Customer Reviews

Spanish Composition Through Literature (4th Edition)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent advanced Spanish textbook, with well-chosen selections from Spanish-language literature. I teach college-level grammar and composition courses and find the vocabulary and grammar explanations both clear and thorough. It's important to note that this is definitely a text for advanced students; beginning and even intermediate students will likely find it too difficult

I must comment on an earlier review - no one should judge an advanced text by what one native speaker says about colloquial usage. Not only does this vary from country to country, but one also has to keep in mind that this text is intended to improve Spanish writing skills. Written language tends to be more formal, so it's not surprising that some of the vocabulary here is not often heard in everyday language. Advanced students of the language should not just be learning "everyday" words; they also need more learned and formal vocabulary. This text does a very good job of giving students just that. To give an analogy from English, just because we don't run around saying words like "despondent" or "prevalent" all day long doesn't mean they aren't valid English words that most educated speakers know how to use.

The only reason this text does not get 5 stars from me is that I consider it more of a grammar text than a composition text - there aren't many writing exercises, and so I think the title is a bit misleading. A more accurate title would be "Spanish Grammar Through Literature"

I just found this book on my high school Spanish teacher's shelves. It really must be a classic as the reviews say because her copy is from 1968. The book is great if you want to reach native ability, especially in reading. After each selection, there are notes about specific words which often compare and contrast synonyms and give guidelines on useage which I really like.

Just unearthed my 20 year old copy that I used in my college Spanish 2 class. I was delighted to review it. This book is an excellent way to deepen an advanced student's knowledge and sophistication with the language. Looking through its chapters , I realize how many of these lessons on the subtle differences in meaning and intent with similar vocabulary has contributed to my grasp and eloquence in this, my second, language. I'm going to have to buy a new copy because I can't part with it long enough for my daughter to benefit from its poetic gifts.

I bought this book at full price last year and my Spanish teacher in Mexico loved it. A few weeks ago I found a very affordable used copy at Amazon and ordered it for her. The cover is cracked but the pages are like new - clean and unmarked. I'm leaving for Mexico today with both books in my suitcase and I'm excited about bringing my teacher this gift - even though my suitcase is pretty heavy!

I am using this textbook for an advanced college course on Spanish composition, and I find it very helpful. The literary selections are excellent, the sections on vocabulary and grammar are clear and the exercises very practical. The book structure makes it easy for teachers to prepare classes, and for students to understand the purpose of the course. They make good use of the suggested composition subjects to write a composition every week.
I recommend this book for college courses on advanced grammar or composition.

I took an advanced Spanish class at the University level this semester. This was the book required for that class...The only good thing in this book was the vocabulary after each chapter. It lists different words and it's synonyms. But the grammatical lessons in this book were truly worthless. The exercises provided here were not too good. Even my professor said that they weren't good. Since there was a change in professor after the second week of school...she couldn't go back and ask us to buy new books when we had already bought this one. So she instead wrote up exercises on her own and we practiced this way. If it's required to have this book...I suggest to buy a spanish grammar review book to complement this book. Something like the ultimate Spanish Review for intermediate and advanced learners. Otherwise...I'd go for a better book.

The book was in the condition that I expected and it arrived at my house quite quickly after I ordered it.

Although the vocabulary is mostly correct, a native Mexican speaker in my 317 class commented that many words are rather irrevelant to everyday conversation.
The grammar sections are mostly accurate but presented in a format more difficult to follow than I have seen in other texts.
The danger is in all the mistypings, incorrect grammar usages and regionally variable vocabulary interspersed within the accurate information. Too many times the professor asked us to please disregard this word or that sentence, and she often expressed frustration with the book, which makes me wonder why she asked us to use it in the first place.
The bottom line is there are plenty of good books out there that do a better job.

The book was in great shape when I bought it. The pages were not dog-earred nor was the cover. There was minimal highlighting and writing in the book. There were stains or spots on the book.