Review: Crazy Rich Asians (Kevin Kwan)

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Book 38 on My Book List 2019

 

”And so this exotic strain of gossip spread rapidly through the Levantine networks of the Asian jet set, and within a few hours, almost everyone in this exclusive circle knew that Nicholas Young was bringing a girl home to Singapore.

And, alamak! This was big news.”I guess this quote is the perfect summary of the entire book. *lol* And yes, the title already tells us everything we need to know. Still, I expected something light and fluffy when I started to read “Crazy Rich Asians” but truth be told I was kinda thrown by the intense and serious turn this book took in the end. There happened quite some heavy stuff and this is probably the biggest understatement ever!! XD

 

Oh well, I’m getting ahead of myself here so let’s start at the beginning. Rachel and Nicholas have been in a solid relationship for two years and his best friend’s wedding is actually the main reason he’s taking his girlfriend with him. I mean he’s Colin’s best man so it’s only natural to take your long-time girlfriend with you, right? Yes and no! Because seriously, nothing and no one could have prepared them for what would happen when they set their feet on this island. XD It’s not only a clash of cultures but also some sort of grim war between two seemingly different classes of people. If there ever exists such a thing. Just because some people think they are better and superior this certainly doesn’t make them better and superior. Which already brings me to the first topic that got me really riled whenever I read this book:The audacity and obnoxious snobbery of Nick’s family and their “close” friends. Money can buy you a lot of things but it obviously can neither buy you a heart nor common sense!

”And unlike Leo, Eddie’s parents were the old-fashioned type – insisting from the moment Eddie graduated that he learn to live off his earnings.
It was so bloody unfair.

I had no, I repeat absolutely, no sympathy or compassion for “poor” Eddie. It must have been so damn hard just to have a big house instead of a villa or to have a small private jet instead of a huge luxury airplane. If you ask me those people are really rich and truly crazy. There are people starving in this world, there are people that don’t even have a place to call their home and all those rich spoilt brats cared about was their designer clothes, their food and how they could look better than the rest. Urgh! I know I’m taking this way too serious, but as a person who grew up in a hardworking family that had to work for every cent and never got anything for free I just lack sympathy for people like them. And therefore the list of the people I didn’t like in this book is as long as the equator. Probably even longer because to circle the entire world only once might not be enough. XD

So just to give you a short example: Eleanor, Bernard, Eddie, Lorena, Carol, Lauren, Francesca, Evan, Roderick, Wandi, Parker, Nadine, Jacqueline, Su Yi (aka Ah Ma), Alexandra, … and the list could go on and on!

Thankfully there are also people that I liked and that made up for the horrible snobbery of those others: Rachel, Nick, Astrid, Colin, Sophie, Peik Lin and all the Gohs in general, Alistair, Philip and Charlie. And maybe Oliver, but I really dunno what’s his angle in all of this. *lol*

”Oh, you really don’t have to do that. It’s not important to me what sort of family he comes from,” Rachel said.
“Nonsense, lah! Of course it’s important!” Wye Mun was adamant. “If he’s Singaporean, I have a responsibility to make sure he’s good enough for you!”

I wish Nick’s family would have seen it the same way because the way they treated Rachel was just horrible and mean! I think the biggest disappointment was Su Yi though. I really thought she would know better than her spoilt grandchild Eddie! Especially because if I got it correctly she’s only filthy rich because she inherited the money from her father and actually didn’t have to do anything to gain her wealth.

”Where she’s from is irrelevant. My youngest grandson is not going to marry some actress, especially one of questionable lineage,” Su Yi said simply. Turning to Alexandra, she said, “You will tell him to break off the engagement immediately.”

But every time I thought “OH GODS, YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!!!” some nice character made an appearance and I started to believe in the good in people again. *lol* Two of the best examples were definitely Nick and Charlie because boy those two men blew me away! And truth be told even Fiona showed some serious backbone when she defended her kids against their tyrant of a father! =)

”Who exactly are you trying to impress? The photographers? The readers of Hong Kong Tattle? You really care so much about them that you’d rather hit your own son over an accident that you caused in the first place by screaming at him for wearing the wrong cummerbund?”

And so it happens that events escalate and almost everything that can go wrong actually goes wrong in the end. I can’t even tell you how sorry I felt for Nick! I mean, yeah he was partly responsible for the things that happened but you can’t blame him for only thinking the best of his mum and grandma. I mean they are his family and they hurt him at least as much as they hurt Rachel. Up until the moment he realized what they did behind his back he was actually pretty clueless about their vindictive ways and the lengths to which they would go in order to keep him from marrying Rachel.

”She’s not something I can just give up, Mum. I love her, and I’m going to marry her. I don’t need anyone’s approval,” Nick said forcefully, rising from the table.
“Stupid boy! Ah Ma will disinherit you!”
“Like I care.”

”No, Rachel, please don’t go,” Nick said, grabbing her by the arm. “I need you to hear this. Ah Ma, I don’t know what stories you’ve been told, but I have met Rachel’s family, and I like them very much. They have certainly shown me a great deal more courtesy, warmth, and respect than our family has shown to Rachel.”

Poor Nick, poor Rachel! They both didn’t deserve to be treated like that! I felt really sorry for Rachel because her world was turned upside down, but to some degree I felt even more sorry for Nick because it was his own family that did all this stuff. Your family should be the people you can rely on and trust, your family should be the people that catch you when you fall and his family, well they hurt him because he wanted to marry the “wrong” kind of girl.

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And if this wouldn’t have been enough already Rachel even broke up with him because she couldn’t stand to see him anymore. He so didn’t deserve that!! I swear if Rachel wouldn’t have turned to him in the end I really would have thrown that book out of my window! *lol* YES! I felt that strongly about poor Nick’s misery!!!

 

“Crazy Rich Asians” was an interesting, unexpectedly intense and somehow educational book. It kept me entertained and forced me to read on because I always wanted to know what would happen next. Rachel and Nick were a great couple and I’m already curious about the second book. As it seems it’s not only about them but also about Nick’s cousin Astrid as well and after her encounter with her ex-boyfriend Charlie I’m really beyond excited to see where this is heading. Because let’s face it: As much as I liked Nick, Charlie is still the best!!!! ❤

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”If he didn’t have a chance of getting Astrid back, he at least wanted to try to help her. He wanted her to find love again with her husband. He wanted to see the joy return to Astrid’s face, that glow he had witnessed all those years ago at the bonfire on the beach. He wanted to pass it on.”

Imma gonna die if they don’t end up together and she actually goes back to Michael!!!! ARAHAKSDFASDFJASDKFJADSKF! Charlie is precious!! So damn precious that I can’t even! <333 If Astrid doesn’t take him, I will! *lol*

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