Simple but interesting German literature

Question

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I'm looking for simple but well-known and interesting German literature to improve my reading comprehension as an intermediate learner. It should fulfill the following criteria:

• Well-known: Either classical literature, or contemporary and popular.
• Interesting: Should not be written for young children. Harry Potter passes, Green Eggs and Ham does not.
• Simple: On average, the sentences should not be very long, and most words among the 4000 most common. To quantify, let's say around 70 German Flesch Reading Ease. I took some (too small) random samples and found that Schätzing's Der Schwarm scores 30, while Zweig's Schachnovelle scores 55 and the Harry Potter translation 75.
• „Standard“: Not much deviation from Hochdeutsch, and not much slang.
• Original: Originally written in German. Revisions that make the work conform to neue Rechtschreibung and update archaic words are welcome but not necessary.

Please detail any other properties that make the book useful for learners. One book per answer, please.

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Please add Title, Author, short description, optional ISBN / link to database, and a note on the difficulty level if possible. Look at an example answer given further down to get an idea of a consistent formatting. You answers here may be written in German or in English.

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Answer 1

Anna Seghers Das siebte Kreuz Standard school book in Germany.

Answer 2

In my opinion, the best things ever written in German language deal with philosophy. If you are interested in politics and history, give the Communist Manifesto a try. It is a simple read, as it was meant to be understood by working class people.

Other writers in German language who say meaningful things in a (rather) simple language include Sigmund Freud, Karl Popper, Arthur Schopenhauer, Konrad Lorenz.

Answer 3

Robert Walser.

I think nearly all major writings of this author (1878-1956, of Swiss origin) are perfectly suited for your needs. He uses a plain, easy and yet fascinating langage, often describes ordinary things and activities (like going on a walk in Der Spaziergang which is one of his best known stories, a nice story to begin with).

His collected works are available as low-priced paperbacks so there is no risk but possibly a great discovery. You may begin with short prose -- Erzählungen, Geschichten, or Prosastücke -- which is the main genre he wrote; one of his short story collections is titled after the above mentioned story Der Spaziergang. He also wrote a few novels. I liked Geschwister Tanner and Der Gehülfe.

Most of his works are in the public domain so you can check them out at Project Gutenberg (for example, Kleine Dichtungen).

Answer 4

I just finished re-reading "der Fliegenmelker" by Rafik Shami. A serie of short stories from people living in Damascus in the 50'. Very funny, very human and easy to read.

Because I read mainly during my public transit times, I prefer short stories :)

Answer 5

I very much enjoyed reading the adaption of Nathan der Weise:

Nathan und seine Kinder by Mirjam Pressler

Answer 6

"Small World" by Martin Suter is a very good book.

I think the language should meet your criteria. But on the website of Diogenes you can actually find a excerpt of the book, so you can get an impression yourself. Just go to "Downloads" and select "Leseprobe"

You can find a summary on the linked page, so I won't post one here.

Martin Suter is a Swiss writer with some very good books. I can recommend all of them (at least of those I read) except "Huber spannt aus" and "Business Class" which are collections of short stories.

Answer 7

There are thess special kind of books called Easy Reader. They are adult books but then rewritten in a limited vocabulary. There are a few levels depending on the size of your vocabulary.

Look at this site.

http://www.easyreaders.eu

http://www.easyreaders.eu/german/elementary/easy-reader-a-%28a2%29.aspx

Answer 8

I suggest

Karl May: Das Buschgespenst

Yes. Karl May. Mostly known for "Winnetou" etc. Often despised as imposer etc (because in his later life he got a little bit lost between facts and fiction in his life), but also a rather underestimated author.

Das Buschgespenst is a novel pretty unknown to the general public. It has nothing to do with the Wild West, nor the Orient. The story unfolds in the kingdom of Saxony somehwere in the 1860s or so in a village of poor weavers and coal miners in the Erzgebirge mountains. It is an early detective story, also a love story, and not least a book sharply criticizing the society of its time and the extremly unjust distribution of income and wealth. (A thing you would not expect from Karl May if you know only his more popular novels.)

For your purpose I find it suitable as it has an intriguing story as well as flawless language which is neither too simple nor too demanding in terms of vocabulary or sentence structure: it was written, as the other novels by May for a broad audience for entertainment in a time when there was no television. And you get even some insight in the inner workings of society in the late 19th century in Germany.

Answer 9

Der Alchimist by Paulo Coelho. It was originally written in Portuguese, but the translation is excellent, I find. It's an easy read and it's a fantastic book (it might just change your life, who knows?).

Answer 10

A classic German book for parents to read to their children is Katze mit Hut by Simon & Desi Ruge, 1980. It's similar to Pippi Langstrumpf in style, so mostly aimed at beginners, and it's quite funny.

Answer 11

"Das Zimmermädchen", von Markus Orths, ist sehr zu empfehlen.