Review Excerpt:

Isabel Hilton is entertained by Geling Yan's satirical take on contemporary China...

...Yan is not nostalgic for the years of socialism: her earlier work has been caustic about the defects of Mao's utopia. But she is clear-eyed about the corruption and loss of ethical values of today's China and the dilemma of decent people who are trying to survive within a system that is caught up in a crazily accelerated evolution. Dong retains a kind of innocent resignation throughout his turbulent career, accepting the inevitable bad ending with stoicism. This is a light novel, with sketchy characterisation, but Yan's wit, the fast-moving plot and the sharp observation of the absurdities of contemporary China ensure that it is an entertaining read.