this book and can’t think of anything I would change! It’s an international bestseller that made $238 million in the US alone while maintaining a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Kevin Kwan gave the movie studios an incredible foundational product.

Spoiler: I’m very glad this book ended without a solid resolution of Nick & Rachel’s relationship. The pain was still too raw for Rachel and it would’ve been jarring and unrealistic for her to fully forgive him so soon. The food argument was much better.

The recommendation:

Read the book and then re-watch the movie. This is a very enjoyable read that presents a simple premise against a backdrop of magnificent excess. Meeting the parents is an ordeal that every couple has to undergo, some people just get to travel on private jets and attend man-made island receptions. Life isn’t fair, I know.

Also, let me know in the comments what you think of the differences between the book and movie!