Crazy rich fun

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/08/2020 (2249 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For those us missing international travel this summer, bestselling author Kevin Kwan’s newest novel, Sex and Vanity — a luxurious homage to E.M. Forster’s A Room With a View — is this year’s wanderlust cure. And thanks to Kwan, we get to travel in style.

Known for the international blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, Kwan is an aficionado when it comes to lifestyles of the rich and famous. Featuring real-life socialites, to-die-for couture, mouth-watering menus and over-the-top vistas, Sex and Vanity’s story is as flashy as its characters. And in Kwan’s winning approach, it’s also equal parts fun and heartwarming.

When Lucie is invited to the wedding of her childhood friend Issie (Asian heiress) to Dolfi (Italian nobility), she excitedly jets off to the glittering isle of Capri for the weeklong festivities.

The only damper on the trip: she’s accompanied by her pompous cousin Charlotte, along for the ride as matronly chaperone.

Dissatisfied with everything, Charlotte lands the pair in an awkward position immediately upon arrival. After learning about the unfortunate view from their hotel rooms — claiming unsuitability for the New York royalty that they are — Charlotte makes a big fuss. Mother-and-son duo Rosemary and George Zao, fellow wedding guests, step in to graciously offer the pair their own rooms.

What seems like a nice gesture is apparently an etiquette faux-pas, sparking immediate dislike on Charlotte’s part. Wanting nothing more than to avoid the Zaos for the remainder of the trip, Charlotte and Lucie are dismayed to be continually paired with Rosemary and George throughout Issie’s wedding week.

What isn’t avoidable is Lucie’s instant fascination with the unbearably handsome, entirely mysterious and completely off-limits George. He’s nothing like what she’s supposed to want, yet in this case, polar opposites do attract.

When an unfortunate incident causes an abrupt end to Lucie and Charlotte’s trip, the two sadly go their separate ways and the whirlwind romance comes to a disappointing end.

Years later, Lucie is engaged to the right kind of man: exorbitantly rich and the most desirable bachelor in the United States, Cecil is exactly who Lucie thinks should be with. But when George and Lucie run into each other in the Hamptons, their attraction is unshakable. Lucie is forced to examine her values, confront her own vanity and decide what kind of life — and partner — she truly wants.

If Pride and Prejudice is about pride and prejudice, then Sex and Vanity is, well, about sex and vanity (and crazy rich Asians). The sex is steamy and scandalous — but if we’re being truly honest, there isn’t enough sex to be worthy of landing it in the novel’s title. (Vanity, on the other hand, is front and centre.)

The conceit, pretension, excess and racism is startling. From the disgusting backhanded comments to the constant racial micro-aggressions Lucie faces as a woman of colour to Cecil’s ridiculous flamboyance and Charlotte’s blatant snobbery, Kwan reveals the not-so-nice side of privilege, and doesn’t hold back with criticism. And yet thanks to Kwan’s refreshing candour, unflinching honesty and ebullient insight, even the most unlikable characters redeem themselves.

Complete with witty footnotes and social commentary, Sex and Vanity emulates and honours Forster’s signature style with this modern update. And while so many details (including characters’ names) mirror Forster’s original creation, you won’t mistake Sex and Vanity for a pure carbon copy thanks to Kwan’s singular voice and cinematic composition.

Sure to chase away the COVID-19 blues, Sex and Vanity is your travel and romance fix in one dose — it may not be the vaccine we need, but it’s the antidote we want.

Katrina Sklepowich is a lover of all things literary, and creator of the Literally, Katrina podcast and blog at LiterallyKatrina.com.