Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan
Book Synopsis: 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.
With all the hype of being one of the most buzzed about movies out right now, I decided to go and watch it. I admit, when I first heard about this, I wasn't too excited about going to see it or even read the books in the trilogy. Let me tell you, I was blown away by what I saw. The movie was fantastic. So, I was pretty sad to say that I wasn't blown away by what I read.
The movie is actually very different from the book. I can't exactly go into detail what differed, but the feel, and some major plot details were drastically changed from book to film.
In the book, while Rachel and Nick's characters are likable, they seemed to fall a bit flat and felt a little two-dimensional to me. I definitely had a hard time relating or connecting to the characters in an emotional or personal way. What really bothered me was that there wasn't much interaction between Rachel and Eleanor like there was in the movie, and I missed that aspect in the book.
As for the book version ending, it didn't really feel like it wrapped up on a good note. The conclusion was like an unfinished thought, or a strange cliff-hanger where the reader is left hanging onto the last words with many questions unanswered that might be touched upon in the sequel. Personally, I would advise you to skip the book and enjoy the movie.
Rating: ★★★☆☆