Rich People Problems: A Novel
"The book is a smorgasbord of rich delights."
The old grandmother Su Yi, one of the scions of old-wealth in Singapore, is dying. Friends and relatives flock to her side, anxious about her wealth and its distribution. Each character in Rich People Problems has his or her own set of problems. Astrid and Charlie are star-crossed lovers who are trying to rebuild their relationship amidst disapproving family members. Kitty’s new stepdaughter Collette is attempting to upstage her. Nicholas has mixed feelings about his family, while Eddie cannot help but be over the top with everything he does, including proposing marriage. Children are spoiled and adults are even more so. The book is a smorgasbord of rich delights.
Kwan is the author of Crazy Rich Asians fame, now being developed into a movie. In a time when Asian narratives mostly center around struggling immigrant stories or horrific native Asian societal ills, Kwan brings a breath of fresh air to the literary landscape. While the serious reads of other authors are certainly relevant and critical to our understanding of foreign cultures, books like Rich People Problems also have an important role to play in showing the diversity of the Asian—and the human—experience.
Rich People Problems has something for everyone. If you are a foodie, there is much to appreciate in the descriptions of lush entrees and scrumptious desserts in the top secret restaurants of high society. Alternatively there is also the other side of the food paradise: ethnic delicacies of Singapore’s food stalls busy with activity of the most ordinary kind.
If you like high fashion and designer clothes, this book offers countless examples. Each character has his or her favorites, and names like Versace are brandished about as if they are currency. Perhaps they are, because the families in this Kwan series deal in brands as if they are indeed the only currency known to them.
There are also references to building and architecture one must not miss. The beauty of the old structures, French and British colonial style, are juxtaposed in hilarious clarity with the more gaudy homes of the Kwan characters. One estate is described as “Ming emperor meets Louis-Napoleon at Studio 54.”
One expects the despicable nature of rich people to come out when faced with a threat to their wealth. This novel has some of that, but in a hilarious manner that endears even the ugliest of characters to the reader. Yet the true genius of Kwan is that he shows the very normal problems of this rich cast as well—worry, jealousy, fear, anger, love, excitement, attraction. Because of the unbelievably enormous wealth of the characters these problems—and their solutions—are exaggerated, but they are very human problems nonetheless.
Nicky puts aside his feud with his dying grandmother to find out what she really wanted to do with her property. His wife Rachel ignores the way his family treats her, so she can give him the love and support he needs at this devastating time. Astrid struggles to fight against a jealous husband punishing her for seeking a divorce. And so on and so forth.
The ultimate lesson in this book, and others Kwan has written, are that class structures are alive and well in Asian communities. Money is the marker for class, but especially old money. Astrid’s parents forbid her relationship with Charlie because, despite his millions, he comes from a humble background. Kitty is forever loathed/pitied because of her previous life as an actress (“If someone wrote a book about her, no one would believe it”). Jewels, yachts and three pairs of designer clothes, one for each closet in each country of residence. Favorite fish that get plastic surgery for their droopy eyelids, questions about wearing diamond necklaces with bikinis, and the ever-present paparazzi, are all markers of social standing that readers can only imagine and relish.
Kwan is funny, and his characters are satirical parodies. The Crazy Rich Asians series is enjoyable not despite all this but perhaps because of this.