I read this book compulsively. Hessler views his work as narrative non-fiction and the book does have a page turning quality. I found his work descriptive and insightful, and the mix of very recent to ancient history was quite interesting to me.

At one point Hessler discusses how he gave up writing newspaper stories, because he did not feel that the need for immediacy and the limited space allowed him to give readers a clear sense of life in China. His narratives make good on his intentions to present readers will with a complex view of China in the recent past.