Foreign Language Fiction Books - Page 5

Confessions (Penguin Classics)

Saint Augustine of Hippo

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Worthwhile even for agnostics 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 15 people found this review helpful.

Before reading any St. Augustine, I had formed an image of him as an intolerant puritan, almost Taliban-esque. As an agnostic, I did not at all expect to find him a sympathetic figure. The "Confessions," however, reveal a warmly human, hugely intelligent man, relating his own open-minded spiritual journey, which included way-stops at Manicheeism and neo-Platonism. Augustine formulated his religious and ethical systems through careful deliberation and observation, aided by an epiphany or two; his is not a story of blind, unthinking faith or of mysterious visions. His concept of God seems little different from the Chinese concept of the Tao, and his concept of grace little different from the Buddhist concept of enlightenment. Thus, there is considerable interest in his viewpoint even for non-Catholics, non-Christians, and non-believers.

In addition, this book also constitutes an autobiography of material existence in the waning years of the Western Roman Empire, and thus should be of great interest to any classicist. Little examples: Augustine confirms that, at least around 400 A.D., the normal way to read, even among the most highly literate, was aloud; Ambrose's habit of reading silently to himself inspires considerable comment and speculation. We learn that high school students were rowdy, then as now. The Roman Emperor didn't seem to matter much in the lives of citizens.

The Penguin translation by Mr. Pine-Coffin is excellent and very readable. He avoids the archaic "thou's" that plague many translations. Regrettably, the cover material chooses to emphasize the translator's status as a Roman Catholic as his single most important attribute, and his introductory comments are likely to strike non-Catholics as intolerant. Skip over that, and get right into Augustine's writing itself.

Editorial Review:

Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was one of the outstanding figures of the declining Roman Empire. From his own account he lived a life of sin until his conversion to Christianity at the age of 32. Twelve years later he gave a personal account of his search for truth in "The Confessions", where his analysis of the emotional side of Christian experience in the face of sin remains unsurpassed. They are also intensely revealing of the man himself.

Ingles para Latinos

William C. Harvey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Much better than a generic ESL book. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I teach English to adult Latinos, and the generic ESL text (i.e., a book not designed for speakers of a specific foreign language) we were using earlier was just awful. My students really love using this book, and I can absolutely notice a marked improvement in their English. One caveat is that if you are an ESL tutor or teacher, you need to have a good knowledge of Spanish in order to make proper use of this text.

Editorial Review:

Revised and updated with new phrases and vocabulary, new questions and answers, and new tables presenting basic English verbs, this favorite language-learning program is for Latinos in the United States and Canada who need to develop a practical, working use of spoken English, and who want to learn quickly and informally. Author William Harvey bypasses the dull rules of grammar and takes the practical route by presenting a series of informal conversations by speakers who converse in normal idiomatic American English. Emphasis is placed on correct pronunciation, and many helpful tips are offered, including short-cuts to clear spoken English expression and comprehension. Amusing cartoon-style illustrations help to convey understanding of English.

La Sombra Del Viento/ the Shadow of the Wind (Autores Espanoles E Iberoamericanos)

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 69 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A book that inspires 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My mom gave this book to me as a birthday present. I read it in a week only because I had school and was impossible to be glued to the book...although I did try. Its just that good.
I believe the most memorable thing about the book its the beauty of the story: learn from the past to create your own present.
This book is a mastepiece by Zafon in which we can still see a similarity with previous books (Marina, El Principe de la Niebla) but I feel he wrote this book with a more mature sense of self and a new light of his own writing skills.
I say its a book that inspires because it touches your heart in a way that you can feel what the characters feel. You can live the situations, see the places.
Its the book we all wish we could write. Its a story we can all tell. A love story we will like to experience. An adventure waiting to happen. A mystery within each page and an inspiration for every dreamer out there.
Trust me you will not regret reading this book. And you will probably read it a lot. So if you can sit and enjoy

Spanish Stories / Cuentos Españoles (A Dual-Language Book)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An excellent book for the intermediate Spanish student 5 out of 5 stars.
91 of 92 people found this review helpful.

