Book Summary: Crazy Rich Asians Summary Kevin Kwan
Crazy Rich Asians Summary Crazy Rich Asians Summary Crazy Rich Asians Summary Crazy Rich Asians Summary
“There’s rich, there’s filthy rich, and then there’s crazy rich. . . . A Pride and Prejudice-like send-up.”
—People
A hilarious and heartwarming New York Times bestselling novel—now a major motion picture!
“This 48-karat beach read is crazy fun.” —Entertainment Weekly
Prologue: The Cousins
LONDON, 1986
Part One
1. Nicholas Young and Rachel Chu
“Rachel, I’d love it if you came,” Nick reassured her. “You weren’t
planning on teaching this summer, so what’s your worry? Think you
won’t be able to handle the heat and humidity?”
“No, that’s not it. I know you’re going to be so busy with all your best
man duties, and I wouldn’t want to distract you,” Rachel said.
“What distraction? Colin’s wedding is only going to take up the first
week in Singapore, and then we can spend the rest of the summer just
bumming around Asia. Come on, let me show you where I grew up. I
want to take you to all my favorite haunts.”
“Will you show me the sacred cave where you lost your virginity?”
Rachel teased, arching an eyebrow playfully.
“Definitely! We can even stage a reenactment!” Nick laughed,
slathering jam and clotted cream onto a scone still warm from the oven.
2. Eleanor Young
Everyone knew that Dato’* Tai Toh Lui made his first fortune the dirty
way by bringing down Loong Ha Bank in the early eighties, but in the
two decades since, the efforts of his wife, Datin Carol Tai, on behalf of
the right charities had burnished the Tai name into one of respectability.
Every Thursday, for instance, the datin held a Bible study luncheon for
her closest friends in her bedroom, and Eleanor Young was sure to attend
3. Rachel Chu
It would be just after dinnertime in Cupertino, and on the nights she
wasn’t at Nick’s, it became Rachel’s habit to call her mother right as she
was getting into bed.
“Guess who just closed the deal on the big house on Laurel Glen
Drive?” Kerry Chu boasted excitedly in Mandarin as soon as she picked
up the phone.
“Wow, Mom, congratulations! Isn’t that your third sale this month?”
Rachel asked.
“Yes! I broke last year’s office record! You see, I knew I made the right
decision to join Mimi Shen at the Los Altos office,” Kerry said with satisfaction.
4. Nicholas Young
Nick was slouched on his battered leather sofa grading term papers
when Rachel casually brought it up. “So … what’s the story when we’re
staying at your parents’ place? Are we sharing a bedroom, or would they
be scandalized?”
Nick cocked his head. “Hmm. I suppose we’ll be in the same room—”
“You suppose or you know?”
“Don’t worry, once we arrive everything will get sorted.”
Get sorted. Normally Rachel found Nick’s Britishy phrases so charming,
but in this instance it was a tad frustrating. Sensing her unease, Nick got
up, walked over to where she was sitting, and kissed the top of her head
tenderly. “Relax—my parents aren’t the kind of people who pay any attention to sleeping arrangements.”
5. Astrid Leong
Astrid barely had time to take in the delightful sight when the
Vicomtesse Nathalie de L’Herme-Pierre pounced on her. “I’m so glad you
could make it,” Nathalie effused, greeting Astrid with quadruple cheek
kisses. “My goodness, is that linen? Only you could get away with
wearing a simple linen dress to a ball, Astrid!” The hostess laughed,
admiring the delicate Grecian folds of Astrid’s buttercup-yellow gown.
“Wait a minute … is this an original Madame Grès?” Nathalie asked,
realizing that she had seen a similar dress at the Musée Galliera.
“From her early period,” Astrid replied, almost embarrassed to have been found out.
6. The Chengs
Every Sunday afternoon, the Cheng family would come together
without fail for lunch at the CAA. No matter how busy or hectic the
week had been, everyone knew that Sunday dim sum at the Clubhouse,
as they called it, was mandatory attendance by all family members who
were in town. Dr. Malcolm Cheng was Asia’s most esteemed heart
surgeon. So prized were his skilled hands that he was famous for always
wearing lambskin gloves—made specially for him by Dunhill
7. Eleanor
After a few days of strategically placed phone calls, Eleanor finally
nailed down the source of the disturbing rumor involving her son. Daisy
confessed hearing it from her daughter-in-law’s best friend Rebecca
Tang, who in turn revealed that she’d heard it from her brother Moses
Tang, who had been at Cambridge with Leonard Shang.
8. Rachel
Nick brought it up so nonchalantly, as he was sorting the laundry on the
Sunday afternoon before their big trip. Apparently Nick’s parents had
only just been informed that Rachel was coming with him to Singapore.
And oh, by the way, they had just been made aware of her existence too.
“I don’t quite understand … you mean your parents never knew about me
in all this time?” Rachel asked in astonishment.
