Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin KwanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I picked this up to read in advance of the movie version coming out in August. Throughout the book there are many references to luxury designers and descriptions of such an opulent lifestyle, I was overwhelmed at times with the conspicuous consumption of it all. Kevin Kwan overwhelms the reader with generational wealth on a massive scale and through this I was as overwhelmed as Rachel midway through the book.
At the same time, Kwan manages a to add depth this large cast of characters and the reader is able to look beyond the trappings of billionaire wealth and care what happens to not just Rachel and Nick but also Astrid, Colin, Araminta, etc. He also does a wonderful job imparting cultural and historical knowledge about Singapore bringing readers without an understanding of the area into the fold and making readers who are familiar with Singapore feel at home.
On the whole this book draws heavily from the classic tale of Cinderella, and it works very well. There is a reason some themes are done over and over and it's because they are classic. As I read the book, I found myself looking increasingly forward to seeing the movie. The descriptions and the landscapes in the book lend themselves to being on the big screen and the cast lines up so well with how I pictured the characters.
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