I'm posting this thread to ask for any suggestions anyone might have for good, simple German literature to read so that I can build my language skills. I'm only half-German and I've lived in the USA for most of my life, but I've always had somewhere between a beginner and intermediate level of German speaking and understanding. Recently I began practicing using Rosetta Stone a bit, drilling the grammar rules into my head and practicing pronunciation. I know on a mental level how to pronounce German, but you have to practice with a foreign language or else it feels like you're speaking with a mouth full of peanut butter and you'll probably sound that way too. Rambling aside, I was hoping for something that's fairly simple in nature. Not kindergarten level – again, I'm not a total beginner, but stuff that's great for increasing your vocabulary and refining your understanding of the language. Maybe the equivalent of 6th-8th grade (middle school or pre-high school) reading level? Preferably, of course, something that's not pozzed to oblivion.
Yeah I don't think that's going to happen. Stopping every two seconds to look up political and philosophical terminology probably isn't going to be very effective.
If even the more advanced readers are too easy for you, Erich Kästner's children's books are a pretty standard starting point for reading real German - start with Emil und die Detektive.
Fuck, I feel like a retard for not knowing this exists. Thanks user.
Also, You motherfucker.
Caleb Jones
One corker of a book m80
Jason Harris
Seeing how you're a novice I'd recommend Grimm fairy tales. They are classics and, in spite of being for children, are very entertaining. They so contain decent morals. If you want to psychoanalyse them you can interpret them in a very lewd and interesting way too.
If you want something more complex, try reading Emma Galotti. It does use somewhat older German terms but you should be fine, especially since it's a play. Therefore it's mostly dialogue and not very descriptive.
Deutsch ist die beste Sprache und wir haben die beste Literatur. Jeder der da nicht zustimmt spricht kein Deutsch.
Hunter Taylor
Seems like the autobiography of a football player, which is normally something I'd pass over. Any particular reason why his life is interesting?
Ach ja, die Gebrueder Grimm. Wie habe ich sie vergessen…
Carter Howard
Anybody know if this is a good book for beginners to learn grammar from?
I inherited a copy.
Oliver Ross
Not really, it's just a fun and easy read
Liam White
Germany doesn't really have a big literary tradition, most German books you'll read will be science texts, manuals, and political stuff.
Owen Cook
You gotta be fucking kidding
Ethan Parker
...
Angel Baker
Oy fucking vey
Kayden Lee
it might be best to read something translated from english to german. Most translated texts have the original synthax showing through. It might be quite a downer to read something originally written in your language but it's my recommendation nontheless.
Jackson Wright
I'd rather not. There's more to speaking a language than syntax and grammar, there's also culture and idioms. I would be worried about that learning value being lost in a work translated from English.
pic related
Jacob James
You could also listen to good German music. It helps to catch a few words and the sound of the language.
I like Heinrich Böll. Sure, he's not Holla Forums-tier at all, but "Ansichten eines Clowns" and "Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum" are really good reads without being too complex for non-native speakers. Same can be said about "Fabian - die Geschichte eines Moralisten" by Erich Kästner.
Owen Miller
To add: "Krabat" by Ottfried Preussler. It's a folk tale with a slightly dark edge, set in Upper Lusatia.
Isaiah Parker
Goethe, Holderlin, Kleist, Schiller, Novalis, Grimmelshausen, Wieland, ETA Hoffmann, Tieck, Gottfried Keller, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer
granted, Germany's philosophical tradition is richer
Dover has dual language books with english on one side and the german on the opposite page. They have some herman hesse and short story compilations last time i checked and theyre cheap, under 10 bucks a piece.
Elijah Mitchell
Probably not the best idea, most people will just end ignoring the German altogether.
A list of the words used with their translation, on the other hand, would help.
Jaxson Wright
I think its a good idea. If you dont have the discipline to not just cheat and read only the english side you probably werent going to learn the language anyway. I do like your idea too, though.
