Reading novels in Spanish?

[Ben]

Have you read any novels in Spanish? Does it help? I know there has been mention in the forums of Harry Potter... The last book I read in Spanish was Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. I think it is essential to read books which really move along at a good pace when reading in another language, and Mr Brown is certainly good in that respect, so my recommendation goes to him (though some may well argue about the quality of the literature ;))

[lumpsuckerpig]

Someone gave me a copy of Charles Dickens Oliver Twist in Spanish. I have tried several times to read this but It's too heavy. Personally, I always buy Spanish magazines to read as the articles are generally of a length you are able to cope with without having to spend ages thinking of the translations etc. My daughter has just returned from Tenerife and has brought me some magazines I asked for. One of them is Guitarrista which I find useful as I play guitar and this means that I can keep my Spanish up to scratch in combination with my other hobby which is probably a good way of combining the two. Other magazines I read are Computer Hoy and PC Plus in Spanish which, as I work in IT, also combine my hobby with my job, and Audio Video Foto Hoy which, together with the free dvd film, top films as well, is also a good read.

[Cat]

Currently reading the Spanish translation of "the Diary of Bridget Jones" which is quite an easy read and good for the conversational aspects. Intellectually suspect I know.....but it's quite good for the girlie soul!

Have got a Laura Esquivel "Como Agua para Chocolate" as my next read, followed by "El Zahir" by Paula Coelho- but they need to wait until I'm lounging by the pool on Costa de La Luz in June............

[cubix]

I read El Mundo online every day, not enough time for a novel

One of the wal-mart near my house, sells more books in spanish than english now, to cater to the large hispanic(mexican) population of the area. Sorta interesting


Greg

[Rabbitoh]

Reading Spanish-language literature really makes for a tough time. So many idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms to deal with. Having said that, there are two pretty good, not intimidating books I'd recommend.

The first is Cuando Era Puertorriquena (When I Was Puerto Rican) by Esmeralda Santiago.

The other is Cuentos Espanoles, a collection of 13 short stories with side-by-side English translations (ed, Angel Flores). It has everything. Cultural notes, glossary, critical questions, etc... Authors include Cevantes, Unamuno and Borges.

Both books are US$10. Very inexpensive and handy to have on the trains.

-R

[Vincent]

As far as I'm concerned, the main problem when it comes to reading Spanish novels is the amount of new words and expressions that I have to deal with, sometimes that makes them not so easy to read.


The last Spanish books I read are "La piel fría" (http://www.bibliopolis.org/resenas/rese0326.htm) by Albert Sánchez Piñol, "La sombra del viento" (http://www.lasombradelviento.net/) by Carlos Ruiz Safón, and "El club Dumas" (http://www.bastulli.com/Perez-Reverte/Perez-Reverte.htm) by Arturo Pérez Reverte :rolleyes:

[lumpsuckerpig]

Reading Spanish-language literature really makes for a tough time. So many idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms to deal with. Having said that, there are two pretty good, not intimidating books I'd recommend.

The first is Cuando Era Puertorriquena (When I Was Puerto Rican) by Esmeralda Santiago.

The other is Cuentos Espanoles, a collection of 13 short stories with side-by-side English translations (ed, Angel Flores). It has everything. Cultural notes, glossary, critical questions, etc... Authors include Cevantes, Unamuno and Borges.

Both books are US$10. Very inexpensive and handy to have on the trains.

-R

The Cuentos Espanoles sounds very interesting. Might have a butchers for that one.

[Alan]

I'm currently reading Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal :) As Ben was saying, reading is essential to getting a good level of Spanish, but I think reading novels is essential to getting a good level of Spanish. Greg (cubix) said that he reads El Mundo every day, which I'm sure helps a lot, but you don't get the same level of slang, number of colloquialisms or artistic writing. News stories generally tell you what happened, where and what different people think about it - and that's not the full spectrum of the language.

Another point to make is that although I am reading Harry Potter at the moment (at a very slow pace, I have to say due to my university work - I'll pick it back up in a few weeks) I do think that it's not the best choice for many. I chose it because, being a kids' book, I thought it would be an easier read. But remember that it's a translation. Translations are never as good as the original work. Get a good book by a Spanish speaking author.

