Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

'I Deliver Parcels in Beijing' is a biography about a man who worked many jobs, including delivering parcels.

The first part of the book was actually quite good and interesting to follow. It was more cohesive as well.

After the first two chapters, though, the story was a bit messy. It had its moments, but it wasn't as good as these first chapters.

The writing style, moreover, was honest, and it felt raw and realistic.

Takes patience to find its rhythm, but once Hu's deadpan voice clicks, this becomes quietly devastating. His matter-of-fact recounting of gig economy brutality—calculating precise alcohol amounts for optimal sleep, drinking liters without bathroom breaks in sweltering logistics centers—reads absurd until you realize these are survival strategies.
What distinguishes this from typical labor reportage is Hu's relationship with literature. His turn to reading and writing transforms the narrative from complaint into resistance. There's something profoundly moving about a delivery worker finding solace in books, using storytelling as both escape and dignified response to anonymity.
The Nomadland comparison is apt—both capture economic precarity with clear-eyed honesty. But Hu's specifically Chinese perspective on global work culture feels essential, especially his generation's disillusionment with traditional success metrics.
The prose occasionally feels repetitive, but that mirrors the grinding monotony of his jobs. Ultimately, this succeeds as both social documentary and quiet testament to human resilience.

This was my first read that was translated from Chinese and set in China. I was very curious, based on the synopsis of this book, to learn more about the hustle culture in China. Hu AnYan's experience working in various jobs provided a unique insight into this workforce.

I found it to be an enjoyable read, particularly when he shared stories of working as a delivery person and the people he interacted with in that job. It was easy to follow as it is broken up into his 19 jobs. It's also very straightforward and not very deep. To me, this was a downfall of this book. I would have loved to hear more analysis and reflection on his experiences in the workforce. There were unique "characters" like his many bosses, coworkers, and parents, who seemed to represent different outlooks on working.

very smooth and well-done story with some interesting and well-done discussions and a quirky and effective writing style. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Incredibly detailed about the jobs he had during his life before becoming a writer, but what I wanted to see most about how he overcame the pandemic through writing is not in the book, after 90% that is mentioned without much detail because the book is ending. A disappointment if you want to learn about the author's creative process.

A candid account of one man's life working short-term jobs in China's cities, with globally pertinent themes. At times funny, at times bleak, I DELIVER PARCELS IN BEIJING is an honest portrait of the impact of today's gig economy on people who have to prioritise work over sleeping, eating and having a social life, and how the grind of manual labour and piecemeal incomes can affect a person's sense of self. I found it illuminating.

"I Deliver Parcels in Beijing" is a candid and insightful memoir that chronicles Hu Anyan's extensive work history, spanning 19 jobs in nearly 20 years. With humor and resilience, Hu shares his work experiences - offering a rare and valuable look at the life of the working class in China.

The book is more than just a recollection of jobs; it is a powerful critique of the frustrations inherent in low-skilled labor, from difficult customers to the larger pressures of capitalism. Hu's honest self-reflection on his own low points adds a layer of depth and relatability. For the reader, what might begin as escapism quickly becomes a sobering look at the reality of grueling work conditions and the constant struggle for a better life. Despite a slightly padded ending, this eye-opening account reveals the dehumanizing aspects of such work and offers a perspective that is seldom heard.

"I Deliver Parcels in Beijing" offers an honest, grounded look at life as a delivery worker in China’s capital. I appreciated the raw, diary-like style and the quiet observations on class, urban isolation, and perseverance. However, the repetitive structure and lack of narrative momentum made it hard to stay fully engaged. A thoughtful read, but not quite gripping.

This book shed light on the kind of daily toiling that is utterly foreign to me. Part of this unfamiliarity is because it takes place across several cities in China, a place whose land and culture are not my own, but also because the nature of the work/jobs is far from my own experience. I learned a lot about what daily life can look like and what it means to make a living within the gig economy there. But beyond being informative, it is Hu Anyan's impressions and reflections on these various jobs that made this book so interesting. His awareness of his placement within the larger social and economic machines lends this a more unique voice.

The first half of I Deliver Parcels in Beijing takes us through the authors employment regarding delivering parcels with at two companies. (The most recent companies he has worked.)

Then the author takes us through his employment history of approximately 15 different positions.

I especially found this book interesting because the first half of the book was eerily similar to “Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home” by Stephen Starring Grant. Both books concentrate on men who deliver parcels around the time of the Covid pandemic. Both books describe the inner workings of mail/parcel distribution systems.

The second half of I Deliver Parcels in Beijing was interesting in a different way; providing insight into how workers are treated in China.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Arista Publishing House for approving my request to read I Deliver Parcels in Beijing in exchange for an honest review. approx 336 pages. Already published in China, translated with planned publication in the US in Oct 2025.

An informative glimpse into gig work in a changing economy, living in the in-between where labour laws are nowhere to be seen. The writing is really simple, which makes it a quick read, but sometimes I do wish it had gone a bit further to add a little depth at times. I also wish that the author had a little more to say about the larger frameworks that create and profit from inhumane working conditions.

