"Timon's curse of money used to be our criticism of decadent capitalism. Yet it has become a mirror of a part of our society. A lot of our social issues are very similar to those that occurred in the period of capitalist primitive accumulation".

Zhang has delivered a fascinating historical fiction novel which introduces the reader to the practicalities of Chinese culture from the 1980's into the early 2000's, through the adherence to Confucian values contrasted against bad-faith actors intentionally acting out bad intentions. The book reads almost like a long collection of fables, with covert morals of each scenario presented and highlighting why it's always best to act in line with the needs of society in mind and a pure heart.

"He had noticed the changing attitudes of people towards love and sex in the country now, which were much more flexible than in the past. People did not care about sexual affairs outside the marriage as long as they did not destroy the family".

We follow the protagonist Zhang Feng, a traditional Chinese businessman, from whom we learn a lot about his life, his love affairs, his businesses and his moral compass. The book relies on real world events from around the globe and specifically the Chinese political system and economy to inform the fictional events that follow, and paints a very accurate - and at times - heavily detailed account of social norms within society and the way they continue to develop since the end of the Cultural Revolution.

I really enjoyed reading this, after the initial struggle to delve into the detailed initial introductions to a significant number of key figures (Dream of the Red Chamber, eat your heart out!). It's not hard to remember them as the plot unveils and their relevance becomes clear, but I'm not sure that the approach taken was the strongest. That said, it's rare to see such a fleshed out book follow a group of people through the decades and really make each character relevant to the development of the plot. I did not realise this was the third of three books until after I completed it, and will certainly seek out the other two to complete the experience.

Thank you NetGalley for the Ar.c.