economy

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyan Audiobook Review

This memoir of a man who moved around China chasing low-paid work for 20 years is an indictment of a shocking system, read in a suitably austere way

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyan Audiobook Review

TL;DR

  • Hu Anyan's memoir chronicles 20 years of low-paid, unskilled gig work in China.
  • The book details the experiences of one of China's 300 million internal migrants.
  • Hu performed 19 jobs in six cities, often in terrible conditions and with minimal rest.
  • The audiobook highlights the dehumanizing aspects of long shifts, exhaustion, and low earnings.
  • The narration is described as austere, suiting the clinical and precarious nature of the subject matter.
  • The memoir is presented as a grim indictment of the system and the cost of convenience.