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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was looking for escapism and something fairly mindless and stress free to occupy me from external concerns and to be fair: that's what I got. The characters all seem pretty two dimensional (the central couple is essentially perfect and can do no wrong) but hey - I enjoyed it.
Poor character development though I look forward to seeing this world come to life in the movie
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
fast-paced
fun (yet off putting) and quick listen. Structured well -- straightened by the choice to include so many characters and inner monologues
It took some time for me to decide on that last star. I'll explain why in a moment.
You may have seen the movie adaptation...we get a glimpse of the lives of the jet-settiest set in Singapore and in the midst of it a young woman accompanies her partner Nick on a trip to China for a wedding only to realize she's being led straight into a lion's den. He's neglected to mention that he comes from an obscenely rich family who are nearly all looking at her with suspicion as an opportunistic interloper. Can their relationship survive it?
So. There's a lot going on here. The movie actually pretty well accomplished the most human part of the book. Nick's lies of omission feel even more egregious here as we watch Rachel being actively plotted against by people she doesn't even know exist. Overall though, the human side gets somewhat lost in the almost crushing weight of recitations of wealth, labels, and properties. Nick's cousin Astrid, who is supposed to be his confidante in the family *must* be assumed to have some depth but we don't really see more than a beautiful, hollow shell floating through stores, parties, and galleries. It's hard to mourn the loss of her marriage or what it might mean to her son when we don't ever get a sense of her as a wife or mother. Nick himself has the depth of a hologram. An attractive enigma we know more for what he's not than what he is. Rachel feels the most real but we get only bits and pieces of her, and mainly through her victimization.
Much like in the book, the exchanges with Rachel and her college friend (memorably played by Awkwafina in the movie) stand out because they feel more dynamic and the most normal.
All that said, though not all of this was for me, I can definitely see an appeal for it. It's Gossip Girl grown up with the Real Housewives appeal of seeing rich people behave terribly, of course... but it's a little more than that too. What I genuinely enjoyed was when Kevin Kwan stepped into more of a tour guide role and left footnotes about slang and expressions, food, and other little details that made you feel more immersed in the culture beyond the superficial. Those were the real little gems and what I'm choosing to take away.
You may have seen the movie adaptation...we get a glimpse of the lives of the jet-settiest set in Singapore and in the midst of it a young woman accompanies her partner Nick on a trip to China for a wedding only to realize she's being led straight into a lion's den. He's neglected to mention that he comes from an obscenely rich family who are nearly all looking at her with suspicion as an opportunistic interloper. Can their relationship survive it?
So. There's a lot going on here. The movie actually pretty well accomplished the most human part of the book. Nick's lies of omission feel even more egregious here as we watch Rachel being actively plotted against by people she doesn't even know exist. Overall though, the human side gets somewhat lost in the almost crushing weight of recitations of wealth, labels, and properties. Nick's cousin Astrid, who is supposed to be his confidante in the family *must* be assumed to have some depth but we don't really see more than a beautiful, hollow shell floating through stores, parties, and galleries. It's hard to mourn the loss of her marriage or what it might mean to her son when we don't ever get a sense of her as a wife or mother. Nick himself has the depth of a hologram. An attractive enigma we know more for what he's not than what he is. Rachel feels the most real but we get only bits and pieces of her, and mainly through her victimization.
Much like in the book, the exchanges with Rachel and her college friend (memorably played by Awkwafina in the movie) stand out because they feel more dynamic and the most normal.
All that said, though not all of this was for me, I can definitely see an appeal for it. It's Gossip Girl grown up with the Real Housewives appeal of seeing rich people behave terribly, of course... but it's a little more than that too. What I genuinely enjoyed was when Kevin Kwan stepped into more of a tour guide role and left footnotes about slang and expressions, food, and other little details that made you feel more immersed in the culture beyond the superficial. Those were the real little gems and what I'm choosing to take away.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes