Crazy Rich Asians
Written by Kevin Kwan
Narrated by Lynn Chen
4/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.
Editor's Note
Crazy good…
There’s great, there’s very great, and then there’s crazy great, and by now you’ve surely heard just how crazy great this satirical romantic comedy is. Laugh and learn on a glamorous trip to Singapore as social classes and various cultures collide.
Kevin Kwan
Kevin Kwan is a contributing to writer to SOMA magazing and the author of I Was Cuba. He is also a sought-after creative consultant to clients such as The New York Times and Rockwell group.
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Reviews for Crazy Rich Asians
1,984 ratings131 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The first time I tried reading this book, I put it down. I gave it another try because I heard so many interesting things about it. Having been to both Malaysia and Singapore, I found it very interesting. Yes, it was a soap opera, but reading about ultra-wealthy people is always interesting. They weren’t a group of people with whom I would have been comfortable around.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5At first I found this book incredibly annoying, just a shopping list of designer labels and the like. Then it turned into a soapy beach book. Read it in a day, whatever.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rachel Chu and her boyfriend Nicholas Young have been going out for a couple of years when Nick asks her if she'd like to come to his family home in Singapore for his best friend's wedding. Rachel says yes, not realizing what she's in for - Nick's family is super rich and he's considered quite the catch, while his friend's wedding is the event of the season in their set of upper echelon "crazy rich Asians."This sort of over-the-top romantic comedy is really more my type of movie than book. I enjoyed it, there were moments I chuckled, but I wasn't absolutely sucked in or compelled to keep reading to find out what happened. This says so much more about me than the book, though. It's perfect if you like satirical, crazy-dramatic situations. It's fast-paced, episodic and funny.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This story was so big and ambitious I was honestly surprised how invested I became in the lives of all of the family members and then some.To include a summary in my review would be a waste. Nick Young has fallen in love with Rachel Chu, Rachel wants to finally meet Nick's family, Eleanor Young has heard whispers of her son being with some random Chinese girl and knows nothing about her, Astrid Leong lives a fabulous life but it's not all champagne and roses, and Eddie Cheng is the pompous rich guy you will love to hate. You root for Rachel and Astrid because of how good human beings they are. While you don't understand Nick or Eleanor at first you still want to like them anyway. Nick with his charming demeanor and Eleanor with her misguided but love and protective nature when it comes to her son. Anytime something stupid happens to Eddie you get a good laugh at his misfortune.And I'm going to give a shoutout to Peik Lin, Michael, and Charlie. These secondary characters made the relationships they had with specific main characters made me like all of them so much more.I wouldn't say this book is hilarious or overly romantic. I felt as nosy as Cassandra Shang or "Radio One Asia" while I was reading but it was just too much of a juicy story not to keep reading. I'm really excited to pick up the next two books.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I know the premise of this book is for entertainment and shouldn't be taken too seriously, but really? The descriptions of every outfit, car, house, meal, etc. was really too much. It was easy to follow, but long and painfully material. There were really only two characters with a little bit of depth at all . . . I won't be reading the other books in the trilogy.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Whether it’s because I’m not Asian or because I’m not exceedingly wealthy, I don’t know, but I could not connect with this book. Spending $40M on a wedding seems absolutely ludicrous and I’ve never been very label-conscious, so when Kwan starts talking about designers, I felt like I should be impressed, but I was lacking the necessary background. The book only really got interesting, plot-wise, until about 40 pages from the end, but then instead of going out with a bang, went out with a faint cough as the story got somewhat tied up. I found out that this one’s part of a trilogy, but I don’t feel a pressing desire to read the next two.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I can see why this was the fun summer read of 2013- a peek into the lifestyles of the outrageously rich and famous through the eyes of our ABC homegirl Rachel, accompanying her boyfriend Nick Young to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. Nick's mother combines the worst of Mrs. Bennett and Lady Catherine deBourgh. A sharp satire of today's modern Downton Abbey types, am definitely looking forward to the movie adaption.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I am a little embarrassed and to admit how much I enjoyed this book! A love story set among the uber-wealthy of Singapore is far outside my usual genres, but the story is well told, the humour is of the laugh out loud variety, and the food, geographical and cultural references are interesting (although the high-end designers were beyond my ken) and I found myself with a page turner. I finished in less than two days.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great escapism. This book was funny and entertaining. I loved the look at a way of life so different than my own. I really liked that Rachel and Nick were honest with each other and did not play mind games like so many of the other characters.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Entertaining fluff that was let down for me by the clunky dialogue (very "as you know, Bob"). I don't plan to continue reading the series, but it seems like it will make a good-looking film, so I'll look forward to that. I read this for the "book and movie adaptation" challenge for Booktube-a-thon 2018 - the film isn't out yet but it was the only thing on my TBR that was remotely relevant!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In Crazy Rich Asians, author Kevin Kwan, a Singaporean native, satirizes the lifestyles of the mega-rich of Southeast Asia. The novel focuses first and foremost on Nick Young and Rachel Chu, an established couple in their late twenties, as they travel from New York to Singapore to attend the wedding of Nick’s best friend, Colin Khoo. Nick’s family, who he doesn’t talk about often, also happens to live in Singapore. Since Rachel has never met them, it’s the perfect opportunity for introductions. Kwan deftly maneuvers between multiple plot threads and many outrageous situations, all while juggling numerous characters and exotic locales.
