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

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 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.

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.

The book reads very smoothly. Every sentence provides more details about the author's 19 odd jobs—the environment, his coworkers, his thought processes behind every decision, another person that comes in and out of his life—but you read through it effortlessly. Every sentence and paragraph is interlinked with the clarity of a dissertation, so somehow, despite the entirely non-chronological way the story is told, you always know where each new piece lays. It's the type of Chinese book that will most likely never get translated into English but you want all your American friends to read.

I had a really good time reading something from a perspective we normally forget about when they are so essential in our daily life.

This was a fascinating insight into a world I know very little about, in a country I have never been to. The stories of tricky customers and frustrating bureaucracies are entertaining and interesting but also underscore the author’s point about how dehumanising ‘low skilled’ work can be. I read this book in two days because I found it so interesting and engaging. I gave it 4 stars not 5 only because I felt it tailed off towards the end, with the author padding the book with some of his previous writing. But apart from that, it’s a really unusual chance to spend some time visiting a life I’ve never really considered before.

I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vent'anni di lavori, inanellati uno dopo l'altro, da una parte all'altra della Cina; un'economia instabile, in cui anche le nuove generazioni sono inconsapevoli dei loro diritti e incapaci di farli valere, anche a scapito della loro salute fisica e mentale.
L'autore scrive un'autobiografia lavorativa, sincera per quanto possibile (e lui stesso mette le mani avanti, facendo presente che la sua stessa visione può influenzare il ricordo o la percezione di eventi e luoghi), anche nel presentare le sue difficoltà psicologiche, sfociate in un periodo di autoreclusione di tre anni - anni felici, in cui si è sentito veramente libero, e in cui si è dedicato alla scrittura.
C'è da dire che in questa angosciante sequela di lavori (diciannove, e quello di corriere è solo l'ultimo - corriere, anzi, per compagnie differenti) l'autore non ha mai fatto niente che volesse fare davvero, per cui sentisse interesse o inclinazione, che abbia mai "cercato"; e nell'interessante spaccato di vita quotidiana e cultura cinesi che presenta inconsapevolmente una delle cose che mi ha colpito di più è come tutti cambino lavoro, campo, tipo di investimento in un batter d'occhi, e come si lancino a fondare piccole imprese senza avere la più pallida idea di come fare, a partire da ricerche base di mercato. Tutti si lanciano nel mondo del commercio o degli affari alla ricerca della miniera d'oro, ma con un'incoscienza che anche a me, che sono completamente ignorante in materia, lascia allibita.
E, allo stesso tempo, non esistono specializzazioni; si passa dalla redazione di una rivista al commercio di biciclette al fare il corriere all'aprire un negozio di cibo da asporto senza soluzione di continuità, non andando dove porta il mercato o l'esperienza, ma dove porta l'occasione, o l'invito di un conoscente. E allo stesso modo si cambia città, quartiere, regione, mai radicati, mai stabilizzati. Mi ha dato una sensazione di ansia simile a quella provata leggendo [book:Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century|38212124], anche se nella vita dell'autore è in un certo senso una scelta, e nel suo nomadismo non c'è la logica che sottintende quella dei nomadi lavorativi del saggio di Jessica Bruder; l'autore vaga eternamente alla ricerca di una situazione che lo soddisfi, ma senza trovarla. O scappa da situazioni lavorative che diventano troppo pesanti emotivamente e fisicamente per lui, ma solo quando è arrivato al limite.
E' da ammirare la lucidità con cui guarda indietro e riconosce le sue pecche, i suoi errori, le sue motivazioni, e tutta la strada (metaforica, eh XD) che ha fatto nel conoscere sé stesso.
Spero che trovi pace, e un angolo interiore che finalmente lo soddisfi.

Really enjoyed this look at a gig worker in Beijing.The author really brings us into vhis world and work ,.Hehasan interesting view point on being a gig worker which sounds like a labor consuming job.#NetGalley #astrabooks

What an interesting story! Definitely one that many can relate to. It made me sad at times. It definitely gets you thinking. You can really feel how difficult times were for the author. But he was a hard worker and never get up. I love how honest and humorous the author is!


Thank you so much Astra Publishing House, NetGalley and Hu Anyan for the eARC!