The latest books which have been added to my collection are El Alquimista (Paulo Coelho), Stalingrad (Antony Beevor) and Cien años de Soledad (Gabriel García Márquez). I also got Les Français aussi ont un Accent (The French also have an accent) by Jean-Benoît Nadeau. I hope to get round to reading them :D

Alan

[timg]

Another Marquez book is "Crónica de una muerte anunciada". It's shorter than "Cien años de soledad" and a bit easier to get your head around. Also worth a try would be "El príncipe destronado" by Miguel Delibes. Another of his is "Los santos inocentes".

[Ben]

Another Marquez book is "Crónica de una muerte anunciada".

I second that as a really good book to read in Spanish. A great work, very managable, and not nearly as taxing as his heavier novels.

There is another of his I enjoyed about a shipwrecked sailor that was short, not too tricky and pretty interesting, based on a true story I think, but I forget the name.

[timg]

There is another of his I enjoyed about a shipwrecked sailor that was short, not too tricky and pretty interesting, based on a true story I think, but I forget the name.
"Relato de un náufrago" - yes it's another good one.

[Ben]

"Relato de un náufrago" - yes it's another good one.

That's it! Thanks.

[guapo]

just started reading "La sombra del viento" and enjoying it even though there is still a lot of vocabulary I am missing.

I went through a similar experience when trying to get fluent in Italian. I found that it was frustrating at first but the more I read the easier it got. It is strange how words and expressions start to stick in your mind after seeing them in print.

I think it is important not to be too ambitious to start with. Also you actually don't need to understand every word to follow a story. I have also sometimes re-read favourite books that I orginally read in English so that I already know the story.

[gary]

I watched the film in English but never read the book in English, only Spanish - I found that having a knowledge of the characters from the film and a general feel for the plot helped a lot,,,

[lori]

I am reading (slowly, very slowly) El Leon, La Bruja y El Ropero
I never read it growing up, but did see the movie version. It's a classic and written at a difficulty level keeps me interested but does not seem impossible.

[mini_mojo]

Reading this thread encouraged me to go to Barnes & Noble and find a book to read in Spanish. I found "La Biblia de Barro" by Julia Navarro. It seems to be fairly easy reading. Has anyone else heard or read this?

[Alan]

Sorry, I haven't heard of it. Just wanted to say though, you don't need to settle for what the local store has. Spanish books are certainly hard to find in Scotland, but there are many online shops that have Spanish books available for the same price as English ones. I believe Ben has a link to Amazon which, if you click through it, he'll earn a small commission. But there are other shops.

[Ben]

I believe Ben has a link to Amazon which, if you click through it, he'll earn a small commission. But there are other shops.

True, if you click through to Amazon from the book reviews or the search boxes in our book section (http://www.notesfromspain.com/books-and-film/), we get a very small percentge of any resluting sales - not enough to pay the mortgage but it all helps support the site! :)

[richardksa]

When I was learning to read English - so I was very young - I read children's books and comics. Much older, I did the same with French; reading Asterix and the "Petit Nicolas" stories among others. So I am doing the same with Spanish and the assistants in El Corte Ingles bookshop just off Sol don't seem to think it's funny for a grown man to browse through the kid's section. Well, they don't laugh while I'm there!!!!

I don't think I will ever want to have deep meaningful discussions with my Spanish friends, so the level is probably ok for a beginner.

[lumpsuckerpig]

I currently have a couple of 75/100 page western novels/small magazine type things I picked up in Mallorca last year. They are small, manageable stories told in less than 100 pages. They are by a publisher called Brainsco, or Brains Co. I find them very manageable. The one I'm reading at the moment is called Los Circulos Del Muerte. Just one or two words I have to reach for the dictionary for, but a not too taxing read I find.
La sombra del viento which Guapo is reading sounds o.k. too. I will probably put that on my summer reading list.

