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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan

Read through page 53.

I'm probably too snooty a reader for this book, and just having enjoyed some escapism through the works of Jane Austen is perhaps a better indication that I shouldn't move on to actually trashy stuff than that I should. I was ready for silly fun! The prologue was totally fun! But after that.... meh.

First of all, I feel that an important element of a good trashy, plot-driven read is that you at least like and root for the protagonists, even if they aren't particularly deep, complex or interesting. I didn't see any reason to care about anybody here. Nick is fabulously wealthy, but seems intent on hiding this fact from his girlfriend of two years even though he's about to take her to meet his family, at which point she's clearly going to find out in the most awkward and cringeworthy possible ways. Rachel is primarily seen gazing into teacups thinking about her relationship, and having conversations with her mother in which they tell each other how close they are despite the fact that this is unusual for Chinese-American mothers and daughters, and also speculate about how possibly Nick hasn't told her anything about his family because they're poor. At which point it becomes clear that Nick has told Rachel virtually nothing about his life, and that Rachel is the most incurious person alive. And also, that the author's exposition is really clumsy.

Most of the rest of the book so far is about making the fact over and over again that these people are RICH, largely through dropping brand names right and left. And then pointing out that they're also sometimes STINGY. But nevertheless RICH.

Meh. Moving on.