A Book A Week

Much will be made about the financial success of director Jon M. Chu's film Crazy Rich Asians out in wide release today. Based upon Kevin Kwan's wildly popular novel, the film marks one of the first large studio releases to feature an Asian cast. In 2018 this shouldn't be such a big deal, but the fact that most articles about the film mention this means that for better or worse, Warner Bros. has a lot riding on Crazy Rich Asians. I enjoyed the novel and got enough laughs out of it, that I decided to see what the film adaptation had to offer.

Like the book, the film follows NYU professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she follows her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) home to Singapore. One of Nick's best friends is getting married, so this is the perfect opportunity for Rachel to see the place he grew up. Nick has always been pretty quiet about his family, so Rachel isn't sure what to expect. She grows suspicious of him the moment they board their private first class suite on the plane, an extravagance Rachel has never even dreamed of. Soon Nick reveals a huge secret about his family. They are crazy rich!

Before the plane even leaves the tarmac, the news of Nick's mysterious new girlfriend reaches his mother played by Michelle Yeoh. Eleanor Young is not impressed with Rachel. Nick may think he's found "the one", but mothers know best. Rachel is American born from a single mother and has no financial or social stature to speak of. Eleanor will not stand by while her son's emotions and bank account are taken advantage of. She has to stop this relationship.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians. Chu's film improves upon the novel by making the characters more emotionally rounded and allowing the themes of culture and family to weave into the comedy. Similar to the way that My Big Fat Greek Wedding bridged Greek culture into universally relatable themes, Crazy Rich Asians finds a perfect balance in highlighting the intricacies of its own unique culture while crafting an emotionally satisfying romantic comedy that should appeal to the masses. Unlike the novel, the film ends with a true conclusion that will leave you wanting more from these remarkable characters. I can't predict what the box office results will be, but I can say without a doubt that I thoroughly enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians. 

"Remember, every treasure comes with a price."

When the blistering heat of the Texas summer hits, I usually change my reading habits a bit. My idea of the perfect summer read is a book that has a quick pace, doesn't require too much deep thought, but one that also doesn't sacrifice quality in favor of being fun. With that in mind, I decided to pick up Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. This novel has been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years, just waiting for the perfect moment to be read. Described by the publisher as a "outrageously funny debut novel", Crazy Rich Asians seemed like the perfect book to kickoff my summer reading.

The novel follows Nicholas Young and his girlfriend Rachel Chu as they travel to Singapore to meet Nick's family. The academic couple have lived comfortably together for a few years in America. While Rachel and Nick are very comfortable with her single mother, they have yet to meet Nick's large extended family. As the couple heads to Singapore, Nick begins to stress about the details of the meeting. He loves Rachel, but his family can be difficult to deal with. He's also left out one giant detail about his family. . . they are unfathomably wealthy!

Eleanore Young is worried sick about her son. Word has traveled through the grapevine of her various social circles that Nick is bringing home his girlfriend Rachel with the intent to propose to her. Surely these rumors must be mistaken. How could Nick be ready to propose to a girl when he never even mentioned the woman to his mother?! Worse, if the rumors are to be believed, Rachel is an ABC (American Born Chinese). Mrs. Young will not stand to have her son's emotions and bank account be taken advantage of by a woman who is not worthy of the Young family's stature. She vows to do everything in her power (lots of money means lots of power!) to protect Nick and to maintain the prosperity of the Young family name.

Crazy Rich Asians is a novel full of family drama and satire that reads like an over the top soap opera in the same vein as the TV show Desperate Housewives. The tone is light and the pace is brisk. In other words, the novel works as a diversional summer read. Those expecting anything more than that may be disappointed. While Kwan is clearly writing from experience, his story ends up being nothing more than a surface level melodrama. I found myself chuckling at the absurdity of some of the situations, but found it really hard to connect with the over-the-top characters. At over four hundred pages, the material soon begins to overstay its welcome and becomes redundant. Worse, when the book does finally end, most of the narrative threads are left open for a sequel. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this book, but the overlong length and lack of any clear resolution might be enough to deter others from spending time with this crazy rich family.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2016, 18)