[lifeinperu]

Lori, ¿Cómo le va Narnia? ¿Ya has terminado? También lo he leido. Ciao!

[lifeinperu]

I posted a couple links to find free spanish ebooks.
Look here-
http://www.notesfromspain.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213

[Simon]

Reading novels, combined with grammar books and a dictionary, has been my main way to learn Spanish. I started with Harry Potter as a Father's Day gift and have gone through a bunch of writers both in translation and in native Spanish.
The key things for me have been
a. an electronic dictionary on my Palmpilot. I've bought several and none are perfect. Best is Pocket Lingo, teh electronic version of Houghton Mifflin's American Heritage Spanish Dictionary.
b. Caring about grammar--making sure you understand every word in every sentence. Spanish is like English, so subtle and flexible that if you read anything but straightforward stories you risk missing the point if you don't know every word. It's slow......


Bad news is that the result is that I'm good at grammar, but my vocab is limited. Even if you underline every word you don't understand as you go through, you don't remember it if you just look it up a couple of times--and that is usually the case as Spanish is so rich in vocabulary.
Best writer for me has been Isabel Allende--her novels are mostly about Latin/North American characters and geographies but there is a smattering of Latin magic.........though, of course, she actually writes in English!

I find this way fun, though would understand if others didn't.
S

[richardksa]

Mismo para mi. Ok on the grammar, but finding it hard to remember vocab. 'Tis why I read children's books as stated elsewhere. Children communicate using their limited vocubulary, so so shall I. This is on the premise of not running before you walk. Eventually, of course, I hope to read Cervantes and have deep philosophical discussions. http://qsmile.com/qsimages/18.gif

[gary]

Ok on the grammar, but finding it hard to remember vocab. 'Tis why I read children's books as stated elsewhere. http://qsmile.com/qsimages/18.gif
I find the vocab sticks but I get a little muddled with the more complicated compound tenses - ok with preterite, present, past continuous, & future so I get by.... am steeling myself for a serious assault on the conditional.

Out of interest - does anyone know if the Spanish have trouble with any tenses or grammatical confusions? English kids often have wrouble with persons - the was/were thing - and other tricky bits like their/there/they're... So you finish up with

They were a man walking down the beach....

[lifeinperu]

Hey Gary,

I've found that some native spanish speakers have trouble with the conditional/subjunctive structure.

For example:

Si fuera mi cumpleaños, saldría para Ibiza.

Pero dicen,

Si fue mi cumpleaños, saldriá para Ibiza.

[cubix]

Hey Gary,

I've found that some native spanish speakers have trouble with the conditional/subjunctive structure.

For example:

Si fuera mi cumpleaños, saldría para Ibiza.

Pero dicen,

Si fue mi cumpleaños, saldriá para Ibiza.

When we first started the subjunctive, one thing that she kept mentioning, is that even with spanish speakers, many time they are lazy and don't even correctly use the subjunctive...

[Edith]

Years ago, I started learning Spanish by reading newspapers and magazines. I have read all of Isabel Allende's books in Spanish, including her autobiography, 'Mi país inventado'. Right now I'm reading 'La guerra del fin del mundo' by Mario Vargas Llosa, which is situated in northeastern Brazil at the turn of the 19th century. Compared to Vargas Llosa, Isabel Allende is relatively easy to read and her books can be understood by anyone who also reads magazines. One thing which keeps amazing me is the extent of Spanish vocabulary - there are so many nouns and synonyms and I still need to use my dictionary a lot! For this reason, 'Ciudad de los prodigios' by Eduardo Mendoza was quite a tough read. It took me weeks to finish the book.

[Mikebriscoe]

I love reading detective novels in Spanish. I'd heartily recommend anything by Manuel Vazquez Montalban, but my favourite is "Plenilunio" by Antonio Munoz Molina (a great cop novel)

[Edith]

Best writer for me has been Isabel Allende--her novels are mostly about Latin/North American characters and geographies but there is a smattering of Latin magic.........though, of course, she actually writes in English!


