Over the Hill

Name: Over the Hill
ISBN: 9787201205212

邱兵Tianjin People's Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

3.5

Word count: 73K words
Chapters: 29
ISBN: 9787201205212

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Summary

This is Qiu Bing's collection of narrative nonfiction, in which he recounts, with warmth and plainspoken candor, the pain of growing up and the search for self that come from the collision between ideals and reality, between daily life and distant horizons.

At eighteen, Qiu Bing tested into university and left his small, isolated hometown for the bustle of Shanghai, stumbling along the way yet holding fast to his original ideals; in middle age, Xiao Xu loses his job, and deep in the mountains there is suddenly a "Chicken King" leading villagers into business; Lao Xiao never does become a journalist, but a fish pond somewhere along the Yangtze holds the fuller measure of his hopes; in the winter rain of Chongqing, Lao Zhao is laid off and still keeps calculating how to open the noodle shop of his own...

We have all sought knowledge and grown in solitude, staggering forward while summoning ourselves again, carrying hope over the hills of life, living ardently, sincerely, and with force.

Editor's review

Qiu Bing's collection of narrative nonfiction is about ordinary people being pushed along by the tide of the times: a small-town youth going to the city to study, a middle-aged man starting a business in the mountains after losing his job, a laid-off worker planning a noodle shop in the winter rain. Rather than manufacturing resonance through sentimentality, the author tells the stories of several people around him in plain, restrained prose that feels solid and credible, like listening to a well-traveled friend talk about people he knows. What gives the book its real strength is that it acknowledges life's stumbles and indignities while never reducing its characters to figures of tragedy: Xiao Xu becomes the "Chicken King," Lao Xiao tends his fish pond, Lao Zhao plans his noodle shop—none of these endings is glorious, but each preserves human dignity and agency. It suits reading at a turning point in life, or when you are weary; the short pieces don't demand long stretches of time, yet they tend to make you pause at some detail and remember that you, too, once carried hope over the hills. As an essay collection, its value lies not in offering answers but in embodying an honest attitude toward life.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Middle-aged readers going through a career transition or a low point in life who need gentle strength
Readers of nonfiction who prefer oral-style stories about ordinary people
Young people who have left small towns for big cities and resonate with the pains of growing up
Busy people who want short pieces for the commute or bedtime without committing to a long read

Not a good fit for

Readers of success literature expecting rigorous argument or a systematic methodology
Readers who prefer plot-driven, fast-paced fiction
People hoping to find clear life answers and step-by-step instructions in a book

Reading tips

Read in the order of the pieces; each stands alone, so there's no need to finish in one sitting—leave room to savor the details.
When you come across a character whose experience resembles your own, close the book for a few minutes before continuing.
Read one or two pieces a day on the commute or before bed; avoid reading straight through, which can pile up emotions and dull your sensitivity.
After finishing, pick the piece that moved you most and try retelling it to a friend—it will show you what it truly means to you.

About the publisher

Tianjin People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1950

Tianjin People's Publishing House publishes across such fields as classic works, foreign literature, architecture, social culture and social sciences, with 749 relevant titles in the collection. In the areas of classics and scholarship, works such as Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua and Fei Xiaotong's From the Soil and Fertility and Reproduction reflect a sustained attention to social culture and classic texts of thought. Architectural books are represented by Liang Sicheng's Annotated Yingzao Fashi and A History of Chinese Architecture, showing an emphasis on architectural heritage and building traditions. In foreign literature, translations of Sholokhov's And Quiet Flows the Don and Tolstoy's War and Peace and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, through the work of translators such as Li Gang and Yu Dawei, form a substantial series of translated works. Overall, the press combines classic texts, scholarly works and fine translations, with a publishing character oriented toward humanistic depth and the dissemination of knowledge.

版权信息
推荐序谁掌握了记忆，谁就掌握着不灭的希望
自序虹
第一章来时之路
漫长的告别
藏进人生里
冬雨
小徐，快跑
黄辣丁
第二章重逢
所有我们看不见的光
流动的圣节
生生不息
一颗像上海那么大的钻石
康定路的新年致辞
第三章弄潮
太阳星辰
鱼塘和梦
我心澎湃如昨
月亮和三千元人民币
答案
曾经飘落在我们肩上的
第四章回家，再回家
雾与光
黄溪河边
大河奔流
霍华德医生
阳台上的夹竹桃
革命之路

FAQ

Is this book fiction or true stories?

It is Qiu Bing's collection of narrative nonfiction; the people and experiences are drawn from real life and presented in essay form. It does not aim for the drama of invented plot but focuses on making the situations of ordinary people caught between ideals and reality concrete and palpable, so it is best read as true fragments from people around you rather than as a novel to be expected to deliver twists.

Can I get into it without similar experiences?

Yes. The book deals with situations most people will face sooner or later—losing a job, changing careers, leaving a small town, starting over—and the author tells them plainly, without relying on the reader sharing the same background. Even without similar experience, you can find resonance in the characters' choices and persistence; those with related experience will simply feel it more directly.

Is it better read in one sitting or slowly?

Better slowly. It is a collection of many essays, each short but emotionally dense; reading them back to back can blunt your response. Read one or two a day—on the commute, before bed, or on a weekend afternoon—and leave a little time to digest each, so the specific details are more likely to move you.

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About the author

邱兵 Author

Qiu Bing: publicly available information is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and full writing career cannot currently be confirmed. The library holds one work by him, the prose collection Crossing the Hill. Judging from the title and its classification, the book belongs to the category of prose essays, with themes likely related to life's journeys and looking back on the years, and the writing may convey personal reflections through plain narrative. Because verifiable background information about the author is lacking, it is difficult at present to discuss his writing style and literary influence in detail; readers may begin with Crossing the Hill itself and appreciate its textual orientation and emotional tone. For an author known by only one or two works, a single book often best reveals the themes and expressive habits he cares about, and can serve as a starting point for further understanding his creative profile.