I have compiled a list of advice from the American Women’s Club of Rome. I had a lot of interest to the topic and many recommendations.
Here is what I found, then see below for the tips sent to me by members.
-I started off reading these little books I found in Feltrinellli’s called Italiano Facile that come with CDs. They are short, sweet, funny, sad, interesting… but mostly short and sweet. There are levels 1-5 and they served their purpose of boosting my confidence. I knew I could read Italian. Highly recommended. Here is a link to see what they look like: http://www.lafeltrinelli.it/products/9788886440… The others are the same-looking covers.
-Then I read my first real book, John Boyle’s Il Bambino con il Piagiama a Righe (The Boy with the Stripped Pyjamas). The story is written from the point of view of a 9 year old boy, named Bruno. It is written in a very linear, simple plot, although is translated into passato remoto, you can still follow the story. He meets another little boy his exact age- a prisoner in Auschwitz. The story is of their friendship over the fence… along with Bruno’s life as the son of a Nazi.
-I then thought I was big and bad (you will too, I hope, after getting through your first book) and a friend recommended the book Sontro di Civilità per un Ascensore a Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous. This book is really appreciated by someone living in Rome. The Algerian-Italian author hit the the life of foreigners and prejudices on the head. It is a great story, about a murder in an elevator in Rome’s Piazza Vittorio and we hear every one’s narration of what they think happened. I especially appreciated the cursing portiera napoletana (as I am married to a napoletano), who swears the Iranian is cursing at her when he thanks her with merci, swears the blonde boy is Swiss (but is in fact Dutch) and that the Peruvian woman is filipina. I couldn’t put this down. A plus was that it was mostly written in presente.
-Now I am at the point where I read all levels of the piccole storie per strainieri, read two books, underlined the words I liked and didn’t know and saw both of the movies. Now I’m stuck. I bought la Solitudine dei Numeri Primi by Paolo Giordano, but this plot is way too complicated for me right now… I put it back on my bookshelf. Last week at the edicola I opened books at random and was checking out the grammar. For now this passato remoto is useless to me and confusing. I found a book written in presente, and I am on pagina 9.
So, if anyone would like to join me, I am reading La Babima di Polvere by Wendy Wallace, and would love to discuss it with someone come September. Would anyone like to join me? We will meet in September and have 3 people interested so far. I would also be happy to discuss the other two that I read.
For those who would not like to do a group reading or go at it alone, here is a compiled list of tips from members, friends and bookshop employees (who were usually stumped by my question: Do you have any books with a linear plot, written in some sort of easy grammar, preferably present?):
Se questo e’ un Uomo by Primo Levi
-book stand employee down on the Tiber said its diary-style (so present) written by an Italian is a concentration camp. He said its very famous.
Io Non Ho Paura by Niccolo Ammaniti
This was my American friend’s first book she read in Italian, made to film.
Trentadue Bonsai by Giancarlo Visconti
written by an AWAR member’s husband, with great reviews and is said to be a linear read.
Another AWAR member recommended re-reading the Italian version of a book you’ve already read.
il Giorno della Civetta by Leonardo Sciascia
which AWAR member says there’s an edition for scuola media with defined words in the footnotes
Eric de Luca’s books were recommended by another member for his “beautifully and simply written” stories.
I hope this helps someone and that someone will either keep reading in Italian or begin. I thought I’d never be able to do it and piano piano I am. I hope I hear from someone to join me to read La Bambina di Polvere!
Happy summer reading,
Carley
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