No, she still writes all her books in Spanish. :)

Q. Do you write in Spanish?
A. I can only write fiction in Spanish, because it is for me a very organic process that I can only do in my language. Fortunately I have excellent translators all over the world

Source:
http://www.isabelallende.com/curious_frame.htm

[Simon]

though, of course, she actually writes in English!

No, she still writes all her books in Spanish. :)

I stand very happily corrected! Thanks. I think I was thinking of Julia Alvarez, who is v popular here in the US, writing a lot about the experiences of Latin women in the US, and about experiences in, above all, the Dominican Republic........I've read them in Spanish, but thought they were translated...

As a sidepoint, I suffer from the same vocabulary issue that Edith mentioned earlier, but use a dictionary on PalmPilot--so much easier to use (and to carry around).

[Simon]

As a sidepoint, I suffer from the same vocabulary issue that Edith mentioned earlier, but use a dictionary on PalmPilot--so much easier to use (and to carry around).

aaargh....I'm starting to repeat myself...

[Simon]

Eventually, of course, I hope to read Cervantes and have deep philosophical discussions. http://qsmile.com/qsimages/18.gif
I recently posted to my family's blog:

<<I've just had a Spanish lección with my teacher in Cuernavaca, Mexico, via the Internet. We discussed Russian literature. At least, I did. Dios only knows what he was talking about.>>

Deep discussions are easy if you have them separately....

[Edith]

though, of course, she actually writes in English!

No, she still writes all her books in Spanish. :)

I stand very happily corrected! Thanks. I think I was thinking of Julia Alvarez, who is v popular here in the US, writing a lot about the experiences of Latin women in the US, and about experiences in, above all, the Dominican Republic........I've read them in Spanish, but thought they were translated...

As a sidepoint, I suffer from the same vocabulary issue that Edith mentioned earlier, but use a dictionary on PalmPilot--so much easier to use (and to carry around).

Yes, I know Julia Alvarez! She wrote 'En el nombre de Salomé'. At first, I thought she had written the book in Spanish but it turned out to be a translation. :)

[Simon]

Yes, I know Julia Alvarez! She wrote 'En el nombre de Salomé'. At first, I thought she had written the book in Spanish but it turned out to be a translation. :)

Yep, that's one of the ones about the Dominican Republic--the most famous is probably "In the Time of the Butterflies". All about the resistance to Trujillo....but she then went on to wrote about the cultural shock of moving from the DR to the US. Books like "How the Garcia girls lost their accents".

[Edith]

Books like "How the Garcia girls lost their accents".

That one is also on my 'To read' list, but I will probably read it in English now because I like to read books in their original language (when I bought En el nombre de Salomé, I didn't know it was a translation).

BTW, if you're interested in the DR, I just learned that Mario Vargas Llosa's book 'La fiesta del chivo', which is about the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, has been made into a film.

[Ben]

BTW, if you're interested in the DR, I just learned that Mario Vargas Llosa's book 'La fiesta del chivo', which is about the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, has been made into a film.
One of my favourite books, and one of the most powerful and disturbing I have ever read... I'm not sure I dare see the film in case they do a bad job of it!

[Edith]

One of my favourite books, and one of the most powerful and disturbing I have ever read... I'm not sure I dare see the film in case they do a bad job of it!

I haven't read the book yet (another one on my 'to read' list, which is growing longer and longer, LOL), but this doesn't surprise me since Vargas Llosa has a very keen eye for injustice.

[Catica]

I just read La tregua by Uruguayan author Mario Benedetti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Benedetti). A friend had recommended it, saying that it's a pretty easy read and I wouldn't need a dictionary too much. I found myself using a dictionary more than a few times per page and writing the words in English in the margins. I should try the Palm Pilot way. I suppose I'd need a Palm Pilot. Probably more advanced speakers would have an easier time with this novel, but thanks to my diligence, I did get through it. And I have to say, despite having to look up so many words, I found it to be touching look at life and happiness.

Now I'm reading Isabel Allende's Mi país inventado. Now I can see why my friend thought La tregua was an easy novel. Allende is a lot of work! But worth it, I think.