Overall, really interesting and worth a read but the writing (in the English translation at least) can be a bit clunky, making it an awkward read despite how simple it is.

I love learning new things and reading about other peoples’ lives. This book portrays that clearly, and it’s super it’s been translated because I think it’s very important that these voices get out there to more to read. It’s very current too and great social commentary.

You think that YOUR job is aggravating? Try crushing about 19 different jobs over nearly 20 years.
A low-income general laborer in China seems to work the exhausting hours of healthcare workers or law enforcement for even worse compensation equivalents than workers in Africa, Central America, or the US. Burnout is crippling, but the author keeps his restrained sense of humor anyway. His story is that of a gig worker and is given in a non-chronological coherent manner. A best seller in China.
Written in a Chinese dialect, what we have here is translated into English by Jack Hargreaves.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected readers' proof on Thorium PDF from Astra Publishing House | Astra House via NetGalley. Publication Date: October 28, 2025 **** review #bookbub #goodreads #storygraph @librarythingofficial #netgalley #memoir #nonfiction
#IDeliverParcelsinBeijing by Hu Anyan translated by Jack Hargreaves @astrapublishinghouse
#China #modernchineseculture #Nonfiction #autobiography #contemporary #globalworkers

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyan

I chose to read this book as I was very interested in learning about the gig economy in China. Apparently, it is a very popular book in China, perhaps because many people there can relate to the stories of deliveries and challenges with employers and customers.
I got an impression of the difficulties, the economies, and the culture of China as written by Hu Anyan. However, the many stories of his jobs as a delivery person became tedious. The book grew more interesting about halfway through when Anyan shared philosophies and his deeper thoughts about employment, satisfaction, and his own life with employment that was not related to deliveries. The first half of the book moved slowly and felt redundant. It would have been better if the first half had been reduced by fifty percent.

A candid and detailed exploration of jobs we know are essential, but know little about. Hu Anyan has offered very honest recollections of his time spent working many different jobs, which showcase the highs and lows, and often how frustrating and difficult these jobs are due to markets, management, coworkers, and capitalism.

I found the first half much slower as it focuses on time spent in the delivery industry, but in the second half we learn more about the author and his background, and I found myself quite engaged. I think this book will resonate with many people who have either worked these types of jobs or experienced difficult situations at work. Overall, an interesting and honest look at modern work, particularly in jobs people overlook but are crucial to the economy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House Books for the ARC!

I stopped at about 13% due to this being mind numbingly boring. I had just read another book, a memoir about a mailman, and wanted to love this, and compare the lives of these people, but it wasn't engaging enough to even try.

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing is canonical reading of the globalized age. Like virtually every other American, I consume goods made in and shipped from China throughout my day. While, of course, I had given cursory thought to the steps involved in making my widgets (impossible to not, given all of the supply chain chatter in the COVID and tariff eras!), I had never had a deep understanding of the day-to-day realities of working on the floor of a Chinese mega factory. Although this work is positioned as being about life in the gig economy, it also doubly resonated as an American so far removed from the origins of stuff. Anyan (and his translator) are deeply talented in translating the most mundane and demeaning labor into moving literature. Although his voice is conversational and approachable, I did occasionally find this a challenging read due to the subject matter - I’ve increasingly been reading as escapism, but this account is a cold dose of reality.

A raw, true to heart exploration of one's life. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book, every interaction and every throwbacks. It was more than a memoir to me, I learnt things from this book. The warmth of human companionship and the absurdity of the current society— it all reflected in this book! A gripping read!

I stumbled upon this book after reviewing the English translation of Jo Kyung-ran’s Blowfish which will soon be released by the same publisher. The (beautiful) cover and title instantly drew my attention. A few days later, I think I’ve learned a bit more about the harsh reality of work in China through the struggles of Hu Anyan. Writing this text clearly served as a time of deep retrospection for him, and I did find it engaging for the most part. It’s fascinating how he was able to do so much, all those years, despite his introvert nature. Being a resilient worker with a lot of self-restraint surely helped—still, having the courage to try different jobs in order to see where you fit is no easy thing. Unexpectedly, I also found him somewhat relatable at times.

What we can take from this memoir is universal, as the author rightly points out. Nonetheless it would probably be a more enjoyable read for those who know Beijing/Shanghai and Chinese companies better—my own knowledge ended at WeChat and Taobao. Additionally, I don’t know if it’s due to censorship in his home country or not, but it sometimes felt like Hu didn’t go far enough in his observations. It could be frustrating, the way he constantly excused everyone else’s behaviours (even if his personality might have something to do with that). I also sort of lost interest towards the last chapters, though the overview of Laetitia Pilkington’s life was a nice way to sum up his own journey.

This book offers a clear, honest look into working-class life under China’s unique capitalism. The author’s stories about tough customers and frustrating jobs reveal how dehumanizing low-skilled work can be. It’s engaging and eye-opening, though the ending feels padded with extra material. Sometimes the author’s reflections interrupt the flow, but overall it’s a rare, valuable glimpse into a world few know well.