With my upper-intermediate level Spanish, I would like to read a novel that fits the following criteria:
*modern (while classics are all well and good, I want something written as the language is spoken today) *reasonably simple to read, but with enough challenging vocabulary to check the dictionary, say, two or three times per page *aimed at adults (no children's books) *originally in Spanish (no translations) *something to make you think *something uniquely Spanish.
hiya Cervantes! I really looove the book "sin noticias de gurb" from Eduardo mendoza. I think is easy to understand, really quick to read and quite amusing. It gives you a good idea of how barcelona is, you could think reading it that is quite silly but you'll also get an idea of the spanish sense of humour!! (and I promise is not as silly as it seems at first!)
more "romantic" is "el amor en los tiempos del c�lera" de gabriel garcia marquez,or "un mundo para julius" de alfredo bryce echenique (he is from peru) but they are south-american, I don't know if you just want spanish writers. If I remember any more I'll post again!
besiitos!
" a song for...someone who needs somewhere to long for....homesick....cose i no longer know...where home is"<br />king of convenience
Posts: 132 | Location: madrid (but also from Mallorca) and now...LONDON! | Registered: 26 May 2004
and by the way, I assume that you want the same I look for when choosing a English book....I have read too many classics so I didn't have any "modern" or "slang-ish" vocabulary, so that's why now I go for books that are written in a less formal writing. The book "sin noticias de Gurb" it has many "slang-ish" phrases as spanish "swear phrases" (sorry, I'm not explaining myself very clearly, am I?) anyway, you know, the sayings the spanish use all the time... like "lo siento chato, pero tienes menos porvenir que un espia sordo"
If you could suggest a english book more or less of the same criteria, I'm a bit stuck on JRR tolkien at the moment...and I don't want to end talking like Saruman!
cheers! (and btw, you are not Scottish, are you?)
" a song for...someone who needs somewhere to long for....homesick....cose i no longer know...where home is"<br />king of convenience
Posts: 132 | Location: madrid (but also from Mallorca) and now...LONDON! | Registered: 26 May 2004
If you like historic novel from Jos� Luis Corral, "El Cid" and "El Sal�n dorado", from Almudena de Arteaga "La Beltraneja", from Manuel Fern�ndez Alvarez "Juana la Loca", from Pedro Jes�s Fern�ndez "Pe�n del Rey", from Juan Eslava Gal�n "En busca del Unicornio"......
Just novels, from Pr�spero Morales Pradilla "Los pecados de In�s de Hinojosa", anything from Ana Mar�a Matute, but "Olvidado Rey Gud�" was de novel si made 'cos she allways wanted to....from Almudena Grandes "Malena es nombre de tango", from Terency Moix "No digas que fu� un sue�o"....
Well, I think I better stop..... :b:
Posts: 190 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 29 November 2003
Ritos de la Muerte and Mensajeros de la Oscuridad.
They are intriguing page-turning murder mystery type novels. Very contemporary language.
I also just finished Castillos de Cart�n by Almudena Grandes. . I don�t know if you would call it uniquely Spanish (some of the situations are), but it certainly unique!!
wow swf, that is so freaky! i am also low/upper intermediate and asked a friend for advice on a good book to read and he gave me....sin noticias del gurb. i do have to grab the dictionary alot, but it is mostly easy to understand...and sad...where is gurb...what happened to him. why does the narrator always get run over by cars and buses. anyway, i love it and i feel like i can actually get through it, so i recommend it too.
Posts: 1012 | Location: MADRID! | Registered: 09 November 2002
The thing about sin noticias de gurb though is that is written as an Alien landed in Barcelona (no, I am not kidding) you know, like tonto speaking to a cowboy...
There are other books from this same author that could be more appropriate, like "el misterio de la cripta embrujada" or "la aventura del tocado de se�oras" these books are mostly suspense novels written not for kids, but in a simple way, so they might be right what you want.
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
Posts: 652 | Location: Mostly from Miami, FL. - Born in San Remo, Italy | Registered: 30 April 2004
If you ever studied abroad in Spain, I would reccomend La Tesis de Nancy, although you'll probably miss a lot of the jokes unless you have a Spaniard there to explain them to you.