[Edith]

I just read La tregua by Uruguayan author Mario Benedetti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Benedetti). A friend had recommended it, saying that it's a pretty easy read and I wouldn't need a dictionary too much. I found myself using a dictionary more than a few times per page and writing the words in English in the margins. I should try the Palm Pilot way. I suppose I'd need a Palm Pilot. Probably more advanced speakers would have an easier time with this novel, but thanks to my diligence, I did get through it. And I have to say, despite having to look up so many words, I found it to be touching look at life and happiness.

Now I'm reading Isabel Allende's Mi país inventado. Now I can see why my friend thought La tregua was an easy novel. Allende is a lot of work! But worth it, I think.

I know where you are coming from because it took me many years to get where I am now. Just keep on reading and it will get easier eventually. Learning to read in Spanish is a matter of sheer persistence because the language has got so many words. I started out with newspapers ten years ago and I've been reading Spanish novels for a couple of years now. Now I find Isabel Allende a very easy read, especially compared to some of Gabriel García Márquez's novels. Cien años de soledad was one of the most difficult books I have ever read in any language, especially because more than four of his protagonists were called José Acadio. :confused:

I also read Isabel Allende's three children's books, they are definitely worthwhile checking out if you would like to try something easier. Personally, I don't think they are among her best books but they are ideal for learning Spanish and for building your vocabulary. The titles are:

La ciudad de las bestias

El reino del dragón de oro

El bosque de los pigmeos

BTW, what is a Palm Pilot?

[greytop]

BTW, what is a Palm Pilot?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Pilot

More than you ever wanted to know.
In brief
Palm is an operating system for small devices. Palm Pilot is one such device. Now get back to your reading Edith - you don´t have time for this!

[guapo]

Now I find Isabel Allende a very easy read, especially compared to some of Gabriel García Márquez's novels. Cien años de soledad was one of the most difficult books I have ever read in any language, especially because more than four of his protagonists were called José Acadio. :confused:


Glad to hear that I was not the only one to struggle with one hundred years of solitude. I have only attempted it in English but I needed to read it twice before I could figure out all the characters. :reader:

[Rita Marley]

[quote=Edith]Cien años de soledad was one of the most difficult books I have ever read in any language, especially because more than four of his protagonists were called José Acadio. :confused:

Edith, Cien años de Soledad IS my ultimate favourite book and it took three complete readings before it became my favourite...LOL

and I am a native speaking spaniard who lived 17 years in South America...so, it was't your level of understanding Spanish..it was Garcia Marquez...

Marie

[Edith]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Pilot

More than you ever wanted to know.
In brief
Palm is an operating system for small devices. Palm Pilot is one such device. Now get back to your reading Edith - you don´t have time for this!

Oh, those things - the only gadgets I've got are a mobile phone, a discman and an MP3 player! :D And a computer, of course. I still use a traditional agenda for my appointments (a leatherbound one, that is).

[Edith]

and I am a native speaking spaniard who lived 17 years in South America...so, it was't your level of understanding Spanish..it was Garcia Marquez...[/I]

I'm glad to hear that! :)

Some of his other books are a lot easier to read, though. Las funerales de la mama grande was one of the first novels I read in Spanish and it was not difficult to understand at all. Noticia de un secuestro was also relatively easy to handle. But I guess I may have to re-read Cien años de soledad at least two more times to grasp the story.

[Edith]

Glad to hear that I was not the only one to struggle with one hundred years of solitude. I have only attempted it in English but I needed to read it twice before I could figure out all the characters. :reader:

A genealogical chart accompanying the book would be very helpful! :D

[Ally]

I'm currently reading 'Cinco cuartos de naranja' by Joanne Harris the Chocolat author. I've read the english version many times which helps and with the help of my private tutor we do a paragraph or page a lesson. Hard going as I'm probably somewhere between beginner and intermediate but I like that it challenges me.

However, after reading a previous poster mentioning Bridget Jones' Diary I may have to get that one too!

[atlanticview]

Hello,

Can anyone recommend any good Spanish books for the beginner.

Thanks

[Ben]

Hello,

Can anyone recommend any good Spanish books for the beginner.

