English Is Not Easy
» Winner of the Junceda Illustration Award to the best education and comunication book of 2014
«There are two types of people in this world: those who learn languages easily and those who struggle with them. I (and probably you) fall into the second group.»
«I don’t even want to think about the hours (and money!) I spent trying to learn English when, really, I hated pretty much every minute of it. But people seem so smart when they can speak English, so I kept at it. That meant doing online courses, intensive summer classes, and even going to New York and getting up early on freezing winter mornings to head out to a Russian part of Brooklyn that to me was like the Far West. I barely managed to stay awake during classes in Times Square taught by teachers with dubious accents, while they received massages from devoted Japanese students. Each of these experiences came with the corresponding textbook, which addressed such thrilling topics as extreme sports and atmospheric conditions. You know, everyday vocabulary for when you leave the house and see a paraglider get carried off by a hurricane.
»But having done all that and finding myself on the other side of the Atlantic, I had to discover a way—even with my terrible memory—to retain what I had learned. That’s how I decided to use my drawing skills to help me memorize words and grammatical concepts. And those drawings turned into this book and learning English turned into something fun. Maybe it won’t work for you, but drawing these pages helped me string a few words together in English. Don’t I look smart now?»
PRESS
«A very special textbook. Funny and macabre, these small illustrated lessons are full of mischievous spirit, surreal irony and and a dark sense of humor.»
Patrick Williams, Elle France
«A terribly funny book, decidedly beautiful and, if needed be, useful. A fun and sassy book. Tip: use your Friday to get this book, and you will be bilingual before the weekend is gone.» Le Magazine du Monde
«A comic that draws on word play and cartoons to make learning fun. Three hundred pages packed with illustrations,blasphemy and sex for educational ends.» Beppe Severgnini, Corriere della sera
«An alternative, one-of-a-kind, fun-filled approach to language learning. […] Learning English properly need not be a daunting task.» Blooksblog.it
«The most delightful and original English course I have ever come across.»
Eduardo Bollos, Tendencias Fashion Mag
«In English is not easy, the images are stronger than ever.» Virginia Collera, El País
«English is not easy is one of the publishing surprises of the season.» Yo Dona
«Luci Gutiérrez has managed to create an intriguing hybrid of graphic novel and English text book that delights in its simplicity and skill.» Albert Espinosa, El Periódico
«Education and entertainment, a winning formula.» Peio H. Riaño, El Confidencial
«A playful, somewhat unorthodox handbook. […] Handy tips and sinister sketches, with the dark audacity that made her such a hit on the pages of the New Yorker and the New York Times. Luci Gutiérrez will change the way you look at your English teacher.» Stylist
TRANSLATIONS
Brazil: Record-Bestseller; China (c): Post Wave; China (s): The Eurasian Publishing Group; Czech: Grada; France: Denoël; Germany: Favoriten Presse; Italy: Rizzoli; Latin America: Planeta MX; Latvia: Zvaigzne; Lithuania: ForSmart; Netherlands: Scratch Books; Poland: Preston; Portugal: Marcador; Russia: Clever Media; South Korea: Woongjin Thinkbig; Ukraine: Vivat; US-UK: Penguin Random House; Vietnam: Nhan Tri Viet
