It is strange to have Yu's work described as "debut" given how prolific a writer he is, but apparently this is his first collection of short stories. There is a recognisable style here - in which somehow the intense introspection of the characters creates a kind of distance from the world. The stories often feel dreamlike or disjointed, especially in the novella, with the focus on intimate moments and thoughts. As an Anglo-Australian reader, it feels very Chinese modernist, with a focus on the gap between external expectation and internal self. Yu's focus, however, is less on one culture and more on the world of moving between cultures, the dislocation of migration, the experiences of moving between totalitarianism and racism. And all with a dreamy focus on bodily function. Obviously, I am not great at explaining this - and it isn't really my thing - but the skill and atmosphere are evident.