Thanks

Do you mean novel type books? For beginners it is difficul to get through a whole novel at first, obviously... What I would suggest is looking for what they call 'readers' (in British English anyway!), which tend to be shorter and have a reduced vocab - usually detective type fiction... You can find them in the Spanish language learning section of some stores. Then you have to decide which level to choose (they normally have several levels with a wider vocab as you get better). The way to choose your level is to pick up a book, and read a page. If you get stuck on more than 6 words then it is best to try a level below, if it's too easy, go up. These helped me at the beginning quite a bit.

[Tony]

:wave: Hi..

I have tried various books to assist with my yearning to progress in spanish. At first I bought a copy of "Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal" thinking it was a kids book and would be easy to read. I failed miserably but get it out for some reason every xmas hol break and give it another go - I am currently up to page 10.:blush:

I next tried a parallel text of short stories - faster to look up the vocab on the adjacent page - not too bad but still not ideal - story lines a bit slow though...

Finally I came across the ideal source.... Kids books that the spanish sell next to the beach to keep the little rascals quiet when mum and dad want to sun bathe in peace. They are really cheap and easy to read but still use the various tenses and increase your vocab.

Top reads are Blancanieves y los siete enanitos, El gato con botas, Juan y las habichuelas majicas ...
... Ja ja ja..... :clap:


Por desgracia tengo que irme ahora porque blancanieves me llama....

:reader:
Tony

[Jordan]

I have read the first 3 Harry Potter books in Spanish as well as Dan Brown's El Codigo Da Vinci. I am currently reading Como Agua Para Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

I completely agree with Ben's first post in this thread that talks about how important it is to read something that moves along. I started with Harry Potter thinking that because it was a kid’s book, it would be an easy read and was surprised at the difficulty. It took me probably 6 months to get through the first book. I did a little better with the second book and then for a change of pace, grabbed The Da Vinci Code, (El Codigo Da Vinci).

I expected it to be more challenging and was surprised. The book is broken down into a lot of 4 and 5 page chapters that really keep the plots moving and digestible for the novice reader.

Also, With the exception of my current book Como Agua Para Chocolate, I have read the others previously in English which gives you a great head start into the plot, characters, etc, and can often help you learn new vocabulary by inferring the meaning of words you don’t know.

P.S. This is my firs post! Happy to be here with you guys. Hey Ben, NIS rocks! Thanks.

[Morenahabladora]

I am currently reading Como Agua Para Chocolate by Laura Esquivel also. It is my first novel in Spanish. I read the first chapter already it was easy to understand since I watch the movie before.

[Jordan]

I am currently reading Como Agua Para Chocolate by Laura Esquivel also. It is my first novel in Spanish. I read the first chapter already it was easy to understand since I watch the movie before.

I haven't seen the movie but I also just finished the first chapter and I am about half way through the second, We should keep up as the book moves along maybe exchange notes now and then (in Spanish or English) to try to keep up on the comprehension.

Always fun to have reading partners!

[Morenahabladora]

I haven't seen the movie but I also just finished the first chapter and I am about half way through the second, We should keep up as the book moves along maybe exchange notes now and then (in Spanish or English) to try to keep up on the comprehension.

Always fun to have reading partners!

I would like that very much.

[CatherineF]

I'm reading "New Penguin Parallel Text Short Stories in Spanish / Cuentos en espanol".
(ISBN 0-140-26541-4)

It has ten short stories in Spanish with the English translation on the opposite page. Excellent for reading on the tube when I don't want to be lugging around my dictionary all day!

Has some really great texts by authors like Isabel Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Plus the fact it's short stories means it doesn't take a whole year to find out the ending!

[TomInSF]

I try to mix up books between english books that have been translated and books written originally in spanish.

I just finished (a couple of months ago - I've been reading in english recently) The Da Vinci Code. I don't think I could have taken it in english :-).

I just picked up Vargas Llosa's Los cuadernos de don Rigoberto yesterday, but I've only read the first chapter so I don't know how it's going to go yet.

