From The Great Gatsby to Crazy Rich Asians, stories about privilege and why we love them
A Wall Street satire by Tom Wolfe. Edith Wharton’s jab at high society. Six books that offer a sense of escape yet are strangely relatable
Part of what makes novels so appealing is how they allow us to step into the lives of others.
This allows us to not only escape the real world – like in science fiction and fantasy – but also to see the real world through a new lens. To see – to feel and experience – what it is like to live a completely different life, even if only for a moment.
This is why many people are drawn to stories of the rich and famous, people whose lives seem so far out of reach.
But what these stories reveal, more often than not, is how similar their experiences feel. Yes, they may attend extravagant galas, live in luxurious mansions and fly on private aeroplanes, but underneath they are still human. And readers find they share many of the same feelings and motivations, the same flaws and fears.
The following six volumes – both novels and short story collections, modern and historical – dive into the lives of the rich and the privileged. By exploring their lives these authors reveal something much deeper. Something we might call “humanity”.
1. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
When Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American economics professor, travels to Singapore with her boyfriend, Nick Young, for his best friend’s wedding, she is surprised to learn that Nick’s family is incredibly wealthy and one of the most influential in Asia.