This book includes several excellent stories by many of the finest Spanish authors starting from the 16th century to the 20th. I recommend it highly for the intermediate Spanish student.

When I started reading book I had to regularly refer to the english page for a translation. At the end of the book, I seldom need to check the translation.

I assume that the stories written in the 16th and 17th centuries were re-written to update them into current Spanish, as I would think the older Spanish would be much more difficult to understand. As a result, this made the stories easy to read at the same time I could appreciate the skill of the writers.

A great learning tool and a fun read 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I bought the book with a view towards,

1) improving my Spanish

2) reading interesting new thoughts by Spanish writers

It achieved both goals admirably.

I also learned that apparently the Spanish language has not changed nearly as much as the English language from the time of Shakespeare and Cervantes to the present day. I understood more of the Cervantes -- in Spanish -- than in my first readings of Shakespeare in English, my native tongue.

Some of the stories were more difficult than others to be sure. Just as there is a huge style difference between writings of Earnest Hemingway and Nathaniel Hawthorne in English.

Like a previous reviewer, I found myself referring to the English side of the book less and less as I continued to read.

One improvement should be made in future books of this type, however. The definitions of the Spanish words in the back should do more than just restate the original translation. This where the author can truly help a student understand the nuances of the language. Give the reader the origin of the word -- Latin, French, Greek, etc. -- along with a general definition, not just the repeat the same english translation used in the body of the story. If that's all the author is going to do, he should save the paper.

Editorial Review:

Unique format offers 13 great stories in Spanish — from classics by Cervantes and Alarcon to contemporary works by Borges and Goytisolo. Complete faithful English translations on facing pages. Includes Spanish to English vocabulary, biographical-critical introductions, more.

Capital : A Critique of Political Economy (Penguin Classics) (Volume 2)

Karl Marx

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Big Impact on My Life 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 20 people found this review helpful.

I used to ascribe to Marxist philosophy. However, there are problems with his analysis, and it can be seen in concrete terms from command economies. If the labor theory of value is true, then there is no difference between 1 year old scotch and 15-year old scotch whiskey, although conisseurs of liquor would disagree... shoddy products and inefficent workers come into play. Another problem is that Marx promises "Proof" of the labor theory of value but never gives it. Also, he talked alot about Capital but not a lot about Communism. He never discussed how Communist society would work in a modern world, giving us only vague extrapolations from "Primitive Communism" or Hunter/Gatherer societies. Worth the money though.

Must read 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Although Marx's Capital remains a difficult read, it is essential for understanding the current economic mess, in particular the growth of unproductive speculative capital. With speculative debt reaching nearly ten times the level of the world's productive economy (GDP), it appears that the barons of capitalism have sealed their own fate. Find out why.

Editorial Review:

The "forgotten" second volume of Capital, Marx's world-shaking analysis of economics, politics, and history, contains the vital discussion of commodity, the cornerstone to Marx's theories.

Sin tetas no hay paraiso (Telenovela Tie-In)

Gustavo Bolivar Moreno

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Mi opinion: 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Un buen libro. Muy bien escrito y bastante ameno. Muestra la cruda realidad colombiana y la progresiva perdida de valores de nuestra sociedad.

Esta Bueno 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

El libro me gusto. Una novela muy buena. Pero por primera vez me gusta mas la novela en la tele. Les advierto que el libro no es igual que la novela. La novela tiene mas personajes y mas temas. Tambien hay cambios pequenitos como sus edades. En fin el tema y los personajes son iguales del libro sin embargo la novela tiene mas y es un poco comica. De todas maneras se les recomiendo el libro. Chao

superb.. 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

well in comparison to the t.v. series i think the book is more detailed in the lives of the characters in the book, and i also think that the ending was more explicit in the aftermath compared to the series ending. the product was delivered in good condition and in a timely manner, no problems with packaging.

