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Anne's Reviews > China Rich Girlfriend
China Rich Girlfriend (Crazy Rich Asians, #2)
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Anne's review
bookshelves: audio, read-in-2020, chick-lit, i-lost-brain-cells, libby-app
Jan 11, 2020
bookshelves: audio, read-in-2020, chick-lit, i-lost-brain-cells, libby-app
China Rich Girlfriend should have been 100 pages long.
No lie, this is basically a short story that has almost 300 pages of filler.
NONSENSE FILLER.
For example, no one can enter a room without Kwan describing in agonizing detail everything about what they are wearing. And not just a normal description of their clothes, oh no. The color and texture of the fabric, where the fabric was bought by the designer, where the designer grew up, and what the designer's nana fed them for breakfast when they were 3! And speaking of what they ate?
Ohmyfuckinggod. With as much and as often as they ate?
In real life, these characters would be unable to leave their homes without the help of firefighters and a crane. Every day, all day long, it seems as though they are stuffing their faces with the most delicious {insert random food here} before jetting off on a plane to shovel MORE food into their mouths. Hand on a Bible, I gained 5 lbs just listening to what they ate! Possibly the only other times I've read more about cuisine was when I opened a mother. fucking. cookbook.
Now, there were several interesting stories happening among the characters - really! Although, I found the (view spoiler) thing at the end to be unbelievably ridiculous and completely out of the blue. But the problem is that you have to wade through an assload of bullshit to get to any of the actual plots.
It's as though Robin Leach decided to write a book.
Come on, I can't be the only one who remembers that pompous show, can I? It was complete grandma porn.
A closet that rotates & a gold plated toilet?! And every blue-haired lady across the nation with a television would cream their pants.
Ugh.
I'm genuinely interested in seeing how it all pans out in the third installment, but if I weren't using an audiobook, I would have DNF'd this thing just due to how incredibly tedious it was to slog through. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to scan this nonsense with my eyeballs, because it's hard enough to listen to the narrator drone on and on and on and on with all the footnotes about different places to eat, who's ancestor bought what property, the value of rare gemstones & art, and what famous seamstress sewed crystalized caviar onto a vintage 1920's dress.
I'm not a strong person and Kwan almost broke me this time around.
I am going to finish this trilogy out, though.
Recommended if you like to read about art, cars, watches, jewelry, real estate, couture, banking, purses, tea, hotels, and of course, food.
No lie, this is basically a short story that has almost 300 pages of filler.
NONSENSE FILLER.
For example, no one can enter a room without Kwan describing in agonizing detail everything about what they are wearing. And not just a normal description of their clothes, oh no. The color and texture of the fabric, where the fabric was bought by the designer, where the designer grew up, and what the designer's nana fed them for breakfast when they were 3! And speaking of what they ate?
Ohmyfuckinggod. With as much and as often as they ate?
In real life, these characters would be unable to leave their homes without the help of firefighters and a crane. Every day, all day long, it seems as though they are stuffing their faces with the most delicious {insert random food here} before jetting off on a plane to shovel MORE food into their mouths. Hand on a Bible, I gained 5 lbs just listening to what they ate! Possibly the only other times I've read more about cuisine was when I opened a mother. fucking. cookbook.
Now, there were several interesting stories happening among the characters - really! Although, I found the (view spoiler) thing at the end to be unbelievably ridiculous and completely out of the blue. But the problem is that you have to wade through an assload of bullshit to get to any of the actual plots.
It's as though Robin Leach decided to write a book.
Come on, I can't be the only one who remembers that pompous show, can I? It was complete grandma porn.
A closet that rotates & a gold plated toilet?! And every blue-haired lady across the nation with a television would cream their pants.
Ugh.
I'm genuinely interested in seeing how it all pans out in the third installment, but if I weren't using an audiobook, I would have DNF'd this thing just due to how incredibly tedious it was to slog through. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to scan this nonsense with my eyeballs, because it's hard enough to listen to the narrator drone on and on and on and on with all the footnotes about different places to eat, who's ancestor bought what property, the value of rare gemstones & art, and what famous seamstress sewed crystalized caviar onto a vintage 1920's dress.
I'm not a strong person and Kwan almost broke me this time around.
I am going to finish this trilogy out, though.
Recommended if you like to read about art, cars, watches, jewelry, real estate, couture, banking, purses, tea, hotels, and of course, food.
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Reading Progress
December 26, 2019
–
Started Reading
December 26, 2019
– Shelved
January 11, 2020
–
Finished Reading
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Jan 11, 2020 08:28AM
Oh no! I was planning to do the Crazy Rich Asians series sometime soon. :(
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What a bummer. Makes me think of the sex in the city movies—over the top with clothes and food just because they can. 🤷🏼♀️
Klinta wrote: "Oh no! I was planning to do the Crazy Rich Asians series sometime soon. :("Do it, just be forewarned. I actually DO like the story, and am hoping the last book will be toned down a bit. <--I've already got it from the library, so I'm in it to win it!
Lorilin wrote: "What a bummer. Makes me think of the sex in the city movies—over the top with clothes and food just because they can. 🤷🏼♀️"Yes, only WORSE - if you can imagine.
