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A review by shays
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy of this title from the publisher.
“You’ve been so focused on marrying off your children to the debilitated descendants of Victoria and Albert that you’ve forgotten where all the real action is nowadays: Asia.”
Lies and Weddings is a modern retelling of Anthony Trollope’s Doctor Thorne, complete with snarky footnotes, catty asides, and a third person omniscient narrator who provides flashes of insight into all the characters. This is a social milieu so status conscious that everyone’s titles and education are listed out when the character is introduced, and Kevin Kwan is constantly name dropping everything from prestigious schools to fancy hotels to designer brands and luxury goods. The Greshams move in a world that is obsessed with keeping up appearances; everyone thinks they’re marrying rich, but nobody seems to know who really has any money. This exaggerated form of storytelling draws attention to the ridiculous nature of the Greshams’ hyper-wealthy social sphere, but also can’t quite escape romanticizing it. more
“You’ve been so focused on marrying off your children to the debilitated descendants of Victoria and Albert that you’ve forgotten where all the real action is nowadays: Asia.”
Lies and Weddings is a modern retelling of Anthony Trollope’s Doctor Thorne, complete with snarky footnotes, catty asides, and a third person omniscient narrator who provides flashes of insight into all the characters. This is a social milieu so status conscious that everyone’s titles and education are listed out when the character is introduced, and Kevin Kwan is constantly name dropping everything from prestigious schools to fancy hotels to designer brands and luxury goods. The Greshams move in a world that is obsessed with keeping up appearances; everyone thinks they’re marrying rich, but nobody seems to know who really has any money. This exaggerated form of storytelling draws attention to the ridiculous nature of the Greshams’ hyper-wealthy social sphere, but also can’t quite escape romanticizing it. more