This book is all about the money, and the right people having the money – and spending it the right way.

Set in Singapore – but with honourable mentions to Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, China and New York – this book is the trashy tale of the uberwealthy elite who live in such rarified air that their lungs probably have a brand name in them somewhere. Ostensibly a will-they-make-it love story between Californian Chinese Rachel Chu and Singaporean Nick Young (who is, shocker, not all that he seems) it is also a fascinating observation on the politics, snobbery, wealth and shopping that makes high society keep turning. 

The love story itself is fine; anyone who has read a couple of romance novels, or indeed, has a brain, will realise what is going to happen. The quality of the writing is also just fine – exuberant in places and mediocre in others. But the observations! Kevin Kwan really knows this society, the people and the places, and it’s this knowledge that makes the book worth reading. Plenty of novels feature ostentatious weddings and debauched stag weekends, secret shopping, or the politics and performances of social occasions. What makes this different is the Asian factor. The snobbery between different families, new or old money, and coming from the right part of the world are topics that even Jane Austen would have been familiar with, but no one can dispute the financial impact China is having on society, the cultural impact that this wealth is having on global society. Is this an accurate glimpse into this society? I hope so, because it is ridiculous, entertaining and utterly insane. 

Crazy Rich Asians counterbalances the spending and shopping with a few characters that are ‘good’ – less obsessed with wealth and hedonism than their friends, gaining careers on their own merits and so on. But you can’t help that feel after reading this that it – it being society – is really not going to end well, even though it will be wearing next season’s fashions.

It’s a highly entertaining, light summer read. If you have any connection to Asian culture, or are familiar with Singapore (or indeed, the general obsession with food) you are really going to enjoy it. 

 

Thoughts for discussion…

1. What did you think of the snobbery from the Singaporeans towards other Asians, especially mainland Chinese? Do you think it’s comparable to other forms of discrimination?

2. Designer stores keep clients waiting outside, apparently to control their purchases (indeed, it’s mentioned that the customers may try to resell the items once they return). Do you think this is fair? It only seems to happen to mainland Chinese – is this fair?

3. The characters all seem to have dysfunctional relationships with their parents, yet Asian culture seems to pride itself on its strong family support. Is this hypocritical, or true for families everywhere? Are children in Asian families under more or less pressure than their Western counterparts?  

4. The kind of money that the characters spend is beyond most people’s imagination. Is this right? How do the characters cope with the money? Consider Nick, Rachel and Michael. 

5. How sustainable do you think this lifestyle is? One of the characters loses their income, while another walks away from it. Is that kind of wealth a blessing or a curse?