Welcome to Litsy!

It took me a lot of time to read this book, but it was well worth it. I‘ve seen other reviewers mention that if you‘re not interested in the subjects this book is based upon, it might not be the best read for you, and it is true. However I did quite enjoy the characters and their interactions, and although I felt the ending a bit rushed and left wanting more, it is incredibly written and a very interesting read.

I don‘t know how to review this book! Part character study, part historical overview, and a whole lot of political polemic, it will most likely baffle & annoy those not interested in Chinese history & geopolitics.

For those who ARE interested in these topics, it is worth a read, but it will still be a lot of work to get through it - particularly the epilogue/monologue at the end! I recommend reading the forward & translator notes first.

This novel ultimately had a strange shape and wasn‘t quite what I expected but I did enjoy it and learn so much about China from it so it‘s a pick. I was expecting it to lean more into dystopian science fiction but it stayed quite personal and focused on Old Chen‘s interpersonal experiences of living in this strange (or maybe we‘re already living in it?) future society. Definitely makes me 👀 Boris Johnson a bit harder.

I‘m seeing why this novel has been called the “Chinese 1984”. It‘s fascinating to read, particularly at the moment, when I feel like everyone is looking at their own governments a bit harder. I can never work out if it‘s science fiction, dystopian, or a realistic portrayal of what the writer saw around him. Great book so far!