Customer Reviews

Pocket Grammar (Pocket Dictionary)

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I have to agree with a previous reviewer who described this book as bloated. Although I don't have any problems with the organization (the presentation of essere and avere is a bit scattered, but still logical), this book is 150 pages longer than my Langenscheidt's Pocket Spanish Grammar, which I love, mostly due to unwanted advice on form letters. The best features of the series are the handy size, along with the vinyl cover and the strong binding, which make the books good traveling companions. This one, however, is in need of serious editing. Still, it's OK for a basic grammar reference.

This used to be part of Cassell's Contemporary Italian/French/Spanish/German series, which are now out of print. I have them all the they are the best grammar books I own. I am a language buff and own several grammars and these are the best! I had been looking for the Cassell's Contemporary Italian recently and discovered the Langenscheidt Pocket Grammars are the Cassell's Contemporary series in new editions.

This grammar book is a big disappointment. I bought it because of my positive experience with other Langenscheidt's foreign language texts. But this bloated and disorganized text should be avoided. Astonishingly enough, the conjugations for "avere" and "essere" are not included in the appendix of irregular verbs. You have to look them up by tense and mood as they appear piecemeal elsewhere in the book! The explanations for the uses of prepositions (da, di, a and per) are extremely skimpy and leave out important differences in function. There are many other deficiencies in the book. Result: I have ordered two other grammar texts, in the hope of getting something decent.