Rating: ✨✨✨ ✨
Publication Date: October 28 2025

#IDeliverParcelsinBeijing #NetGalley

Loved this look into a gig worker in China! Autobiographical, the author makes it through school but has no desire to compete in the job market and luckily he doesn't have family pressure to either. He takes a string of menial jobs (including a few delivering parcels in Beijing) but there are others at a convenience store, bike shop, architect's studio, anime publication...The reader is immersed in his world of living frugally, and working hard.

'I Deliver Parcels in Beijing' is an interesting, relatively fast paced memoir based on a individual's experience working as a courier and in the gig economy in China. Academically my background is in geography and I specialised in the human geography of China, including studying topics such as the gig economy and precarious livelihoods. This was a really fitting reflection on these topics, based on an individual's experience, which enriched my understanding of the lives of those working in the gig economy in China.
I received a free advanced copy of this book, but this weighs no bearing on my review.

Fun but different book. Interesting.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Wow, what a read! I was particularly interested in this book as I’ve lived in China and recognised several of the places mentioned. I liked the fact that I could reflect on my own life in China, as well as my interactions with couriers. I felt emotional and angry for him many times throughout the book. The author is very self-aware and honest throughout, openly discussing his physical and mental exhaustion, which led to poor mental health and social anxiety. This book doesn’t just explore his experience as a courier but also covers many other jobs that sound equally challenging. It is extremely detailed and flows well. The pace is good, although I found reading about some of his other jobs less interesting.
I am in awe of his resilience and glad he finds comfort in reading and writing. I also appreciate his overall message about life, money, and striving. I'm glad the book ends on a hopeful note. I received a free advanved copy of this book and this is my honest review.

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.

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.

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.

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.

really interesting book, a slow and deep exploration of work culture that I otherwise wouldn't have been interested in!

This ended up being a very comfy read. Some people might find this dry, which I can totally understand, but it's exactly my kind of content and format, so I loved it. It was a bestseller for a reason. It was a breeze to get through, and it felt like listening to the anecdotes of a friend. I don't know the language to be able to compare the original text to this translation, but I found no issues with it, and it was a smooth read.

My favourite section was the one about working at the bicycle store because the way Hu AnYan describes Y makes her seem like such a fascinating person. Truthfully, I could have read a whole book focusing on experiences from that single job alone.

I didn't think this book would leave me with any kind of deep message or takeaway. I was already aware of how underpaid and undervalued courier workers can be, albeit not in China specifically. However, in the latter half of the book, I saw myself so clearly in Hu AnYan, also having social anxiety and being a fellow chronic people-pleaser. So, seeing him reflect on the opportunities he passed up on just to avoid conflict made me reflect on the way I conduct myself in my own life. I also liked the way he went about this and how he was sympathetic and understanding to his past self and the choices that he made, but without being self-pitying.

Thank you, NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for the ARC.

i was attracted to this because of the cover, and it didn’t disappoint. “came for the cover, stayed for the book!!”

A young worker drifts through a series of exhausting odd jobs, from night shifts in southern logistics centers to parcel delivery in Beijing. Along the way, he endures grueling conditions, fleeting camaraderie, and the constant struggle to find rest and stability in anonymous mega-cities. Through it all, he develops a sharp humour and turns to reading and writing as a way to make sense of his life.

This book, first published in China in 2023, offers an eye-opening and deeply personal perspective on the realities of China’s work culture in the years leading up to COVID. Through AnYan’s candid storytelling, we’re taken inside the grind of countless odd jobs and shown how, despite the different industries, the workplace politics were almost always the same.

What struck me most was how universal his experiences felt: the mix of colleagues who genuinely cared and built solidarity, those driven purely by money and self-interest, and others content to coast by doing the bare minimum.

I really enjoyed the personal realisation as well that AnYan had at the end of how he should have stood up for himself and be true to his values, thought there were times he compromised.

The writing is at times dense with details, but I found that only made the narrative more authentic and grounded. Far from being a dry recounting, it felt like an unfiltered window into the lived experience of an ordinary worker navigating a demanding, often unforgiving environment.

