With all bridges burnt in London, Richard Simpson seeks to create stability in his life by becoming an English teacher in China. Once there he tries to comprehend an ancient land and culture, an endeavour made more arduous by the problems he brings with him. Set amidst a dramatically changing society and emerging superpower, the story is about one man's quest to discover himself and find love, and a journey which is the precedent of a necessary but terrifying acceptance of who and what he is. Shocking, poignant, and funny, most of all Love, China and Alcohol will strike you for its brutal honesty, portraying as it does a dysfunctional westerner's perception of an enigmatic country, indeed, making you love or hate Richard for it.