Kevin kwan new book 20225/20/2023 ![]() When first mentioned, character names are followed by a list of schools they have attended. To his credit, Kwan has a keen eye for social prestige other than materialism. Kwan only needs to plug in the modern-day parallels splashed with his over-the-top descriptions of opulence and extravaganzas. “Sex and Vanity” follows the same structure and plot development as “A Room with a View”, even keeping the first names of the main characters. As for the race issue, ‘hapa’ could well be the new trend word. During a pandemic, it is pure escapist, summer reading fun. Kwan’s new work is timely in our present climate. ![]() Forster’s novel “A Room with a View”, as well as a nod to the Merchant Ivory movie adaptation (1985). In his footnotes, we learn that the word is an acceptable reference among hapas. With his new book “Sex and Vanity”, Kwan casts the net out to those who are American born, second and third generations of the Asian diaspora, and in particular, the hapas, Hawaiian for ‘half’, people of mixed Asian and white heritage. However, not everyone who shared the ethnicity felt represented, for they might not have been Asian born, or have never set foot in Singapore, Hong Kong, or China. ![]() ![]() After the movie adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians” came out in 2018, there was resounding applause from the Asian community. ![]()
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