Night Owls -- February 13, 2023

February is the month for love and what better way to celebrate than with a little smattering of romance and a tropical getaway with Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. Rachel Chu has been invited to join her long-time boyfriend, Nicholas (Nick) Young, on a destination wedding in Singapore as well as to meet Nick’s parents and extended family for the first time. Unbeknownst to Rachel, Nick is the golden child of a dynastic family revered and envied by the upper echelons of Asian society. So not just anyone will be accepted as a suitable partner for Nick, especially not someone like Rachel. At least not if Eleanor, Nick’s mother, has her way. With the help of meddling aunts, cousins, friends, and exes, the focus quickly shifts from the wedding of the century to the game of the century: removing Rachel Chu from the picture at all costs. And when money is no object, nothing is off limits. Loosely based on Kevin Kwan’s own childhood in Singapore, the novel takes a satirical approach when describing the lavish and oftentimes absurd lifestyles of the uber-elite and crazy rich families of Asia’s upper crust society. 

Right off the bat, members noted that the author often goes into painstaking detail when describing everything from the palatial homes to the haute couture wardrobes to the tantalizing food consumption. At times, members felt that it was too much detail or too much emphasis on things that we, as the average individuals, could never understand or would even care about. Even more tedious for some members was the inclusion of footnotes to explain things even further, although some readers found them insightful and helped better to clarify cultural differences to non-Asian readers. 

While technically only told from five alternating perspectives, the expansive cast of side and background characters could often be overwhelming for some readers to keep straight, especially when parsing the multi-generational family tree of the main characters Nick, Astrid, Eleanor, and Eddie. Some members found them unnecessary while some members enjoyed the inclusion of a wide cast to help break down preconceived stereotypes regarding a culture or society you are not intimately familiar with. Members also felt that while they will never understand the complexities of being the level of rich exhibited by the characters, they could certainly relate to the dysfunctionality of these families, particularly where extended family is involved.

In the end, the group was a house divided in terms of overall reception of the book. We had some members that really enjoyed the book and have continued onto the next book in the series. Others thought it was just okay as it was not their typical read and would recommend the movie instead, as it is a fairly faithful adaptation of the book. Either way, readers who pick up the book will certainly be in for an interesting ride. 

Final Rating: 2.8

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = It was amazing 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Really liked it

⭐⭐⭐ = Liked it

⭐⭐ = It was ok

⭐ = Did not like it