Harry Steinhauer (1905–2006)

Thoroughly charming. The negative-to-mixed reviews of the book here make sense, and are valid in their way. Dover Books produced a series of these language texts in the 1960s, of which this is a direct reprint, and its designation as "designed expressly for the beginning German language student" challenges us in 2020. Back in 1964, it could be assumed that most language learners in the UK and US had grown up with education in English grammar (which we don't receive now in the same way), perhaps some basic Romance language study at school, and - if one was planning to visit Europe - an expectation that you would be interested in the literary and cultural aspects of the language, rather than just the functional ones. Additionally, a language student could expect to do several hours a week with good focus on grammar. Nowadays, by comparison, a student might do two hours a week at a community college or online program with a focus on functional, tourism-centered sentences, and a pedagogic framework aimed at immersing you directly in the language without the need to learn those tiresome words like "subjunctive", "genitive", and "preposition".

In other words, it's undeniable that this text no longer seems like it could be interpreted by someone who started learning German three weeks ago.

But if you're a serious student with some knowledge of grammar, this has an old-fashioned, literary elegance about it. The 52 excerpts herein are by authors who were dead, and largely out-of-copyright, by 1952, including Goethe, Schiller, Heine, Lessing, and the Brothers Grimm. Texts range from short poems to essays on philosophy, each with an accompanying English translation on the facing page. In the back are short notes where required and a series of comprehension questions (in German) with answers. Finally, there is a brief glossary.

Again, I grasp the argument of critical reviews, who don't think Dover should have republished this as a beginner's textbook. But for me, those critical elements don't really apply. If your only purpose in learning German is to get by in Berlin on a two-week holiday, or you're just keen to pick up the basics, then of course: don't buy this book. However, as someone who is at the B1 level of reading, this has proven a welcome reprieve from simplistic texts about Faust or the Alps which one finds in modern readers. It is a challenge, to discover so early in this book various archaic and abbreviated forms, and of course countless technical nouns and verbs with which I am unfamiliar. The fact that many of these texts are from previous centuries adds to the burden. In that sense, it is rather like asking a newcomer to the English language to learn by studying Wordsworth or Shakespeare! (The latter of whom is featured here, in translation.) But with the aid of the facing English text and the glossary, I am enjoying working through these challenges. My aim in German is to be able to be fluent when visiting the country and eventually to read great literature and plays, so why not challenge myself early on?

Dover's books are a reminder that language has a history and an importance beyond utilitarian communication. There are so many readers available for the modern learner, so this proves a satisfying variation on the theme.… (mere)