The Unbearable Dreamworld of Champa the Driver — Koonchung Chan

A humorous literary novel of modern China, from the author of The Fat Years

Life is simple for Champa. He has a good job as a chauffeur in his hometown of Lhasa, and if his Chinese boss Plum is a little domineering, well, he can understand that -- she's a serious art-collector after all. And he does get to drive her huge Toyota. When he starts to sleep with his boss as well as drive her around, life becomes a whole lot more complicated. But not in a bad way. Suddenly Champa's sex life is beyond his wildest dreams. But then Plum brings home a Tara statue -- a statue that shines with exquisite feminine beauty -- and suddenly life is not simple at all, as Champa finds himself on the long road to Beijing in search of its inspiration. This is a rollicking road novel brimful of sensuality and danger. Underlying the optimism and humor of its hero is a darker picture of racism and rough justice in modern Beijing.