The “Crazy Rich Asians” Trilogy

Last month I wrote about Crazy Rich Asians, the first book in an over-the-top trilogy written by Kevin Kwan. Full disclosure: I didn’t even KNOW there were three books until an Asian acquaintance, with a classy Australian accent, told me she was reading Book #3. I told her that I enjoyed the first one so much I would definitely read all three. “Great idea,” she replied. “Just make sure you read them in order.” She was right: that’s the best way to tackle this project. CLICK HERE(Open Link in new window) to see Adea’s blog about the first book.

THE SECOND BOOK: CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND

Kwan writes with so much attention to detail that all his characters (real or fantasy) come to life. Janet Maslin’s review in The New York Times of June 28, 2015 hits this point right on the head when she writes, “It barely matters whether Ming Ka-Ching is the real name of Hong Kong’s second-richest man. If he doesn’t exist, Kwan has done well to invent him for China Rich Girlfriend, the second volume in this gossipy, good-humored trilogy that follows the richest old families of Singapore, Hong Kong and China.”

When I purchased the first book, at Barnes & Noble on 17th Street near Union Square, they had copies right at the Information Desk across the floor on the far right. When I went to buy the next two, I found I only had to walk about 10 steps to the left – right inside the front door. B&N knows when it has a winner.

In the first two books there are two nice, sensible main characters, Nick Young, a NYU professor who comes from a powerful, venerable family and stands to inherit an estate in the heart of Singapore that’s the size of Central Park. The other is Rachel Chu, who was raised in the US by her Chinese mother and has never known her father – in this book she finds out.

A MOVIE IS IN THE WORKS – WE THINK

I keep hearing that this book will also result in a film, but a lot has to be worked out: so far the director, cast and dates have to be nailed down – the earliest is a 2020 release. But everyone is very optimistic based on the response to the Crazy Rich Asians movie. Or, as Henry Golding, the heart-stopping star, told The Hollywood Reporter, “I hope there’s something in the future. It would be so much fun to get everybody back together – back to sweaty old Singapore.” Now, that’s a very honest, down-to-earth response.

RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS – MY FAVORITE

I like all three books but I give this one an A-plus. Why? I think that the third one has the strongest plot. All the way through I kept thinking: who is going to inherit all this wealth. The matriarch, Su Yi, is on her deathbed so there are endless twists and turns as the entire Shang-Young clan convenes from all corners of the globe to stake a claim on her massive fortune. (Of course, I’m not going to tell you how it ends – just start reading.)

Or, as InStyle magazine says, “Kevin Kwan has done it again. The mastermind is back at it with the series final installment – rest assured, it’s just as enthralling as the trilogy’s first two volumes.”

Shaun Nelson-Henrick

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