[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by jblum315

Read the novel "The Five Star Billionaire" for a look at how this is working out for ordinary people in China.
from a reader's review: There are five important human characters who actually are equally important, but it is the city of Shanghai that the book is actually focused on. We see the city from the viewpoint of the five immigrant characters, each of whom have something he or she is attempting to gain from the city. The title character is Walter Chao who has some sort of connection eventually with each of the others. He might appear to be the most important of the characters although I would argue with that. He's a somewhat shadowy character with influence over the others, but I don't see him as truly being more important.

The stories of Phoebe, Justin, Gary, and Yinhui in that order until the last few chapters in which the sequence is interrupted. Walter appears periodically as the writer of a series of articles on becoming a billionaire. Each of the five, of course, have appearances when their story intersects with another's.

The author can also be considered a personality as an omniscient observer, especially in the especially humorous chapter 7.

This is a complex novel, but easy and vastly enjoyable reading. This is the first book by the author that I've read. It's not likely to be the last. The Chinese (rather than American) structure is noticeable, but doesn't in the least detract from anyone's enjoyment of the total story.

WoW Jeanne. A+ on THAT book report. I am going to get it and read it pronto.