I Read Crazy Rich Asians

This week's novel is Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan.  I've been hearing all sorts of good things about the movie and decided to check out the book.

Rachel Chu, an economics professor in New York agrees to go with her boyfriend, Nick, to his home in Singapore for his best friend's wedding and to meet Nick's family.  Nick does not warn her that his family to filthy rich and Rachel gets swept into decadent homes and ostentatious parties full of people who think Rachel is a gold digger and are determined to break them up.

This is a silly book. 

It doesn't really have an end.  There's several characters who we are following, who each have their own arcs that ramp in intensity.  But instead of the usual rom-com ending where there's a definite happy bow put on the end that ties everything up, in this one, they all get to places where you can see where they'll go from here and then the book doesn't waste your time showing it to you.  Two of the story lines have very obvious parallels, but the book ends without any of the characters realizing it or learning from each other.  In many ways, it feels like a fizzle.  It feels like things happened, and I read about them and was entertained, and then it was over.

And I think that's the point.  This book is much more "Look at these weirdos!" and "What a whacky situation!" than it is about characters learning and growing and coming together.

That comes through in the descriptions too.  There are are sooooo many descriptions of buildings and decor and houses and planes and cars and jewelry, which all go to show how much money is being spent on everything, but sometimes you have to stop and ask if it's classy or supposed to be classy, if a dress is beautiful or if a fancy dinner would taste good.  Sometimes, the answer is clearly that the people have money but not taste so they're just flaunting their wealth.  But then other times there are people who look down on those who are flaunting their wealth, only for their bathroom to be described and for me to squint and ask if that's supposed to be classy.  Is any of this supposed to be classy?  The lines start to blur.  This is the heart of the novel, so the book's ending is just another moment of strangeness.

I don't think they could get away with it in a movie.  I wonder what they did.  Don't tell me.

***

Next week: The Belles, YA magical beauty standards, by Dhonielle Clayton.