Fascinating, relatable, and full of insight, it reminded me that, no matter how consuming or brutal a role may feel, at the end of the day a job is just a job. 3.75/5

Thanks to Astra PublishingHouse and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A memoir told in three parts. Part one is about the author's time working in a package/mail sorting center. The second part is, like the titles says, about delivering parcels in Beijing. The third part is a wrap-up of more than a dozen other jobs the author took on to make ends meet.

Like you'd probably expect, this is a look into low-wage, insecure jobs that wring out employees for every last drop of profit. Hustling, gig economy, flexi-jobs, freelancing -whatever you want to call it, the situation is not getting any prettier from fancy terminology. There's barely any labor laws to uphold, vacation days are sparse and the wages are frequently abysmally low. Hu Anyan is really open about harsh work circumstances he's had to endure and the negative effect they had on his well-being.

The third part was definitely my favorite section. The author opened up more about his personality, his past, his interest in reading and writing. Here he also talks more about his criticism of capitalism and treating your job as part of your personality instead of something that unfortunately we're forced into to survive.

I wish I could force this book onto every customer's who's ever been rude to me. I hope the author can live from the royalties of this book and never has to return to the 'regular' job market.

This would have to be the Proustian minutiae of parcel delivery!
Western couriers, parcel deliverers etc ..in fact we all have no idea what work is until we have read how hard it is to just eke a pittance out of every minute of our working day. And yet through it all the writer takes it as it comes and makes the most of his time and effort and remains upbeat.
And…did I mention the over entitled customers from hell that he encounters. OMG
If one is at the bottom of the food chain in the delivery workforce expect to be squashed further leaving one with no self esteem.

This made me rethink everything. I have a forward facing job, I see the delivery people every day, and this made me so much more grateful for them! This really humanized a job that I feel like we dont equate with people anymore. I really loved this.

This is a look at the capitalism from the inside out. This is a great non-fiction account of the author's experience of working 19-20 jobs and how he handles them. A powerful account of labor, working class, consumers, technology. This was a good read that will educate you as well as make you laugh.

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing is a candid memoir about a man's attempts to survive in the gig economy of China. It describes a business system that mechanizes the lifestyle of its employees and leaves them out of the creative sphere of the society. It is also a testament to the human spirit that overcomes such obstacles and prevails. Though there are clunky parts in its narration, I would recommend reading the book to get insights into a system of work that is being implemented globally.

Book 275 of 350 ~ 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Interesting take of a memoir - the translator did really well in terms of capturing the author's frustrations and experiences - well I think so anyway as I couldn't stop reading and listening.

The narrator kept the beat going. I enjoyed them both as I learnt more about the delivery guys in China.

I am happy to say that my family treats our delivery guys really well - always, not just cos of the pandemic. This just serves as a reminder that they are working very hard to earn a meager living in the heat or rain... be nice. be kind. don't be an @$$

I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook and ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#book275of350 #amreading #netgalley #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram #reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #booknerds #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #bookaddict #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookchallenge2025 #reviews #lovebooks

When I was in college, I worked as a server earning $2.15 an hour, relying on tips for most of my income and tipping out to other staff in the restaurant, such as the bar or food runners, based on sales. I’ve always believed that everyone should experience working in the service industry at least once. It teaches you what it’s like to handle difficult customers, sometimes even paying for the opportunity to serve them if they didn't tip (as you had to tip out others either way) and gives insight into how everyday businesses operate.

After reading I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, I now think people should also spend time working in package delivery or shipping, or at least read about it in such a vivid account. The author shines a light on a service that most of us depend on daily. While the book offers a vivid view of life in Beijing, much of it will feel familiar to anyone who has observed or experienced delivery work in the U.S. or Europe. This perspective reminds us of the importance of kindness toward the people we interact with each day and deepens our appreciation for the workers who keep our lives running smoothly. I hope this book appears in every library.

Thank you to Astra Publishing House and Netgalley for access to the ARC.

I think this was a great book; very informative and interesting. It was eye-opening to what life is like a courier in China.

Really interesting book about delivery services. Such an important book to learn about this kind of job and the quirks and people who work in it. I appreciate also the insights about the meaning of work overall.