LOL! Cracked me up with "The color and texture of the fabric, where the fabric was bought by the designer, where the designer grew up, and what the designer's nana fed them for breakfast when they were 3!" And then this..."Hand on a Bible, I gained 5 lbs just listening to what they ate!" Ugh! It kills me when author's are obsessed with detail upon detail! I can confidently say...I'm going on a diet so this book is not on my menu! Haha! Great review, Anne!!!
Thank you, Julia! This one is honestly in a class by itself when it comes to 'sparing no detail' because I've never in my life read anything like it outside of a travelogue. At some point it just starts to feel pompous, you know? Especially since this is mostly about the lives of the uber-rich. I felt like, You paid how much for that? What an idiot., instead of being impressed or awed. It got cringy.
Anne wrote: "Thank you, Julia! This one is honestly in a class by itself when it comes to 'sparing no detail' because I've never in my life read anything like it outside of a travelogue. At some point it just s..."You are welcome, Anne! And I know exactly what you mean! I once knew someone who went into tireless detail about his wine collection. Blah-ba-blah-ba-blah. And I was like...guess he hasn't figured out that sipping wine with a friend is what a wine collection should be about!!! Dude: live life, don't talk about it :D
Apparently the author based these characters on his real life.
Chad wrote: "Apparently the author based these characters on his real life."Omg. That makes this even sadder.
From the synopsys it reminds me of something in vein of "rich people doing stuff to rich people who end suffering from the act". After the last time watching or at least trying to watch the American Psycho movie, I doubt it's an interesting subject alltogether.
It's supposed to be this middle-class girl who ends up with a very down to earth guy from this uber-rich family, and how she learns to navigate it. BUT. It veers off of that and just turns into the author humble-bragging about his knowledge of every high-end couture designer, every kind of art, jewelry & gemstones, cars, etc..
Which means the comparison to American Psycho is perfectly spot on :-) it's the same thing it happens in the movie and, for what I've understood by looking at the review of the original written piece, it's even worse in the book.
I've not read that one but I can assume you're correct. I remember watching the movie and it was grating the way he went on and on about that sort of thing.
(Reads your review for book one)Ooh, I should move this up on my reading list.
(Reads this review)
Ehh...
Haha glad this isn’t on my tbr... It sounds like I dodged a bullet with this one.
LOL! I wanted to read this series but after reading several reviews (yours was the best one) I am glad I didn't torture myself.
Sarina wrote: "Haha glad this isn’t on my tbr... It sounds like I dodged a bullet with this one."You know what's so awful is that the underlying story is one I'm interested in, it's just allllllll the I'm-so-rich-humblebrag-brag-brag...
Blech.
Carmen wrote: "LOL! I wanted to read this series but after reading several reviews (yours was the best one) I am glad I didn't torture myself."I see a lot of people complaining about the same thing, too. Haha!
I remember this book. And I agree. It's 20% content / story, and 80% filler. The only reason I got through this one and completed the series = audiobooks! Else this is the point where I would have DNFed the series.
I think I'll just let you suffer for me, and not pick up the rest of this series, including this one. I thought the first one was a bit slow.
Shantala wrote: "I remember this book. And I agree. It's 20% content / story, and 80% filler. The only reason I got through this one and completed the series = audiobooks! Else this is the point where I would have ..."Audiobooks, FTW! I'm doing the same thing and it is the only thing that's allowing me to continue. I'm doing other things and just letting the nonsense parts wash over me. If I was sitting still? Trapped with all of those non-essential words? Nope.
Beate wrote: "I think I'll just let you suffer for me, and not pick up the rest of this series, including this one. I thought the first one was a bit slow."I did, too. <--think it was slow.
I already have the 3rd audiobook, so there's nothing to lose now.
How many books are in this series? I thought it was a one and done thing (though I haven’t started yet or even watched the movie so... IDK).
The movie seems to be taken from the 1st book, but smoothed out to make it have a pat ending. I think there are 3 but I don't know for sure if it's a trilogy or if more books are coming.
Anne wrote: "The movie seems to be taken from the 1st book, but smoothed out to make it have a pat ending. I think there are 3 but I don't know for sure if it's a trilogy or if more books are coming."
I haven't heard anything about a 4th, and I've seen them sold in trilogy boxes.
Oh, thank god. I'm listening to the 3rd book now and it's still full of dull garbage, but the story seems to be moving along at a faster clip.
Oh my gosh, yesssss. Your review is spot on, Anne. I was so happy when it finally ended.
Ai ya, how else are you going to know that these people are crazy rich and where they spend their money on? That's the draw of the series for those greedy people who aspire to become crazy rich themselves, so that if people like you can see through that it's nothing fancy actually, then it's a step to discourage blind pursuit of wealth.
Ng wrote: "Ai ya, how else are you going to know that these people are crazy rich and where they spend their money on? That's the draw of the series for those greedy people who aspire to become crazy rich the..."What did you think of all of the name dropping?
Agreed! This book was way too long!
Nina wrote: "Agreed! This book was way too long!"I'm still shocked at the way the movie condensed this monster.
I’m still pissed about Astrid’s story
Liam wrote: "I’m still pissed about Astrid’s story"Which part?
When Colette went out to dinner with Carlton and his parents and ordered the food - and they had to name every single dish she ordered I almost lost the plot and hurled my book across the room...I finished the book, and I did actually like most of it, but I agree, WAY too much filler.
I think he was selling advertising space by the end of the book! lol
