BC Reads!
  • Home
  • Book Reviews
    • Student Reviews
    • Faculty/Staff Contributions
    • Illustrations
    • Sort Reviews... >
      • All
      • Alphabetically by Title
      • Alphabetically by Author
      • Alphabetically by Genre
      • Alphabetically by Reviewer
      • Faculty/Staff Contributions
  • Events
    • Boston Book Events
    • News and Events
  • Get Involved!
    • Become a Member
    • Submit a Review
    • Volunteer >
      • Saint Columbkille Partnership School
    • Donate Used Books
    • Become an Illustrator >
      • Work with a Reviewer
      • Design a Bookmark
      • Work on the Publicity Team
  • Resources
    • Where Can I Find Books For Free?
    • Local Bookstores
    • Useful Websites
    • Other
  • About
    • Executive Board
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff Members
    • Special Contributions
  • Contact
  • Untitled

"Crazy Rich Asians" by Kevin Kwan

11/15/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Title: Crazy Rich Asians
Author: Kevin Kwan
Genre: Fiction
# Pages: 403
Date Published: 2013
5-Star Rating: 3
Would you recommend it?: No

Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians is the tale of Rachel Chu and her boyfriend Nick Young. The happy pair put their life in Manhattan on hold for a summer trip to Singapore in order to attend Nick’s best friend’s wedding and to meet Nick’s family. What’s the hitch? Nick belongs to the incredibly, ridiculously wealthy Young family and is likely to be the primary heir to an even vaster fortune owned by his grandmother. In a deliciously sensational fashion, both these facts are entirely unbeknownst to Rachel. As one might predict, drama ensues as Rachel’s western ideas clash with the equally modern, yet surprisingly traditional, forces of Nick’s family. As Rachel comes to understand the reality of the situation, Nick’s mother, grandmother, former girlfriend and cousin close in on her, driving her away, intent on keeping her common ilk out of this privileged family’s bloodline.

One of the novel’s particular strengths is its attention to detail. Kwan’s descriptions are exquisite, wonderfully portraying the luxury of this ultra-rich class. These are people who snap up couture clothing and premium real estate like kids in a candy store. When Kwan writes, a purse is not just a purse. It is a piece of art hot off the runway, designed by Louis Vuitton, created by the most skilled Italian craftsman and made from hand tooled leather reaped from a particular breed of cow raised only on one island in the Falklands; these descriptions prove a sumptuous delight.

Another of the novel’s strengths is its knowledge of the culture it describes. Kwan artfully dots Crazy Rich Asians with Malay and Cantonese slang, conveniently explained at the bottom of each page, that breathes life into his characters. His command over the informal language makes one feel as if they are living in and among these urban elite. It adds a charming quality that makes the story unique from other tales of incredible wealth and focuses on the whimsicality of this tiny yet powerful island on the end of Malaysia.

Despite my praise, I believe there is much to be desired in Crazy Rich Asians. If one were content with just a good, mindless read, then I might bump my rating up to  stars, but I confess to seeking more. Kwan is praised for using this novel to satirically criticize the new class of super rich in Asia. However, I found that he never went far enough. Sure, there are enough coy and sardonic remarks to see he means to poke fun. Yet when Kwan approaches relevant topics, such as wealthy inequality, he avoids them like one of his novel’s dainty socialites might skirt a puddle when wearing her Jimmy Choos. As an author, he had the opportunity to examine what effects this insane inequality can have, but chose to bow out.

I found that because of this lack of depth, the story never rises above its surface level girl-loves-rich-boy-and–his family-hates-her trope. The soap opera-esque drama made me roll my eyes and I soon grew tired of the one-dimensional characters. I finished the novel for a sense of closure, to see what would happen to this silly family. I reached the final page only to discover that Kwan intends to make it a trilogy, what I consider an ill advised move. What was tolerable and quaint in one book will be tedious and painful when diluted and stretched into three. Amazon disagrees with me, citing the book as one of their Amazon Editors’ Favorite Books of the Year, so I would advise readers to decide for themselves.


Review by Anne Donnelly, A&S '17

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Who are the authors?

    These book reviews have been submitted by BC Reads! Staff Writers and other Boston College students.

    Archives

    December 2014
    November 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    Andrew Ireland
    Anne Donnelly
    Autobiography
    Biography
    Brittany Duncan
    Caitlin Mason
    Caroline Grindrod
    Chris Mclaughlin
    Christie Wentworth
    Christine Degenaars
    Colleen Brady
    Fantasy
    Fiction
    General Fiction
    General Non Fiction
    General Non-fiction
    Hallie Sullivan
    Historical Fiction
    Historical Non Fiction
    Historical Non-Fiction
    Horror
    Humor
    Immigration
    Jennifer Heine
    Julia Walker
    Kayla D'Ambrosio
    Kristie Dickinson
    Laura Baumgartner
    Lauren Bly
    Lauren Schlacks
    Liz Handler
    Maria Peroni
    Memoir
    Michael Solah
    Molly Saint
    Morgan Healy
    Movie Franchise
    Mystery
    Non Fiction
    Non-fiction
    Patrick Hughes
    Pulitzer Prize
    Quick Read
    Romantice Fiction
    Satire
    Science Fiction
    Serena Gibbons
    Short Stories
    Steven Nicholas
    Suspense
    Tashrika Sharma
    Thriller
    William Hwang
    Yande Lombe

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.