Title: Crazy Rich Asians
Author: Kevin Kwan
Performer: Lynn Chen
Length: 13 hr, 53 min, 16 sec
Series: Crazy Rich Asians, Book 1
Publishing Date/Publisher: 2013 by Books on Tape
Format: eAudiobook
Review: This book has been extremely popular at the library thanks to the breakaway movie success that hit theaters last year. I was finally able to reserve an eAudiobook copy after a long wait, and I am glad I held out to get the book in that format. The reader, Lynn Chen, did a great job bringing the variety of characters to life. I think I enjoyed the book a lot more than I would have if I had read the print version.
This book is very heavy on description, which I generally enjoy, but I was surprised at how fast I became desensitized to the opulence of the setting and the decadence of the food described in the book. After awhile, I became entirely unimpressed by the flashy displays of wealth. This book really does live up to the old adage, “money does not buy happiness.” It seemed to me that the wealthier the character was, the more miserable they were and the more miserable they made those around them. This left me feeling frustrated as a reader, and it didn’t feel to me that the book had much substance beyond these observations. I did not feel deeply connected to Rachel or Nick as characters, so I did not feel deeply connected to their romance. Other characters, such as Astrid and Eleanor, had much more impactful character development in my opinion. Rachel and Nick were just too perfect, and not nearly flawed enough for my liking.
The book was certainly better than the movie (no surprise there), but it didn’t wow me. I probably won’t be reading the next two books in the trilogy.
Reader: Bekah
Rating:
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