Rich People Problems
"A novel of a family riven by fortune, an ex-wife driven psychotic with jealousy, a battle royal fought through couture gown sabotage, and the heir to one of Asia's greatest fortunes locked out of his inheritance" - as the publisher puts it.
Rich People Problems closes out Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy as the matriarch of the Young-Shang family, Su Yi, lies dying at Tyersall Park, drawing the entire clan back to Singapore. With her death comes a reckoning over who inherits the family's vast estate and secrets - a fight that pulls in Nicholas Young and Rachel Chu, cousin Astrid Leong, and the scheming socialite Kitty Pong.
Kwan's trademark blend of satire, extravagant excess, and family drama carries the series to its close, skewering the world of Asia's ultra-wealthy even as it lets its characters find some measure of peace.
The author has stated that many of the extravagant and entitled behaviors depicted in the story, such as cosmetic surgery for fish, are inspired by real-life incidents he has observed among the ultra-wealthy.
While the narrative follows a core cast of characters across three books, the author has designed the novels so that each can be read as a standalone title.
The text frequently incorporates footnotes and asides written from the perspective of a snarky, know-it-all character named Oliver, which serve to provide additional context and commentary.