abhoriel Posted November 3, 2015 at 01:36 AM Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 at 01:36 AM If you wanted to capture the authentic experience of the foreigner in China, the book should have been set in Beijing and revolved around eating at new foreign restaurants while trying to live your life just like you did back home. Maybe this was your (seemingly rather unfortunate) experience, but it certainly doesn't relate to my experiences or indeed, clearly, the author's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imron Posted November 3, 2015 at 01:50 AM Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 at 01:50 AM What is authentic anyway? Is New York a more authentic US experience than San Francisco or Maysville, Kentucky (population 8,920). What vellocet described is also very different from my own experience in China (which included both big cities and small towns - roughly 3 years in each), and I don't think anyone can correctly say that my experience wasn't 'authentic' (whatever that means). @vellocet, maybe if you read the book, you'll see people who try to avoid the 'authentic' experience you describe above - of which there are many in China. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qc418 Posted November 12, 2015 at 04:12 AM Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 at 04:12 AM Kirkus reviewed my book! Mild spoiler alert... https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/quincy-carroll/up-to-the-mountains-and-down-to-the-countryside/ Looking forward to Imron's review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stapler Posted November 12, 2015 at 04:48 AM Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 at 04:48 AM Holy crap, do you even know what that title means? The down to the countryside movement was no joke, it plunged millions of people into poverty and permanently ruined many lives. Strange. I've been to a fancy restaurant in the middle of a mall in Xiamen themed around the "sent down youth". No one seems to care in the slightest. Seems like a big joke to everyone be honest. In fact I think I got a picture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qc418 Posted November 12, 2015 at 05:21 AM Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 at 05:21 AM Also, only two more days to enter the giveaway on Goodreads! 20 copies up for grabs... https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/158524-up-to-the-mountains-and-down-to-the-countryside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imron Posted November 12, 2015 at 05:27 AM Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 at 05:27 AM Looking forward to Imron's review! Coming soon :-) (where soon is a few days to a week) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qc418 Posted January 31, 2016 at 11:11 PM Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 at 11:11 PM UMDC was recently selected as an Indie Book of the Month for January 2016 by Kirkus! Hope you're all able to check it out. Thanks! https://www.kirkusreviews.com/lists/kirkus-indie-books-month-january-2016/up-to-the-mountains-and-down-to-the-countryside/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imron Posted February 1, 2016 at 12:34 AM Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 at 12:34 AM Sorry Quincy for being remiss in my review - I've just been snowed under recently. I still plan to write it. The short version for people wondering, is that I enjoyed it, and it brought back many memories of my time as an English teacher in a small town in China. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorin Posted February 1, 2016 at 12:56 AM Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 at 12:56 AM UMDC was recently selected as an Indie Book of the Month for January 2016 by Kirkus! Kirkus, where you get to pay $425 to have your book reviewed. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/indie/purchase/ Makes one wonder how many books they've ever panned, doesn't it? Look, I'm not trying to be negative about the book here. I don't know it, and from what imron says, it might actually be good. This kind of marketing however isn't good. It's superfluous. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qc418 Posted February 1, 2016 at 01:18 AM Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 at 01:18 AM Sorry Quincy for being remiss in my review - I've just been snowed under recently. I still plan to write it. The short version for people wondering, is that I enjoyed it, and it brought back many memories of my time as an English teacher in a small town in China. No problem, Imron. I know how life has a habit of getting in the way. Glad to hear that you enjoyed it! Kirkus, where you get to pay $425 to have your book reviewed. https://www.kirkusre...indie/purchase/ Makes one wonder how many books they've ever panned, doesn't it? Look, I'm not trying to be negative about the book here. I don't know it, and from what imron says, it might actually be good. This kind of marketing however isn't good. It's superfluous. I hear you. In my defense, there are thousands of reviews that go unpublished because authors don't like them. Also, less than 10% of reviews are selected as Books of the Month, so I think that's saying something. I know self-promotion is off-putting, and to be honest, it's not really something I'm comfortable with, but after four years of writing, I have to peddle the book, especially as an Indie author. I hope Imron is able to post a review you can trust - that's why I came here, after all! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Two Times Posted February 1, 2016 at 02:09 PM Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 at 02:09 PM I'm still fixated on this quote: Similar topic matter, completely different story. Also, better in my opinion. That last sentence has some pretty strong words. After all, River Town did win the Kiriyama Prize. Warm regards, Chris Two Times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qc418 Posted February 2, 2016 at 12:00 AM Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 at 12:00 AM I'm still fixated on this quote: Similar topic matter, completely different story. Also, better in my opinion. That last sentence has some pretty strong words. After all, River Town did win the Kiriyama Prize. Warm regards, Chris Two Times What can I say, I stand by it. River Town is obviously one of THE books about China, but I remember throwing it across the room at one point listening to the author talk about his impressions of his students. Yes, I'm only one person (and extremely biased at that), but I thought that Hessler, like so many others who have written about China, focused a critical (and, in this case, admittedly well-trained) eye on the country and its people without ever applying that same lens to himself or the West. In this sense, Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside was written as a sort of response to River Town. That being said, all literature, including my own work, is fair game for criticism. All I ask is that you give it an honest chance. If you hate it after reading it, hey, I'll respect your opinion - and I mean that. I'd be a pretty shitty author, though, if I didn't believe in my own work. And yes, I really wish that the Kiriyama Prize still existed... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Two Times Posted February 2, 2016 at 01:33 AM Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 at 01:33 AM qc418, I appreciate your honest words. I gave you a +1. Warm regards, Chris Two Times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ouyangjun Posted February 2, 2016 at 01:35 AM Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 at 01:35 AM I have not read this book, but heard it about it first from lurking in the shadows of chinese-forums, and then heard it mentioned again on a recent Sinica podcast, "While We're Here: China Stories from a Writes' Colony". They gave Quincy a nod, which for me is at least a trusted recommendation in the right direction. Currently I don't have much interest in reading a book on this topic, so a review from me won't be coming anytime soon, but I'm interested to hear imron's review when it comes out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qc418 Posted February 2, 2016 at 02:05 AM Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 at 02:05 AM I appreciate your honest words. I gave you a +1. Thanks, man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qc418 Posted February 2, 2016 at 02:07 AM Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 at 02:07 AM I have not read this book, but heard it about it first from lurking in the shadows of chinese-forums, and then heard it mentioned again on a recent Sinica podcast, "While We're Here: China Stories from a Writes' Colony". They gave Quincy a nod, which for me is at least a trusted recommendation in the right direction. Currently I don't have much interest in reading a book on this topic, so a review from me won't be coming anytime soon, but I'm interested to hear imron's review when it comes out. Just sent a copy to Alec Ash the other day, so I'm hoping he gets a chance to read it. Was pretty cool hearing the book mentioned on Sinica! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcdefg Posted February 3, 2016 at 02:32 PM Report Share Posted February 3, 2016 at 02:32 PM Damn, Quincey. It's early February and it still isn't available in the US Kindle store. Thought that was slated by now. Had hoped to download and read it, but it seems it will have to wait until my next year's trip home. What happened? ----------------------------- Edit: Oops, Sorry. I found it. $6.99. Downloaded a copy just now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qc418 Posted February 4, 2016 at 03:06 AM Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 at 03:06 AM Damn, Quincey. It's early February and it still isn't available in the US Kindle store. Thought that was slated by now. Had hoped to download and read it, but it seems it will have to wait until my next year's trip home. What happened? ----------------------------- Edit: Oops, Sorry. I found it. $6.99. Downloaded a copy just now. Scared me there for a second - glad you found it. What was the problem? (Was it something others might encounter?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcdefg Posted February 4, 2016 at 03:51 AM Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 at 03:51 AM I first searched for it from inside the Kindle device to download it directly and "We have no such book" returned. Then I found it on the Amazon website in both print and in Kindle format. Downloaded it that way. Might have been something I did wrong. Look forward to diving in this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qc418 Posted February 4, 2016 at 10:53 PM Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 at 10:53 PM I first searched for it from inside the Kindle device to download it directly and "We have no such book" returned. Then I found it on the Amazon website in both print and in Kindle format. Downloaded it that way. Might have been something I did wrong. Look forward to diving in this weekend. OK, thanks. I'm going to talk to Inkshares and see if we can get that resolved. Hope the book makes the flight pass more quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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