Italian Literature for Beginners
A Selection of the Best Untranslated Books for Learners to Read
Learning a new language can be a daunting process, but equally so is the realisation that once the grammar books have been trawled and the dictionary thumbed to deterioration, there is no one around to talk to. For every beginner, the step from mentally translating a sentence before speaking to instantaneously interacting with the language – utilizing it without thought or deconstruction, can be an arduous and frustrating one.
One of the best ways to become more fluent in the absence of native speakers and to naturally expand vocabulary is to read some Italian books. Of course it would be ludicrous to suggest a nosedive into the philosophic medievalism of Umberto Eco, the phantasmagoria of Italo Calvino or even the dark cistern of Dante’s Commedia. What is available, however, is a comprehensive selection of both parallel texts and un-translated books of graded difficulty adapted specifically for the progressing learner. Here are a few of the best:
Italiano Facile [Alma Edizioni]
Each book in this incredibly accessible series consists of an original short story, usually generic to the humorous extreme. They are designed to develop the reader's understanding of Italian structure and grammar (Level 1 is written entirely in the present tense, expanding to the past historic and subjunctive by level 5) without being too taxing on a budding lexicon.
The result is an enjoyable series of mysteries, horror stories, whodunits and sword and sandal love sagas which give the reader a real sense of achievement and progress as their relative simplicity allows the sense to occur effortlessly and without the labour of continual translation. Modelle, Pistole e Mozzarelle [Alma Edizioni, 1996] and Mediterranea [Alma Edizioni, 1996] are particularly fun reads and all books in this series come with optional audio CD.
Easy Readers - Italian [Egmont]
A more adventurous version of Italiano Facile, this series takes the simple premise of making Italian literature accessible to learners and delivers with ample aplomb. Though simplified by a crack team of editors, these texts remain a little difficult as they were originally written for a native audience. However, they are manageable, and there is a gradation of proficiency.
The primary thrill here though is the feeling of actually reading a piece of fiction that has not been written especially for stranieri; and with names like Calvino and Boccaccio on the title list it isn’t difficult to feel rather pleased with yourself after finishing one.
Introduction to Italian Poetry- Dual Language Book by Luciano Rebay [Dover Publications, 1991]
Covering the canonical names in Italian poetry from Francis of Assisi, through Dante, Cavalcanti and Ariosto, to the modern master Giuseppe Ungaretti, this book gives a short introduction to each Italian poet of importance; and every poem has a facing page translation which is easy to follow. This book is more a test of linguistic malleability however, and allows the reader to experience a more versified and poetic Italian than simple prose stories. Additionally, techniques of sinalefe (a kind of poetic elision) and dialefe encountered will guide fluidity in pronunciation and give you a more complete knowledge of what Italian has to offer.
Penguin Parallel Texts: Short Stories in Italian [Penguin, 1999]
As it says on the cover this collection of nine short stories all come with facing page English translations. They include a short story by Primo Levi – Lilith – which is a good place to begin if you want to later try his longer works. Calvino makes an appearance here again, but is accompanied admirably by other writers of great talent. Italy by Goffredo Parise is a particularly intriguing and beautifully descriptive view into the esoteric Italian way of life.
Needless to say, the translation on the opposite page is a useful safety-net, and means that large amounts of dictionary work can be relatively avoided, rendering the joy in reading the eloquent narratives of Italian prose stylists uncompromised. Converse to Easy Readers these works are not simplified by editors so expect Italian of a more challenging standard.
Classici Italiani per Stranieri [Bonacci Editore]
Though this series has a range of titles featuring Boccaccio, Petrarch, Leopardi, Machiavelli and other staples of the canon, the editions of Dante’s Commedia [Bonacci Editore, 1994, 1996] are what really triumph. For any learner of Italian who wants to explore its literature, Dante is always the first port of call and sometimes even the motivation for learning in the first place (T.S. Eliot learned Italian so he could read the Divine Comedy).
There is, unfortunately, no substitute for reading the Commedia in the original, and in order to appreciate Dante’s genius fully there can be no other approach but the Italian one. However, there is equally no denying how difficult the Commedia can be to a non fluent speaker. Colloquialisms abound, occasional archaisms hinder progress, vocabulary takes a direct hit as one rarely finds vast metaphors of Infernal torment or Heavenly bliss in the ‘travel’ section of a phrasebook.
The Classici per Stranieri, however, pick the most important cantos and provide a facing page, prose translation in Italian; that is, a kind of simplified version of the sense behind Dante’s verse. The result is that you don’t lose the inherent Italianism of the poetry, and by reading the corresponding prose you can build the sometimes difficult sense of Dante’s original while never leaving the authenticity of Italian syntax and verbiage.
There is no doubting that this is still difficult – the Commedia is by no means an easy task be it in verse or prose, but for the non-fluent speaker this is a far better option than having to deal with any of the innumerable attempts at (mis)translation into English which have spawned in recent years.
These books then, allow a reader to expereience the language beyond the endless mire of worksheets and exercises. In reading, the sense progresses from the page to the mind unhindered creating a greater understanding and heightening fluidity when native speakers are, inevitably, far away in Italy; and if you learn to quote a little Dante along the way, all the better!
-Read about travelling to Italy to learn Italian-
