Please recommend a book of fiction

[mwtzzz]

Please recommend a book of fiction that would be reasonable for someone to practice and brush up on their Spanish skills. Something that's written in reasonable, standard language (nothing too poetic or difficult or complex).

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Probably you want to try with a book you already know in English, so as you read you'll recognize the situations and language will be easier to understand.
If you're a Harry Potter fan, they're written in Spanish with the same basic language as they are in English.
Or try editions for the young public (teenagers and young adults); those are usually written in plain styles without much vocabulary.

However, I strongly suggest that you open any book you're attracted to; if you like the topic, it won't be hard to follow anyway.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

However, I strongly suggest that you open any book you're attracted to; if you like the topic, it won't be hard to follow anyway.

Unless it's badly translated. It does happen.

Also, magical realism isn't necessarily a good idea for a first book, because it's easy to think you misunderstood when in fact you understood every word perfectly.

@OP, when you say "standard language", could you give us a hint as to the dialect(s) you're most familiar with? Some of what's "standard" in Spain isn't in Argentina and vice versa.

[poli]

I wasn't going to get into this, but "House of the Spirits" is easy to read even though there is a touch of magic realism in it. I was able to read it Spanish without much difficulty. It was an international best seller by Isabel Allende. I'm sure the English translation is good.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Pjt33: So true. A good printing house is always a good idea. No guarantee, but smaller probability that it will be poorly edited.

[mwtzzz]

Originally Posted by pjt33

@OP, when you say "standard language", could you give us a hint as to the dialect(s) you're most familiar with?

I'm most familiar with Spanish as spoken by Colombians / Mexicans . . .

[Aprendo]

Ayer, he comprado y bajado "El Viejo Y El Mar" en espanol de Heminway.

[JPablo]

I would go with "Caperucita Roja y el Lobo Feroz", "Blancanieves y los siete enanitos"... "La Cenicienta"...

"El Libro de la Selva" "Tarzán de los Monos"...
Probably, comic versions of "La Isla del Tesoro"... "La Isla Misteriosa"...

The key thing is that if you know the subject (as noted by Angélica), then it will be easier for you.

If you like suspense... "The Da Vinci Code"... may be a bit too difficult language, then again, you choose...

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by JPablo

If you like suspense... "The Da Vinci Code"... may be a bit too difficult language, then again, you choose...

How can you recommend reading that book thing, you heartless monster? It's even worse than magical realism at making you think you misunderstood the words because they don't make sense when you put them together.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Pjt: I am the third!

[Rusty]

Haven't read it either, nor do I intend to.

[JPablo]

Bueno, como existe la libertad de expresión, yo diré que he disfrutado leyendo los libros de Dan Brown.

Como dicen que decía Voltaire:

“No comparto lo que dices, pero defenderé hasta la muerte tu derecho a decirlo.”

Frases y Citas - http://akifrases.com

Lo bueno, desde mi punto de vista, es que la traducción del "dichoso" Código me pareció bastante decente...

Pero como dicen los italianos: "para gustos, los colores".

Aunque si queremos un buen libro de ficción, traducido de muy diversas formas, sugiero "La Biblia"...

En especial el Evangelio según San Juan... "La Verdad os hará libres".

Saludos cordiales.


Nota Bene: Desde mi punto de vista lo mejor del Código de Da Vinci, es el "suspense" que crea. Se puede excomulgar a quien lo lea, o se pueden criticar aspectos gramaticales, sintácticos y semánticos, pero a buen entendedor, con pocas (o con muchas) palabras basta (o sobra).

Si a alguien le gusta el "suspense", cualquiera de las novelas de Brown lo tiene. Fortaleza Digital, Angels and Demons, Deception Point... The Lost Symbol..., etc.

Al que no le guste, que no lo lea y que lo critique tanto como quiera.

Pero sin duda, no se puede ser un animal cruel para valorar la riqueza que uno quiera valorar. Es mi opinión y me considero bastante humano, y poco cruel.

Allá quienes se consideren jueces supremos de lo que es bueno y lo que es malo. Yo respeto a todas las religiones y respeto a quienes las practican. Respeto a los agnósticos y a los ateos también. Procuro no evaluar ni usar epítetos con nadie, a no ser que tales adjetivos sean merecidos con conocimiento de causa.

Uno siempre puede "liarla" y causar polémica. Bien, si eso ayuda y enriquece el diálogo ¡bienvenido sea!

Lo que no se puede hacer es condenar algo sin haberlo leído o estudiado, personalmente. Y mucho menos condenar a nadie por sus gustos... o disgustos.

Escrito lo escrito, como decía mi madre, "cada cual en su casa y Dios en la de todos"... A lo que concluyo con un "Amén" de rigor.

Saludos cordiales... (es decir, del corazón) y Sursum Corda! (¡Arriba los corazones!)

Curiosamente, hoy, recordando una expresión, me acordé del inefable Quevedo:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_de_Quevedo

This quotation seems very apropos:

"From ten to eleven, I spend my time in prayer and devotions, and from eleven to noon I read good and bad authors; because there is no book, despicable as it can be, that does not contain something good...".

[mwtzzz]

Ok I ended up downloading El ladron del rayo: Percy Jackson, and El Principito. Translated by who, I don't know because it doesn't say. But anyway both on my Kindle. And I'll start El Ladron on my flight to Shanghai China later today.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Happy reading and safe trip!

[JPablo]

Ah, "El Principito" I read "Le Petit Prince" in French, many years ago, (decades), I read it in Spanish, in Catalonian and I believe I read it in English at one point...

It is a great book..., you can read the English version and read the Spanish, or viceversa, and since the story is a memorable one, you will probably remember many things...

Enjoy!!!

[Glen]

Not knowing what your particular interests are, let me just say I benefited greatly from making my way - slowly - through the classic Doña Bárbara by Rómulo Gallegos. But then I was looking for examples of Venezuelan slang, & got more than I bargained for in it!

As a general rule I tend to have more confidence in original works than I do in translations, which I liken to kissing a girl through a screen door.

[mwtzzz]

My wife had a copy lying around of book called Delirio by Laura Estrepo which is not a translation, it's in the original Spanish. Reading the first few pages it looks like it's written in straightforward and uncomplicated manner, so I feel it's a good choice.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Cool. Let us know how you like it.

[Aprendo]

Como Agua para Chocolate por Laura Esquivel (autora Mexicana)

[yuki]

Have you read "All For The Game" cycle by Nora Sakavic? There are 3 books, the first one called La madriguera del zorro