A few books I've liked:

Notas de viaje by Che Guevara - this is an easy travelogue book (part of the basis for the movie Motorcycle Diaries) and was the first "whole book" I read in spanish.

Amantes y Enimigos by Rosa Montero - some pretty easy to digest short stories about relationships.

Cualquier miercoles soy tuya by Mayra Santos-Febres - a novel of an aspiring journalist in Puerto Rico who gets wrapped up with some drug runners.

Enjoy!

[GreyMark]

A couple of things.

1. Back when I was learning German as a grad student, I took a class called "rapid readings." Aside from having a great instructor, the whole point of the course was to make you read so much material (mostly short stories) that you would not have time to look up all the words you didn't know. The idea was just to plow through. While at first you didn't think you understood anything, you actually make much bigger leaps in understanding that if you slowed down to look up all the words. I believe Ben has made this point somewhere as well, and I think it makes sense.

2. Books I have read or am reading:

*The Call of the Wild (La Llamada de la Selva), thinking that it would be easier (certainly short -- around 100 pages) and plus I'd remember some of it from when I was a kid. Turns out it's been so long since I was a kid that I didn't remember any of it. And there's some vocabulary you're not likely to use much (dog-sleds and harnesses and the like). And it was harder than I expected. But it was fun and I can recommend it.

* El recuerdo de aquel dia por Corín Tellado. I had never heard of her, though the back cover says: "Figura en el Libro Guiness de los Récords 1994 ...como la más vendida en lengua castellana." Basically, seems like something that would be on the "Romance" shelves, if it were in English. I was hoping that would make it not too hard, and that seems more or less true thus far (I'm about one-fourth of the way through its 135 pages).

GreyMark

[cubix]

I'm Reading Abriendo Puertas: Tomo Uno y Dos

Basically it's a textbook for AP Spanish Literature dividied into two readers. It's quite boring, as there are no pictures at all, just text, in the past 3 weeks we've read El Hijo, No Oyes Ladrar Los Perros, and las medias rojas. It seems like everything is quite depressing. Now were working on Las Ataduras, which is unlike anything that I've read in my 6 years of spainish, becuase it is more than 10 pages ;D

[intrepida1981]

Books I have read or am reading:
* El recuerdo de aquel dia por Corín Tellado. I had never heard of her, though the back cover says: "Figura en el Libro Guiness de los Récords 1994 ...como la más vendida en lengua castellana." Basically, seems like something that would be on the "Romance" shelves, if it were in English. I was hoping that would make it not too hard, and that seems more or less true thus far (I'm about one-fourth of the way through its 135 pages).

GreyMark

Hi, GreyMark, i just wanted to add that Corin Tellado is a very old fashioned Spanish writer i.e. nobody reads anything written by her nowadays... except our grannies maybe :confused: :)

[Stu]

I find it very useful to print out each morning one or two articles from BBC news in Spanish which you can find at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/news/

I am also currently reading La Ciudad de las Bestias by Isabel Allende which is just about right for my level of reading. I find the trick is to resist the temptation to look up every word you don't know. I reckon if the word is important it will crop up again and again, each time in a different context and eventually you will guess correctly what it means. Of course this does not work all the time and sometimes I reach for a dictionary. I have tried using an electronic dictionary but on reflection realised that one of the advantage of a paper dictionary is all the things you discover by accident when looking something up. That does not happen with an electronic dictionary which simply focusses on the one word you are seeking. :rolleyes:

[Ben]

Great tip about the BBC Stu, I will have to use that on NiS soon!

[greytop]

.......I have tried using an electronic dictionary but on reflection realised that one of the advantage of a paper dictionary is all the things you discover by accident when looking something up. That does not happen with an electronic dictionary which simply focusses on the one word you are seeking. :rolleyes:
Have you tried wordreference (http://www.wordreference.com/) ? It may not be the ultimate dictionary but lists words "around" the one you look up on the left hand side. It also has links to other related words and finally links into the user forums. I frequently get several layers down and spend a happy ten minutes instead of doing what I set out to!

[Stu]

Thanks for that.

