Crazy Rich Asians, Week 3

Welcome to our third Online Book Club discussion of Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. 

How did you enjoy this section? Are you anxious to find out what happens to Rachel and Nick, or are you so worried about Rachel's situation that you are having a hard time reading? I definitely felt a lot of stress for Rachel throughout this section. 

One of the main causes of tension is the extravagant bachelorette weekend. They travelled to an island, picked out designer outfits, and had indulgent spa treatments. What a weekend—except that the company that Rachel had was so terrible. The gossipy comments were mean enough, but that gutted fish prank was just too much. If I were Rachel, I wouldn't have been able to make it through the weekend. Nick didn't have much more luck with the bachelor party planned by Bernard, did he? As soon as I started reading about the dog fight, I knew that the weekend was going to be a disaster. 

Rachel's first meeting with the family went pretty well, but she still hasn't met Eleanor. If the end of the section is any indication, that meeting won't go as smoothly. Were you surprised that Nick's grandma was so kind to Rachel? Did you expect her to be more cold? What did you think about the other family members? Do any of them stand out to you? 

Astrid and Eddie stand out to me in this section. Astrid is dealing with a lot since she believes her husband is having an affair. Despite that, she seems kind and genuinely nice, and not snobby the way you might expect. Eddie, on the other hand, does not seem nice. He treats his wife so unkindly. And, he has so many opinions about what clothes his whole family needs to wear! I couldn't imagine spending too much time with him. 

This section ends with Eleanor learning something from a private investigator, and making an ominous declaration that she is going to descend on Singapore for the wedding. The girls with her predict Rachel won't make it through the weekend. What do you think Eleanor learned? Do you think Eleanor is going to do anything to Rachel, or will she just be dismissive and unkind? 

Do you have any guesses about how the book will end? Are you surprised that Rachel has been able to keep it all together even though she has faced some unkind treatment and comments? 

If you're curious about whether the people described in the book are like people Kevin Kwan knows in real life, check out this article from Refinery29. It's really interesting and offers some behind-the-scenes information about the creation of the book. Kwan also talks more about his childhood in the video below. 

I can't wait to hear your thoughts in the comments section. Make sure to read the end of the book before checking back with us next week!