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German book recommendations

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  • 07-01-2013 2:54pm
    #1
    Lucario
    Registered Users Posts: 601 ✭✭✭


    Does anyone know of any good German books and where I could buy them? I thought Easons might have some but they only had language learning books when I went in today. Or should I buy them online? I don't really have a preferred genre, anything with a good storyline I like... as long a it doesn't include anything about war/politics/history..:pac:


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    #2
    Ardennes1944
    Registered Users Posts: 9,238 ✭✭✭Ardennes1944


    I was just about the open a new thread to ask a similar question! Any advanced kids books in german that I could read of very basic novel that anyone has used? Hard to get any examples online of specific books and I'd like one or two to read to supplement my other methods.
    Sorry to hijack!


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    #3
    Cool_CM
    Registered Users Posts: 4,937 ✭✭✭Cool_CM


    A lot of German Departments in Irish Universities offer contemporary literature courses. If you pop into a university bookshop and have a look you will find some modern books. As well as this, some of them also do the dual reader ones (English on one page with the German equivalent on the opposite such as this one). Most, if not all of the novels that you would find at University bookshops are texts that are aimed at language learners. You could also try having a look at the dtv series of books which have a good mix of contemporary and classic and also let you know which level they are aimed at.

    Aside from that, there is the Goethe Institute Library in Dublin which you could join where they would probably have a lot of different levels to choose from and offer you advice as to which level you should be looking at.

    If you have a smartphone it might be useful to download something like the "deutsch welle" app for short news articles and podcasts. There are other useful free apps like "tunein radio" which make it easy to listen to German radio stations for things like news and free dictionaries like "dict.cc". Also if you have a kindle or kindle app, it is a lot easier to access books without having to order and wait for them.

    If you can get your hands on it, I'd recommend something like Dürrenmatt's "Der Richter und sein Henker" to start off. It's a good crime novel that avoids the themes that you mentioned above. From what I remember, the German isn't ridiculously complicated (it was one of the first that we did in university) and the plot is good enough to make you want to keep on reading. German speakers love their Krimis so if you get into that genre of book, there's a lot more to keep you occupied!

    Best of luck!


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    #4
    Ardennes1944
    Registered Users Posts: 9,238 ✭✭✭Ardennes1944


    Thank you that's great!:D


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    #5
    doubter
    Registered Users Posts: 451 ✭✭doubter


    amazon.de will deliver german books to ireland no bother. If you are looking for children stories, try Pippi Langstrumpf (astrid Lindgren), Tim Thaler (james Krues), die 3 fragezeichen (eny Blyton) etc pp....


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    #6
    Misty Moon
    Registered Users Posts: 294 ✭✭Misty Moon


    You can get the two Heidi books and the Swiss Family Robinson as free kindle books. I got them last year - decided that I might as well try and improve my German the same way I originally learned English. :)

    If you like thrillers or mysteries then you'll be spoilt for choice - Krimis are really popular, Donna Leon, for example.


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    #7
    Apanachi
    Registered Users Posts: 757 ✭✭✭Apanachi


    I'd recommend getting the German version of a book that you would like to (or have) read in English, it's tough enough learning a language without having to have boring material to go along with it. If you have some basics, it's not as hard as it sounds, the first book I read in German was a Stephen King book, it was tough going, but not as tough as I first thought it would be. ou don't need to understand every word, once you get the gist of the sentence, carry on with the next one. I used a text marker for the really hard words and after 3-4 pages, I'd put the book down, look up the word in the dictionary and things mostly just fell into place - it's slow enough going, but if you have a gripping book, it's so much more fun


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