In his memoir, I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, Hu Anyan describes life across nearly 20 jobs. He chronicles his daily experiences as a delivery driver, a parcel depot worker, gas station employee - the physical toil, the mental toll, and the struggles with customers and coworkers. From Beijing and Shanghai to Yunnan and Guangxi the book provides a granular portrait of China’s gig economy.

While the hardships he recounts are astonishing, his outlook remains remarkably positive throughout. Hu’s resilience and self-awareness are striking.

The book made the Douban (roughly equivalent to Goodreads) books of the year list in 2023, the year it was released in China. It was compiled from Hu’s notes and WeChat posts and thus reads as somewhere between field notes and biography. Recommended for anyone interested in understanding Chinese society more closely.

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyan translated by Jack Hargreaves
Reviewing this book after only reading it once doesn’t do it justice. I wanted to start reading this book again as soon as I finished it. Not only is it insightful, it is also entertaining, thought provoking and heartwarming.

To put it simply, this book is a collection of essays where the author recounts his experience of working odd jobs from early 2000s to the start of COVID in 2020.

The various odd jobs the author took up such as waiter, courier, parcel sorter, cashier, online business owner, apprentice for a manga artist etc. span various regions in China. This made the reading experience very vivid and realistic, so much so that I forgot I was reading a non-fiction book. Although, I must say that geographically this book was very hard to connect. Most of the alley names and other areas mentioned didn’t have relevant or good images on Google, so it ended up breaking the flow of my reading. But it wasn’t a problem a little creative imagination couldn’t solve : )

Despite the disconnection with the places, the author’s tone is warm, genuine and objective, which kept me immersed. He doesn’t shy away from praising or being proud of himself whenever he talked about his growth, but he also didn’t hesitate to show how he fumbled, made bad decisions or hurt other people, intentionally or unintentionally. It is very rare for me to read a book neutrally, because often I have some pointed thoughts and remarks about the characters and their decisions. I enjoyed reading this book mainly because of how frank the author was.
Each experience that the author recounted highlighted the pros and cons of the profession. It also showed the harsh realities of living in poverty, facing unfairness, burnout and meeting people who sometimes stayed and sometimes caused more damage than good. The people the author met and his interactions with them gave me a lot of food for thought. As a student who has never worked, I found the philosophical exploration of ethics, principles, rationality and objectiveness in work to be very fascinating. It also made me realise how woefully uneducated I am in regards to labour laws and other legal working conditions.

Another thing that didn’t fail to intrigue me was the self-sufficiency of China. It is a well-known fact that people in China often do not use global social media platforms (some are even banned) but, even before the development of social media, China had resources both online and offline for people to work with which were easily accessible. Although China is not a perfect country, its self-sufficiency has motivated me to dive deeper into labour laws of my own country and explore the working conditions of India apart from the corporate world.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and found it to very captivating. I do wish the flow near the second half of the book was more balanced, but still, I would highly recommend it to both lovers of fiction and non-fiction, who want to read something different yet fruitful.

Rating- 4.75/5
Thankyou Astra House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

If you want to know what life is like for gig-economy non-elite strivers in the bustling but merciless economy of China, you won't go wrong reading this memoir. I liked it, but there were a few stretches where I felt the author conveyed tedium and ennui by being a bet tedious. My wife has also read most of this, and she is giving it an absolute rave with none of my reservations.

Thanks to netgalley and Astra for providing an egalley for early review.

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing isn’t a thriller, but it still grips you in a quiet, human way. Hu Anyan’s memoir moves briskly through the hidden world of Beijing’s gig workers, mixing exhaustion, dignity, and moments of raw honesty

A remarkable account of the story behind China's economic success. Written in spare, efficient prose, this memoir provides a unique insight into the lives of the millions of workers who fueled the country's astronomical growth. The fact that it was a bestseller in China hints at the author's ability to capture a shared experience.

Thanks to the publisher, Astra House, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book

I requested this ARC from NetGalley because I was interested in modern day China's working life, especially after reading Private Revolutions by Yuan Ying. And this really delivered what I wanted, as this is a memoir following the author's working life. He mentions his family, his girlfriend and his life outside work but it's not the focus of this memoir and he makes the point of saying that he has chosen not to include certain things. So the focus is on the many jobs he has had in his life, how he got them, why he chose them (as far as he can remember) and why he left them in the end.