I was actually thinking about electronic dictionaries such as the hand-held Franklin Spanish Professor which I once bought for the convenience of both using in bed and getting very quick access to a word. But, as I said, I did not find the experience very exciting.

You are right about online dictionaries, quite a different matter. I use Word-Reference

http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=aflojo&dict=esen&B=Buscar

all the time and, like you, when I do not find what I want in the main dictionary I usually find it in the forum and a lot more besides. The ability of online dictionaries to construct meaning by using online communities is hugely exciting.

Best wishes

Stu

[que]

I agree. Wordreference is my first stop.

The forum is huge. I did my first post on there the other day, and within one minute it was answered. 1,000's of people on there at any one time. I also use a search plugin for my firefox which is great.

[Ben]

I have copied the last three posts over to a new thread as this is a really useful topic click here to contiune this discussion (http://www.notesfromspain.com/forums/showthread.php?t=860) :)

[Sascha Mantscheff]

To gain practice in reading spanish I encountered those two authors who not only write witty and strange fiction but also are well suited for those starting to read spanish literature.
Javier Tomeo has a technique of sticking to a limited vocabulary which defines the scope and universe of the novel, so after reading twenty pages or so of any of his novels you will have encountered most words which will appear in the rest of it, and reading further will present no more obstacles. Also, many of his novels are in mainly the present tense, which also contributes to an easy reading experience. Especially I recommend "La agonía de Proserpina".
Augusto Monterroso is famous for his short and concise stories and fables. His minicuento "El dinosaurio" is one of the most cited and discussed works of spanish literature - consisting of only seven words (look them up). I had a lot of fun with "El dinosaurio anotado" which is a sampler with variations on the theme as well as philological discussion about this mini story. His fables also are very rewarding - full of irony and surprise, and short enough to look up every unknown word without getting tired of it.

[jessi330]

I don't think anyone mentioned this yet.
As a student of Spanish, I have read books translated into Spanish and books originally in Spanish,

It's much more of an immersion to get the content from a native source, another big deal is the rhthym of the language, it's seems very forced when translated. That's just my feeling.
Also, it depends on the quality of translator as well.


Whenever I read, I keep a notebook and write down lists (long) of words and phrases to look up. I also have started noting grammatical structures I am unsure of. It's a great help, especially when asking for explanations, to see the context in which it was used.

[Edith]

Whenever I read, I keep a notebook and write down lists (long) of words and phrases to look up. I also have started noting grammatical structures I am unsure of. It's a great help, especially when asking for explanations, to see the context in which it was used.

Wow Jessi, that's a lot of work! I keep lists too, but I only look up the words I'm dying to know. At the moment I'm reading 'La guerra del fin del mundo' (more than 800 pages) by Mario Vargas Llosa, and looking up all the words would literally be a five-year project.

BTW, welcome to the forum!:)

[msjeepsilk]

Hello,

This is my first posting. I am currently reading Cuentos de Eva Luna by Isabel Allende. It's great because of the short stories. I have found that I need my trusty dictionary to help me through. I am a bit ashamed that my spanish is bad because my parents are native spanish speakers and I never really tried. By hey, it's never too late and I am now hooked!!!

[Marina]

I agree with you, it is never too late!!! Moreover if you are now motivated to learn you will progress quite quiclky.

Welcome to the forums!

[Edith]

Isabel Allende has just published a new historical novel, 'In&#233;s del alma m&#237;a'. This site contains a sample of the book's first chapter:


http://www.clubcultura.com/clubliteratura/clubescritores/allende/novelas_ines.htm

[jessi_k]

I've read the classic El Prinicipito (The Little Prince) twice now...It's one of those books written at the level of a child, but the subject matter is very relevant to adults. I read it cover to cover in a very short time.

I've also read El Codigo DaVinci, a bunch of Harry Potter books, El Leon, la Bruja, y el Ropero, and now I've just started on La Sombra del Viento.

Just out of curiosity...I work as an editor in a publishing house and we use the Chicago Manual of Style. Does anyone know what grammar style is used predominately in spanish publishing houses?