Fast service, great product 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 6 people found this review helpful.

The book arrived very quickly, much quicker than estimated. It arrived in perfect condition...wrapped in plastic and new as can be.

vanity 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

the writer needs to use a form of international Spanish or at least list the meanings of colombian slang on the back so reader is able to grasp the idea much easier. the writer does a good job exposing the vanity that exist at every level of society and how ignorance is at the root of this problem.

Kristin Lavransdatter: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Sigrid Undset

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Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Foreign Language Fiction -> More Languages -> Norwegian
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 63 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In her great historical epic Kristin Lavransdatter, set in fourteenth-century Norway, Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset tells the life story of one passionate and headstrong woman. Painting a richly detailed backdrop, Undset immerses readers in the day-to-day life, social conventions, and political and religious undercurrents of the period. Now in one volume, Tiina Nunnally’s award-winning definitive translation brings this remarkable work to life with clarity and lyrical beauty.

As a young girl, Kristin is deeply devoted to her father, a kind and courageous man. But when as a student in a convent school she meets the charming and impetuous Erlend Nikulaussøn, she defies her parents in pursuit of her own desires. Her saga continues through her marriage to Erlend, their tumultuous life together raising seven sons as Erlend seeks to strengthen his political influence, and finally their estrangement as the world around them tumbles into uncertainty.

With its captivating heroine and emotional potency, Kristin Lavransdatter is the masterwork of Norway’s most beloved author—one of the twentieth century’s most prodigious and engaged literary minds—and, in Nunnally’s exquisite translation, a story that continues to enthrall.

Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Vol. 3 (Penguin Classics)

Karl Marx

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A rationalization for slavery and slaughter 1 out of 5 stars.
8 of 81 people found this review helpful.

The book that spawned the deaths of over 100 million people in the 20th Century is, ironically, only a boring litany of economic fallacies. The poverty of the labor theory of value, the absurdity of economic progress without a price system, and the necessary terror that accompanies socialism are all exposed in detail in George Reisman's CAPITALISM. All of you poor proletarians with computers out to read how effortlessly a real economist dismantles your dogma.

Editorial Review:

Unfinished at the time of Marx's death in 1883 and first published with a preface by Frederick Engels in 1894, the third volume of "Das Kapital" strove to combine the theories and concepts of the two previous volumes in order to prove conclusively that capitalism is inherently unworkable as a permanent system for society. Here, Marx asserts controversially that - regardless of the efforts of individual capitalists, public authorities or even generous philanthropists - any market economy is inevitably doomed to endure a series of worsening, explosive crises leading finally to complete collapse. But he also offers an inspirational and compelling prediction: that the end of capitalism will culminate, ultimately, in the birth of a far greater form of society.

Frankenstein (Penguin Classics)

Mary Shelley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not what I remembered... turns out there are 2 versions 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Short Summary: Victor Frankenstein is young, intelligent, and quite full of himself. He discovers through his studies the methods of creating life, and does so. The creature he creates is of enormous size and strength and is hideous to behold. Terrified of what he has made, he flees, leaving the creature to fend for itself.

I just finished re-reading this book, it has been over 10 years since I read it the last time. My memory of the book was a tremendous feeling of sadness and compassion for the creature that Frankenstein created. In this re-reading I was shocked at the change in my feelings toward the characters. Though everything seemed the same it evoked an entirely different set of emotions in me. After doing a bit of poking about the internet I discovered that there are two versions of the story that Shelley wrote, one the first one, which is the one I just read, is much harsher, the creature is much less amiable, and Victor is much less forgivable. The second version she wrote, which I understand was written about 10-15 years later, evokes more sympathy for Victor and his creation.

