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thereadingrambler 's review for:
Crazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The film Crazy Rich Asians is my comfort movie. I've probably seen it upwards of 20 times. So, I had been putting off reading the book, worried that it would somehow ruin the film. I know, I know, this is not the normal response of an avid reader to the adaptation, but because of my emotional response/attachment to the film, I was anxious I would be disappointed: the book and film would diverge so wildly that I wouldn't be able to appreciate the film anymore or the book and film would be so similar the book would be entirely predictable.
I am pleased to report, then, that the book was excellent. The most memorable moment from the film (in fact, most of the moments from the film) are directly lifted from the book although they are often placed in a different order, or there are some alterations to make the film's plot tighter (for instance, the aunties have a much bigger role in the book vs. the film), but there were still unexpected moments in the book. The root of this difference is that the film is a romantic comedy, but the book is satire (and also the first in a trilogy, so the ending of the book is left fairly open-ended). Moments in the film that end in something sweet and charming (i.e., the fish incident) are much more dramatic. The fight between lovers is much longer and harsher.
My biggest critique of the book is that in the film, Rachel and Nick are much more realized characters, while pretty much all of the characters in the book are more tropes/caricatures. This is to be somewhat expected because it is a satire, so deep investment in the characters isn't necessary, but in a romantic comedy, the audience really needs to be rooting for the main girl and/or guy.
Moving on to the actual satire of the book, Kwan does an incredible job because I'm not remotely familiar with this culture, but I was still able to understand most of the jokes and critiques he was making. This is in part because you don't need to be intimately familiar with Singaporean culture to understand the problems of this extreme level of wealth. If you're going to like this book, you do need to like reading about rich bitch problems (which I do); if you're just going to constantly be mad about the fact people this wealthy exist, you're not going to have a good time.
I am pleased to report, then, that the book was excellent. The most memorable moment from the film (in fact, most of the moments from the film) are directly lifted from the book although they are often placed in a different order, or there are some alterations to make the film's plot tighter (for instance, the aunties have a much bigger role in the book vs. the film), but there were still unexpected moments in the book. The root of this difference is that the film is a romantic comedy, but the book is satire (and also the first in a trilogy, so the ending of the book is left fairly open-ended). Moments in the film that end in something sweet and charming (i.e., the fish incident) are much more dramatic. The fight between lovers is much longer and harsher.
My biggest critique of the book is that in the film, Rachel and Nick are much more realized characters, while pretty much all of the characters in the book are more tropes/caricatures. This is to be somewhat expected because it is a satire, so deep investment in the characters isn't necessary, but in a romantic comedy, the audience really needs to be rooting for the main girl and/or guy.
Moving on to the actual satire of the book, Kwan does an incredible job because I'm not remotely familiar with this culture, but I was still able to understand most of the jokes and critiques he was making. This is in part because you don't need to be intimately familiar with Singaporean culture to understand the problems of this extreme level of wealth. If you're going to like this book, you do need to like reading about rich bitch problems (which I do); if you're just going to constantly be mad about the fact people this wealthy exist, you're not going to have a good time.