Five Great German Short Stories: A Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language German) [Paperback]

Stanley Appelbaum (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Dover Dual Language German | Publication Date: July 27, 1993

Five outstanding selections from noble tradition: Heinrich von Kleist's "The Earthquake in Chile," E. T. A. Hoffmann's "The Sandman," Arthur Schnitzler's "Lieutenant Gustl," Thomas Mann's "Tristan," and Franz Kafka's "The Judgment." For each selection the editor has supplied complete literal English translations on facing pages. Foreword. Introduction to each story.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Bilingual edition (July 27, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486276198
• ISBN-13: 978-0486276199
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OK study at a German 3 or higher level, December 3, 2004

By 

Gagewyn (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Great German Short Stories: A Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language German) (Paperback)

This book provides five short stories, with English and German versions provided side-by-side: German on the left hand side, English on the right. This can definitely save time with a dictionary (but can also be a crutch - so watch out and discipline yourself). The stories are listed in the product description.

I'm assuming that you will be reading this to help study German. After about two years of a language you should be able to read a book on your own (slowly but surely). But many books will still be too complex. These are borderline. The stories here are at a level that could be read during a German 3 class, or between classes to maintain and build skills. I don't recommend this book during a German 1 or 2 class. Instead try Graded German Reader by Cossgrove during German 1. (It is expensive, but is very good if you know almost no German.) At a German 2 level move onto comic books like Tintin and Asterix, which have more complex grammar but use pictures to reinforce. Oh and by the way try replacing .com with .de on large websites for the German version. (This works on Amazon!) Especially look for fashion pages and "light" reading. You can understand more than you think!

Basically if you can already read moderately complex German then this is an economic book to read through. If you can't already pick up a book and read through it then this is not for you. However to get a book at your level ask advice from a German instructor. Chances are they will have had to study German, including literature, in college and will be familiar with the authors here. They can recommend authors to you and tell you if this is over your level. This is a book that you will never "outgrow", which means you have to be pretty skilled already to read it.

(And if you are German and trying to learn English, then you should be fine. Afterall you read this review;-)

46 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teach yourself German, February 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Five Great German Short Stories: A Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language German) (Paperback)

For the avid self-teacher, this book will be very useful. Textbooks give you sentences here and there that are translated, and that's very useful. However, having entire stories translated for you is an even better way to learn a language. You have sentence after sentence of correct grammar and vocabulary. You can see how a proper sentence is constructed time and time again.

The translation looks like this: German on the left page, English on the right page. The five stories are by some of German's most famous writers...Hoffmann, Kafka, Kleist, Mann, and Schnitzler.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, REALLY ADVANCED stories, January 14, 2008

By 

rteder "rteder" (Eden Prairie, MN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Five Great German Short Stories: A Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language German) (Paperback)

Each of these stories is a gem. This is some great story-telling, and it's worth the price of the book just to read these masterpieces in English. As literature, this would probably warrant five stars. If your are truly proficient in your German, by all means buy this book.

BUT... if you are at more intermediate level you will find this book well beyond your abilities. In my case I know a few thousands words, can hold simple conversations, managed just fine ordering dinner in my last trip to Germany, and do okay with a German comic book. The complex vocabulary and intricate sentance structures were well beyond my grasp.

The shortcoming in this case is the reader. If you have been studying German for many years and wish to hone your skills, this book could be for you. If you have been at this for just a couple years, you will only find it frustrating.