“Yes. I mean, no, they didn’t. But you need to know this has absolutely
nothing to do with you—” Nick began.
9. Astrid
To the majority of Singaporeans, it would seem that Astrid was in store
for a lovely evening at home. But to her friends and family, Astrid’s
current domestic situation was a perplexing one. Why was she popping
into kitchens talking to cooks, unpacking luggage by herself, or worrying about her husband’s workload?
10. Edison Cheng
Eddie stared at the mirror in amazement. “Oh, I’ve seen that before,”
he said rather unconvincingly as the envy began to coarse through his
veins. He felt the sudden urge to shove his friend’s bloated face into the
pristine mirrored wall. Once again, Leo was showing off another shiny
new toy he did fuck-all to deserve. It had been like this since they were
little. When Leo turned seven, his father gave him a titanium bicycle
11. Rachel
“You’re kidding, right?” Rachel said, thinking Nick was pulling a prank
when he steered her onto the plush red carpet of the Singapore Airlines
first-class counter at JFK.
Nick flashed a conspiratorial grin, relishing her reaction. “I figured if
you were going to go halfway around the world with me, I should at
least try to make it as comfy as possible.”
“But this must have cost a fortune! You didn’t have to sell a kidney, did
you?”
“No worries, I had about a million frequent-flier miles saved up.”
12. The Leongs
“Aiyah, Astrid, why so late?” Felicity Leong scolded her daughter as
she arrived at the long banquet table by the trophy wall where members
of the extended Leong family and their honored guests from Kuala
Lumpur—Tan Sri* Gordon Oon and Puan Sri Mavis Oon—were already seated.
“So sorry. Michael’s flight back from China was delayed,” Astrid
apologized. “I hope you didn’t wait for us to order? The food
always takes ages here.”
13. Philip and Eleanor Young
Now, why do you want to jump off a building?”
Philip asked in his usual laconic manner.
“I just got the dossier on Rachel Chu from that private investigator in
Beverly Hills who Mabel Kwok recommended. Do you want to know
what it says.” It wasn’t a question; it sounded like more of a threat.
“Er … who is Rachel Chu?” Philip asked.
“Don’t be so senile, lah! Don’t you remember what I told you last
week? Your son has been dating some girl in secret for more than a year,
and he had the cheek to tell us about it just days before he brings her to Singapore!”
“You hired a private investigator to check up on this girl?”
“Of course I did. We know nothing about this girl, and everyone is
already talking about her and Nicky—”
14. Rachel and Nicholas
. Now, why do you want to jump off a building?”
Philip asked in his usual laconic manner.
“I just got the dossier on Rachel Chu from that private investigator in
Beverly Hills who Mabel Kwok recommended. Do you want to know
what it says.” It wasn’t a question; it sounded like more of a threat.
“Er … who is Rachel Chu?” Philip asked.
“Don’t be so senile, lah! Don’t you remember what I told you last
week? Your son has been dating some girl in secret for more than a year,
and he had the cheek to tell us about it just days before he brings her to
Singapore!”
“You hired a private investigator to check up on this girl?”
“Of course I did. We know nothing about this girl, and everyone is
already talking about her and Nicky—”
15. Astrid
Whenever Astrid felt in need of a pick-me-up, she would pay a visit to
her friend Stephen. Stephen had a small jewelry shop on one of the
upper levels of the Paragon shopping center, tucked away from all the
other high-end boutiques in a back hallway. While it lacked the visibility
of high-profile local jewelers like L’Orient or Larry Jewelry, with their
gleaming flagship stores, Stephen Chia Jewels was highly regarded by
the island’s most discerning collectors
16. The Gohs
GohPL: You’re awake! Are you really here?
me: Sure am!
GohPL: Yippeeee!!!!
me: It’s not even 7 and already SO HOT!
GohPL: This is nothing! Are you staying @Nick’s parents?
me: No. We’re @Kingsford Hotel.
GohPL: Nice. Very central. But why are you at a hotel?
me: Nick’s parents are out of town, and he wanted to be at a hotel
during wedding week.
GohPL: …
me: But secretly, I think he didn’t want to show up at parents’ house
with me on the very first night. LOL!
17. Nicholas and Colin
Perhaps out of nostalgia, Nick and Colin liked to meet up at the coffee
shop of their old alma mater on Barker Road.
18. Rachel and Peik Lin
“But I’m still full from lunch,” Rachel protested.
“Well, you’ll just have to get used to the Singaporean eating schedule.
We eat five times a day here—breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, and late
night supper.”
“God, I’m going to put on so much weight while I’m here.”
“No you won’t. That’s the one good thing about this heat—you’ll sweat
it all out!”
Part Two
1. Astrid
Cassian was just being buttoned into his smart new Prussian-blue sailor
suit when Astrid got a call from her husband.
“I have to work late and won’t make it in time for dinner at Ah Ma’s.”
