Karyl Ashjian
Crazy Rich Asians
By: Kevin Kwan
Imagine being a part of something you never even knew you were a part of. Something so big that was hidden from you all along.
Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young, overseas to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore, only to find out that his family is extremely wealthy and holds a great deal of power there. She is completely blindsided when she finds out that Nick is named Singapore’s most eligible bachelor. Nick’s mother is a stern woman who wants the best for her son; she believes that no one is good enough to date him.
As Rachel travels with Nick to his homeland, she has a hard time dealing with the news about who Nick is, and she feels un-welcomed into his family. Nick’s mother makes it difficult for Rachel to be herself and feel accepted into the family. The book states, “She had witnessed firsthand the scars that blatant parental interference could inflict; why, even those assembled here were a reminder of that-- Daisy’s relationship with her sons was tenuous at best, while Lorena’s eldest daughter no longer spoke to her after immigrating to Auckland with her Kiwi husband” (327). This is incredibly ironic because Nick’s mother, Eleanor, still meddles in her son’s love life, despite knowing full well what the consequences may be.
Personally, I understand why she doesn’t want the wrong person to join the family because they have so much to lose, but I still believe she should trust her son to make his own decisions. The consequences of meddling might be worse than the consequences of having someone who is after the family’s fame and money. She is selfish in a way that she doesn’t want to embarrassed by who her son brings into the family.
Eleanor isn’t the only one--Nick’s grandmother also agrees that his whole relationship is absolutely rubbish. She stubbornly implied, “I do not give you permission to marry her. Now let’s stop all this nonsense and go home” (457). Nick doesn’t have his grandmother’s blessing because Rachel doesn’t come from a wealthy or proper family. The grandmother loves Rachel as a person but just could not see her as a part of their family. The Youngs have an old-fashioned mindset and believe that if an individual didn’t come from a prominent family, then they’re not a person they would want to be involved with.
Similarly to Rachel, Eleanor went through the same situation because Nick’s grandmother, still, to this day, dislikes and gives her a hard time. Therefore, she gets really jealous when the whole family grows to like Rachel: “what’s more, the whole family seems to have fallen in love with her, even my bitchy sister-in-law” (407). Eleanor is extremely jealous of Rachel because the family is really loving her and Eleanor feels sort of left out because she can’t see her value.
This novel is all about the different aspects of new and old money, traditions and values, and judgmental relatives. I highly recommend this book to all women because it shows the amount of power we can bestow upon our families and how much influence we can have on others. Even though I have yet to finish it, what I have read makes me want to keep reading. I’m incredibly attached to this book that I can’t put it down. I don’t think I have read a book like this one ever before; it is very different and unpredictable. I promise that you will not regret reading it. In addition, I highly recommend the movie--it is captivating and very similar to the book.
If you would like to watch the trailer of the movie, it is posted here!
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