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novels

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  • 06-10-2011 11:27am
    #1
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭


    hi
    I'm about a2.2 level at learning german, pretty basic stuff. Someone I know around the same level was reading books, alternating chapters in english and then german copies. I was thinking to do the same but as I said, basic level so far - doing the next course in January.
    Would something like harry potter be doable? :D
    I'm dying to read Das Parfum, but I suspect it might be out of my league yet even with both languages... :D

    thanks


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    #2
    Lawrence1895
    Registered Users Posts: 7,627 ✭✭✭Lawrence1895


    bluewolf wrote: »
    hi
    I'm about a2.2 level at learning german, pretty basic stuff. Someone I know around the same level was reading books, alternating chapters in english and then german copies. I was thinking to do the same but as I said, basic level so far - doing the next course in January.
    Would something like harry potter be doable? :D
    I'm dying to read Das Parfum, but I suspect it might be out of my league yet even with both languages... :D

    thanks

    I would not recommend that book either, it's a good novel though, but not on a beginner's level. Same applies to Franz Kafka, btw. ;)


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    #3
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    When I started to learn English I found Agatha Christie books quite easy to read ...and also cheap and easily available in both languages.


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    #4
    Poltergeist
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭Poltergeist


    Yeah, hold back on 'das Perfum'.

    I would recommend 'The Little Prince' - it's a classic and great from your level. It's a pleasure to read in English but reading it in your target German language is an much much added bonus.

    There are graded readers that you can order from amazon or collect in the library. I know they are available in the Goethe Library in Dublin. Nice simple short stories. I mean these type books:

    http://www.langenscheidt.de/produkt/2839_377/Adel_und_edle_Steine_(Stufe_1)-Buch/978-3-468-49685-1

    Outside of that the Penguin parallel text short stories (german on one side, english on the other) are good. Available in most bookstores.

    Viel Spaß beim Deutschlernen


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    #5
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    Poltergeist wrote: »

    Outside of that the Penguin parallel text short stories (german on one side, english on the other) are good. Available in most bookstores.

    Viel Spaß beim Deutschlernen

    I didn't know about this - I should have a look in HF in town or something?
    I picked up some agatha christie now :pac:

    Yeah I should have signed up for the Goethe library, I'll fix that soon

    thanks for your help everyone!! :)


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    #6
    Orla_inka
    Registered Users Posts: 34 ✭Orla_inka


    I must confess, I have only ever read one book in German. I posted here:
    Das Perfum ... arrrggghh. You would torture yourself reading it in German.

    I must say, I would not read The Little Prince - the original language is French.

    How about children's books? As a suggestion Paul Maar writes (I think he still does) wonderful books. My daughter had: "Onkel Florians fliegender Flohmarkt". Lots of things to do in that book. The Sams books are good too.

    There are others, but I think that will do for a start.


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    #7
    Lawrence1895
    Registered Users Posts: 7,627 ✭✭✭Lawrence1895


    Orla_inka wrote: »
    I must confess, I have only ever read one book in German. I posted here:
    Das Perfum ... arrrggghh. You would torture yourself reading it in German.

    I must say, I would not read The Little Prince - the original language is French.

    How about children's books? As a suggestion Paul Maar writes (I think he still does) wonderful books. My daughter had: "Onkel Florians fliegender Flohmarkt". Lots of things to do in that book. The Sams books are good too.

    There are others, but I think that will do for a start.

    Paul Maar is a classic, I would recommend him as well.

    Or the author 'Janosch', some beautiful stories like 'Oh wie schoen ist Panama'


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    #8
    Apanachi
    Registered Users Posts: 757 ✭✭✭Apanachi


    I'd advise you to read a book that you will enjoy, the first German book I ever read was a Stephen King book, it took me quite a while to get through it, but I enjoyed reading it, I had tried reading some other easier German book previously (can't remember the name of it) but the book was just plain boring so I gave up quite fast


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