“Really? Michael, you’ve worked late every single night this week,”
Astrid said, trying to maintain a neutral tone.
2. Rachel and Nick
As Peik Lin’s car approached the porte cochere of Tyersall Park, Nick
bounded down the front steps toward them. “I was worried you’d gotten
lost,” he said, opening the car door.
“We did get a bit lost, actually,” Rachel replied, getting out of the car
and staring up at the majestic façade before her. Her stomach felt like it
had been twisted in a vise, and she smoothed out the creases on her
dress nervously. “Am I really late?”
3. Peik Lin
Wye Mun and Neena Goh were stretched out on teal-colored leather
recliners in their screening room at Villa d’Oro, munching on salted
watermelon seeds and watching a Korean soap opera, when Peik Lin
burst into the room.
“Mute the TV! Mute the TV!” she demanded.
“What’s wrong, what’s wrong?” Neena asked in alarm.
“You’re not going to believe where I just came from!”
“Where?” Wye Mun asked, a little annoyed that his daughter had
interrupted during a pivotal moment of his favorite show.
“I just came from Nicholas Young’s grandma’s house.”
4. Rachel and Nick
Rachel followed him through a side door, and they wandered
down a long hallway, past many darkened rooms that she longed to peek
into. When Nick led her through an arch at the end of the passage,
Rachel’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
5. Astrid and Michael
“Many happy returns!” she exclaimed, handing over a small present
exquisitely wrapped in purple silk fabric.
“Aiyah, Astrid, um sai lah!”* Andy said.
“It’s just a little something I thought you’d like from Paris, that’s all.”
“So did you get that city totally out of your system? Back for good
now?”
6. Nick and Rachel
Last night had been magical, and yet she couldn’t help but feel a
burgeoning sense of unease. It was as if she had stumbled into a secret
chamber and discovered that her boyfriend had been living a double life.
7. Eleanor
Lorena finished her call, flipped off her phone, and said, “Aiyah,
Eleanor, you’re in China. At least try some of this delicious porridge.”
“Sorry, I can’t eat fish first thing in the morning—I’m used to my
morning toast,” Eleanor insisted.
“Look at you! You complain your son is too Westernized, and yet you
can’t even enjoy a typical Chinese breakfast.”
8. Rachel
“Nonsense, lah! No Signboard Seafood still has the best chili crab … ”
“This isn’t cashmere, you know. It’s baby vicuña … ”
“Did you hear Swee Lin sold her Four Seasons flat for seven-point-five mil?
A young Mainland Chinese couple, paid in cash … ”
9. Nick
“B. Tai! I can’t believe you made us fly in this old sardine can! Your G5
had a time-to-climb I could grow a beard in! We should have taken my
family’s Falcon 7X,” Evan Fung (of the Fung Electronics Fungs)
complained
“Can you ah guahs* stop comparing the size of your planes and let’s hit
the casinos, please?” Johnny Pang (his mother is an Aw, of those Aws)
cut in.
10. Eddie, Fiona, and the Children
“Are the children ready for inspection?” Eddie asked.
“I’m trying to get them dressed right now.”
“Tell them they have five more minutes. Russell Wing is coming over
at three to take some family pictures of us in the wedding clothes.
Orange Daily might do a feature on our family attending the wedding.”
“You didn’t tell me Russell is coming over today!”
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11. Rachel
12. Eleanor
13. Rachel
14. Astrid and Michael
15. Nick
16. Dr. Gu
17. Rachel
18. The Youngs
Part Three
1. Tyersall Park
2. Nassim Road
3. Patric’s
4. First Methodist Church
5. Fort Canning Park
6. Tyersall Park
7. Pasir Panjang Road
8. Pulau Samsara
9. 99 Conduit Road
10. Tyersall Park
11. Residences at One Cairnhill
12. Wuthering Towers
13. Cameron Highlands
14. 64 Pak Tin Street
15. Villa d’Oro
16. Sentosa Cove
17. Repulse Bay
18. Villa d’Oro
19. The Star Trek House
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20. Villa d’Ora
“Rubbish! Satay is the same wherever you go. I think Rachel’s mum
would find Smith Street to be more colorful and authentic,” Nick argued.
“Authentic my foot, lah! If you really want authentic …” Peik Lin
began.
Rachel glanced at her mother. “They can do all the arguing, we’ll just
sit back and eat.”
“But why are they arguing so much over this?” Kerry asked, amazed.
Rachel rolled her eyes and smiled. “Let them be, Mom. Let them be.
This is just how they all are.”
About the Author
Kevin Kwan is the author of the international bestsellers Crazy Rich Asians, soon to be a major motion picture, and China Rich Girlfriend. Born in Singapore, he has called New York’s West Village home since 1995. For the latest news and information, please visit: www.kevinkwanbooks.com
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Crazy Rich Asians Summary
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