Before we go any further, there's something you should know. Every single instance of ostentatious, mind-blowing wealth described in Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy is based in reality . With his novels, Kwan finally had a creative outlet for the gossip he'd accumulated after years of hearing his Singaporean mother discuss the lives – and spending habits — of her privileged social network. All the books' wild extravagances, like plastic surgery for pet fish, are entirely rooted in these stories.