Both are almost identical, starting with the gentleman on the ship in the Northern Ice who meets Victor. Victor relates his tale to the young seamen, this tale often becomes a tale within a tale within a tale as we shift points of view, always related to the young sailor through the stories of Victor. As I read this book I found myself thinking that this may be one of the few books that manages to encompass all 5 versions of Conflict, Man vs Man, Man vs Self, Man vs Nature, and Man vs God. Shelley's prose can at times be difficult, not to read, but to focus on because of the style and time frame it was written in. It is very easy to find yourself skimming, which you do not want to do.

The story is one of love and loss, creation and our relationship with our creator, the faults of man attempting to become God, and the cruelty that lies with our society to that which we perceive as ugly, frightening or hideous. When Victory abandons the monster he leaves him to learn of the cruelty of our society and to react to it as inappropriately as he does. This tale is NOT what you watched on TV, it is not found in the movie you watched. This is a story that can only be found in this book.

Did I love it? Not really, in the version I just read, Victor is a whiner, who considers himself a genius though he stands aside while his family and friends are killed. The monster, though more understandable, is also a contemptible character as he murders one after the other with little to no remorse. Yes it is well written and filled with interesting comparisons, warnings, and meaning... but as for a fun filled entertaining read, the characters were a bit to whiny and non-committal for me to really have anyone to root for. Still, they were full characters, completely rounded and interesting even though they were pathetic. The story is so filled with meaning that you could discuss it for days. And the concept of the feminine in this book is very interesting to read... I recommend this book, but I won't say that it ranks above Dracula in my mind.

Editorial Review:

Edited by Maurice Hindle.

Utopia (Penguin Classics)

Thomas More

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An Intellectually Fun and Stimulating Read 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

More exhibits intellectual creativity in the classic Utopia, originally written in Latin. It is a narrative on a non-existent, ideal society. The book Utopia includes the Utopian alphabet, a poem in Utopian and then translated into English, lines on the island of Utopia by the poet laureate, More's letters to Peter Gilles, Gilles's letter to Busleiden, Book 1, and Book 2.

The alphabet and poems at the beginning immediately display the creative and structured thought of More, introduce the island of Utopia, and display the humorous wit of More that will continue to make you chuckle throughout the course of the book.

The letters serve as the background to the authoring of books 1 and 2. It adds a sense of reality to them by describing where the subject matter for the books comes from and creating a pretend internal debate about whether or not a book on Utopia should be written by More at all. More's considerations in that staged internal debate are highly enjoyable to any avid reader.

The real fun to this book is how More uses plays on words, he comments on or uses writings of other classic authors, and he parallels or completely contradicts happenings and/or beliefs his own real life holds. For instance, book 1 weaves together completely fictional characters and situations together with real people, situations, and history that have impacted him in reality (This is the same concept of adding truth to falsehood to make falsehood more believable as is displayed in The DaVinci Code). More's talent is further displayed as he is able to discuss social governance issues in the entertaining and more relatable format of dialogue.

Book 2 describes in depth the structure of the Utopian society. It handles everything from governance within Utopia and relations with societies outside of Utopia to the handling of religion and the growth of morals in society members. While More presents some thought provoking concepts and ideas in this book, he clearly states that they are all based on the assumption that there's no such thing as greed, fear of want, or vanity in Utopia (pg 61).

This particular edition of Utopia comes with a short bio of both author and translator. It also includes a time line of More's life, a helpful introduction, further reading suggestions, a note on the text and translation, an appendix, a glossary, and a multitude of footnotes. If you are not already well versed in Latin, the writings of Greek and Latin philosophers, and English history, than I highly recommend you soak in all this added information from the translator and book editor that is included in this edition both before and while you read Utopia.

My only complaint of this edition is that I don't like flipping back and forth between the text of the novel and the notes in the back. I wish they had put the notes at the bottom of the page. Other than that, I really enjoyed this edition of Utopia and applaud More's witty creativity.

Editorial Review:

Revised introduction; new chronology and further reading

Translated with an Introduction by Paul Turner.