Good German Books

Das Parfüm. (sorry irsing )

What are you generally interested in? And what's your level of German?

Just had a look at my books and most are translations!

Anyway, here are some that are quite different, but all nice reads:
- Peter Stamm, Agnes: post-modern love story, very interesting structure, but all in all maybe a bit "quiet".
- Urs Widmer, Top Dogs: A drama, economic style, nothing where you can improve your German, but good nonetheless
- Irmgard Keun: Das Kunstseidene Mädchen: the story of a girl who goes to Berlin in the early 30's to become rich and famous. Quick, colourful, noisy, emotional- some mistakes in German though that might confuse you.
- And the books by Juli Zeh are apparently very good. She's really young, but it's said that her books are profound and really well-written, but haven't lost the youth at the same time.

I havent read much German lit but I found 'Der Dativ Ist Dem Genitiv Sein Tot' an excellent read. Yes, by the title you will realise its about grammar but its about all the stupid grammar points that German has! Its based on an article called 'Zwiebelfisch'.

I love the chapter about "body bags"! I need to buy it, I gave it back to my teacher the other week!

are there anyother books? including spanish or french books.. thanks. something fun cheersx

Damals war es Friedrich - Hans Peter Richter
Ich fühl mich so fifty-fifty - Karen König

Both fairly "serious" books, but aimed at 11- and 12-year-olds, so the German isn't too difficult.

As for French...
Les mains sales - Jean-Paul Sartre (it's a play )
Les petits enfants du siècle - Christiane Rochefort

Haven't really read the last one too thoroughly but it seems interesting.

wasnt ich fuehl mich so fifty an exam book? thanks ill have a looksy on ebay

Das Parfüm. (sorry irsing )

What are you generally interested in? And what's your level of German?

Das Parfuem indeed is a great book My bf read a review on the Das Parfuem the movie and apparently it's rather negative I'm gonna watch the movie anyway - I'm just really hoping it doesn't destroy the book like Narnia the movie did.

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is good
Goethe's good, I've heard - Werther's Sorrow... Don't remember the full title.
And these two I don't know if they're originally German, but Mr Hyde and Chess are both classics. Again I don't remember the full title I'm afraid! Not read any of the last 3 I've named, but I have bought them and intend on reading them once I've finished reading The Jungle Book

French books - The Outsider by Albert Camus is brilliant. Think the French title's L'Estranger?? (with that accent on the E somewhere) A book worth reading - don't let the tone of the first half of the book put your off. By the end of the book you'll realise why that tone was appropriate and completely fitting. And the ending - the ending was perfectly and utterly normal and could even be described as "uninteresting", and yet the one word I would use to describe the ending is Shocking. I'm not sure there're any other words that could describe the ending - and shocking doesn't even begin to describe it, but it's the only word I have in mind that's remotely fitting. I'm not sure words could describe the book - it's just... shocking, while being completely normal and even... boring. It's a very very thoughtful and interesting book. Definitely worth reading.

It confuses me as to why you're not doing a language degree Irisng! You always seem to post in the languages forums and have advice, complaints and lots of things on a general note to say; this forum is an example You seem to have read some modern language literature, which in my opinion points to someone who has an interest in languages You really do intrigue me Irisng

Haha lol! I was only recently introduced to modern language literature really, cus my bf's German - hence all those German classics lol! It's funny you should say that, cus I remember my learning support teacher back when I was in yr 5 (only been in England for 2 years at the time so English was crap, hence the learning support!), and she said she thought I had a great interest in language, hence she started to introduce me to creative writing.

I do have an interest in languages - I was always only too lazy to learn the vocab really I suppose I just never thought of doing a language. It's not so much learning the language that I relish, but the usage of it, if you get me? To read and speak and write in that language is what I love - learning the grammar though, bores me Although I've always wanted to take up a language at uni as a subsid - I would've done last year if they hadn't cancelled my group in Mandarin! And this year - if you've read my new thread on here lol - I'm gonna try and take up a lang again lol!

I suppose I just never thought of taking up a language as a degree course... Not sure why though.

Well, I think that you'd be an excellent languages student! As for the concept of disliking the learning of the grammar and the vocabulary,I think I feel the same as you there I don't like the learning part, however I know that the rewards of learning a language are great, such as advanced communication skills, and as well as the feeling of self assurance and confidence growth with using the language.

Languages are in my opinion subjects which you should never forget the vocabulary and grammar for if you use it for a short period of time per day. I therefore like languages for that reason; I can apply a language every minte and every day, whereas if I was to learn, let's say, Mathematics, I could only apply these skills in certain situations.

Anyways, enough of me talking about my flair for languages

I thought I'd tell you too Irisng...your standard of English is superb! I would say that it's much more fluent than my use of English I have to struggle to write and speak in English, yet it is much easier for me to speak in French and German spontaneously

Anyways, I'll finish there