If you ever wondered what it would be like to have a ridiculous amount of money, this is the book for you. But it’s more than just a depiction of the lives of the rich and famous. It’s also a unique look into a variety of travel-worthy destinations. Characters jet set to settings as ordinary as New York and Australia to as uncommon as Shenzhen and Macau. The third person narrator is also incredibly knowledgeable, as is evident in the addition of footnotes, some of which are quite funny.
While extreme wealth is obviously a huge leg up in life, it doesn’t solve all problems. In fact, it probably causes more trouble than you’d expect, particularly in relationships. Although Nick was not always forthright with Rachel about his family, their relationship is the most stable and down-to-earth among their friends and family. It helps that Rachel is so relatable. Her reactions to the extreme wealth on display are both realistic and impressively open-minded. Nick’s family is gigantic, so it’s fascinating to observe the dynamics between the various family members. Despite such a large cast of characters, Kwan gives them unique personalities that are easy to distinguish from each other. The family tree posted at the beginning of the book is also a handy tool.
The sheer volume of plot threads present should cause confusion, but Kwan navigates between them well. When the narrative veers away from Rachel and Nick, the paths taken are just as interesting. Kwan touches on subjects as diverse as the many types of love, designer clothing, infidelity, private islands, and racism (just to name a few). Despite a few chapters following an unlikeable character or two, it’s also hard not to be pulled in by the extreme situations they get themselves into. The entire book is compulsively readable.
On the shelf, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan may look like a shallow beach read, but there’s a lot more complexity to it than you’d expect. It provides a fascinating, albeit somewhat over exaggerated, look into a lifestyle that most people will never experience. As unbelievable as events can become, it’s impossible to not get caught up in the drama. The characters are fun to love and hate, and ultimately, who can resist the opportunity to judge the lives of the over privileged? - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5What a crazy book! I must be living a desolate life with no designer clothes and private airplane trips all over the world. Kevin Kwan’s book, Crazy Rich Asians, really opened my eyes to the life of the rich and famous. Kwan creates characters that provide a range of personalities. In the 21st century, family still rules the life of children. I felt that too much emphasis was placed on material objects and the emotional life was obsolete. After finishing the story, the excesses of spending remain in my memory, but the actual relationships fade in the background.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very amusing look at the shallow life of very rich Asians. Enjoyed reading and learning about the Asian culture.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan is an extravaganza of a romantic comedy that is set against the backdrop of extremely rich Asians in Singapore. While the author admits to loosely basing this story on his own childhood, there is something here to delight everyone. The story centres on Rachel Chu, a smart, independent Chinese-American economics professor who is in love with Nick Young, who turns out to be from an insanely wealthy Singapore family. The book is drenched in obscene wealth, over-the-top status and the expectations that stem from families with this kind of lineage.I became totally engaged in this book which was the perfect foil for some more serious reads I had going at the same time. From designer fashion and jewels, to elegant interior decorating, from private planes and gigantic yachts, right down to the variety of street foods available in Singapore, this book was a delight for the senses. The author also overloads us with characters of both the sane and crazy type, which at times made it hard to keep the storyline straight. The reader also has to accept that Rachel was absolutely clueless as to Nick’s family background, even after two years of serious dating. Crazy Rich Asians is pure escapism. The author has mixed a lot glamour with a serious amount of trash talk and a sprinkling of “mean” girls, then blended it with humor to produce a book that shows us what I already knew. The extreme rich are always different – no matter their race. Next time I need an escape from reality, I will certainly be looking for the next book in this trilogy.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fun book! I will have to check out the movie.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great story but the reader has no idea how to do the British or Australian accents!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fun Read. I liked how it ended. Wrapped up nicely.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It took me a little while to get into it but it was really good.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5You know what? I really enjoyed this book. If you really like K-Dramas for their whacky rich cast, you'll love this. I've grown out of young adult fiction's rediculous romances and it's great to see a book tackling the ordeal of already dating someone and family matters, especially in this extreme environment! Also, bonus if you're really into Chinese traditions like me.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fantastic story and exceptionally well read by the narrator.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The story is really good and engaging. Readers must be aware some of the stereotyping is exaggerated in some cases.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's a well written with characters, except from the two lead ones, that are fleshed out and amusing.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Well read. Not too showy. A delight to hear.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The book was good, the reading was EXCELLENT. Not too much of a love story and I appreciated the peak into different Asian cultures.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So much like the movie, yet so very different at the same time. I really like it.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was an easy read and quite sustaining. I think it’s something a little too familiar for an Asian reader like me. No plot surprises, no unimaginable twists.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved it. Loved the author as well!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5such a great method have an IELTS Listening ^_^ nice story, cool pronunciation, and cute story telling
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A colorful and fun experience for romantics. Binge listened in just 2 days!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved it! Great story - couldn’t ask for more from this summer read.