AIEEYAAA! Learn Chinese the Hard Way: The English-Chinese Cartoon Dictionary

by Larry Feign

Overview

Don't be fooled by books which promise you that learning Chinese is "easy", "easier", "simple", or "instant". Learning Chinese is a pain in the pìgu!

AIEEYAAA! is the first book since China invented paper which offers Chinese language learners some well-deserved laughs amidst the suffering.

Featuring 150 topical cartoons about life, love and culture clash in China, this hilarious satirical dictionary sends up many of the ironies, delights, and cultural and linguistic mix-ups that are immediately recognizable to anyone who has spent any time at all in the Middle Kingdom.

It's simply like no other Chinese dictionary on the planet:

Mandarin and Cantonese translations for every word.

Traditional and Simplified Chinese characters.

Cartoon scenarios to make sure you never forget a word.

Extended introduction which dares to tell the truth about the trials and tribulations of learning Chinese.

Humorous tips about cross-cultural miscommunication.

And much more!

Over 100,000 copies sold since first release, this new 2018 edition offers something for everyone when it comes to learning Chinese, whether you're a seasoned Asia hand or traveling to China for the first time.

Don't despair about learning Chinese. Just say AIEEYAAA!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789627866503
Publisher:	Top Floor Books
Publication date:	06/28/2021
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	162
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

Larry Feign is an award-winning writer and artist whose work has appeared in Time, The Economist, Fortune, the New York Times, and other publications. He has directed animated cartoons for Cartoon Network and Disney Television. His satirical books have been consistent bestsellers in his home base of Hong Kong, while his 'Lily Wong' comic strip was considered a bellwether of life and politics in the territory. His satirical commentary about the Hong Kong handover was Time Magazine's first-ever full-page cartoon essay. He earned his MFA in Writing from Pacific University, and received a MacDowell Fellowship from America's oldest artist colony. He is currently working on several books, including both humor and historical fiction. Larry lives in an island village in the South China Sea with his wife, two dogs, and the occasional uninvited python. His mother always wished he'd been a doctor. Check his website at www.larryfeign.com

Editorial Reviews

"Anyone who has spent time in East Asia should enjoy AIEEYAAA! Learn Chinese the Hard Way. His good-natured yet revealing humour makes for a fun read and some coincidental pain-free language acquisition." -The East Asia Book Review

"Very funny and I learnt a few things too, despite the author's promise in the foreword that this wouldn't happen. Also, the book's introduction has one of the best descriptions of the differences between Chinese languages/dialects that I've ever read." -Pete Spurrier, Publisher, Blacksmith Books

"Honestly, I think this book is for everybody, from those who have a passing curiosity about the Chinese language(s) to those who have studied the language of the Middle Kingdom for years and been right in the middle of the linguistic fray that is this culture." -The Polyglotist

"The cartoons are well drawn and the ratio of laughs to non-laughs high. Although Feign has a disclaimer that this is not a real language book, but rather 'a random assortment of words with gags attached, ' you will definitely learn something." -John Grant Ross, Bookish.asia

From the Publisher