I thought this book was going to be about the title job, where he delivers parcels in Beijing, but that is only about a fifth of the book and the rest is looking at the dozen other jobs he had as well. The non-chronological order was a little confusing in terms of working out where he was in his life but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book too much. This book really highlights how gig workers are hired and how little they can do if they are exploited, either from lack of knowledge, connections or money, as well as how they're treated by their employers but also by the customers.

The discussion about each of his jobs leads the author to talk about how working negatively impacts his mood, which in turn impacts how he interacts with other people, how he makes friends, how he lives. The impact of work in general making his life spiral until it leads to what can only be described as a full on breakdown is felt in every chapter.

I would have liked to have seen maybe a chapter on the impact of lockdown and not being able to work had on him, even if it was just to explore how he became a full-time author. And the book did become a little slower in the second half.

That said, I did really enjoy this book and would recommend it.

A quirky book that reflects the life of someone struggling just to live in China. For anyone interested in what China is really like, this will be an important eye-opener.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's always good to read about the lives of others, especially in China.

This book is a memoir in which Hu Anyan writes about his 19 jobs and reflects on work and life. I enjoyed reading about the lived experience of blue-collar workers in China and that this book has given them a voice. I’ll now spare a thought for the workers who work their butts off when I order something online from China. The working conditions are tough and pay is hardly enough to get by. But amongst all this there is hope, friendship, kindness and knowing and accepting who you are. Writing was his therapy and outlet, and now he can add author amongst his many jobs.

The translation by Jack Hargreaves is superb. It didn’t feel at all like a translation and I felt it really captured the original’s voice and spirit.

It’s not like any memoir I’ve ever read and I think many will enjoy it.

I loved this book! I enjoy reading books from other countries and to see the differences between the writing styles. It's a really good book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This raw and unflinching memoir sheds light on modern work in China, especially on the gig economy, and makes for a fascinating read. It’s a first-hand account of the author’s life working in a series of low paid and precarious jobs in China, culminating in his time as a courier in Beijing. Over about 20 years he had 19 different jobs, none of them leading to anything fulfilling. Full of detail, and a window into the contemporary Chinese labour market, it’s a compelling read, a personal story which is also socially and politically resonant. It’s not a polemic, not a diatribe, certainly not sensational, but a simple pragmatic human story, told with insight, empathy and resilience. A great read. A bestseller in China, it deserves to be one in the English-speaking world too.

Hu Anyan gives a brutally honest perspective of his past work experiences. Hu faces many struggles as a lot of his jobs are customer facing, where the customer is king and customer service is top priority (and Hu is not a social person). He also hates conflict as well, especially with disagreements, and I really resonated with him within the pages, as I generally dislike conflict and I’m currently stuck in a conflict-centric job. Some of the awful customers Hu talked about truly frustrated me and gave me flashbacks of working retail.

Hu takes us on a journey starting with his courier jobs that he worked a few years before the Covid-19 lockdown. Then after that he begins to tell us about his first job and then the events leading up to the courier jobs. The jobs range from bike/bike parts salesman, comic artist to mall security. The stories were eye opening as well because it wasn’t uncommon for Hu to work a 72 hour work week. I also thought it was interesting how Hu talks about the job market in China. Everything is incredibly cut throat, Hu goes into greater detail when he talks about managing a clothing store in the mall and having to deal with animosity amongst the other stores.

Overall, I enjoyed Hu’s stories. Some parts of the books did drag a little but I enjoyed the journey. If you’re looking for some non fiction to add to your TBR or need something different then check this book out.

Thank you NetGalley and Astra House Books for the copy.

This is Hu Anyan’s story of his life and job as a package courier in Beijing and the surrounding area. He tells it in a straight forward way with such detail that I felt like I was right there with him as he went through the amazing and intricate process of delivering packages all over this immense city. It is truly fascinating what these couriers go through and how the customers take them and all their hard work for granted, as we all probably do!

I learned a lot from Anyan’s telling of some of the dramatic details of things that I had no idea about. I will be looking at delivery employees with much more respect for now on!!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Hu Anyan, and Astra Publishing House for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.