Vereinfachte Texte (Easy Readers)
| A1 | Das Schlafwagenabteil | Christian Bock |
| A crime story in form of a play | ||
| Level: intermediate | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1973 | ||
| A2 | Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte | Adelbert von Chamisso |
| This life story of Peter, placed in the 18th century, combines realistic features with fairy tales. Peter sells his shadow to the devil and finally has to pay for it. | ||
| Level: intermediate | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1996 | ||
| A3 | Bild ohne Rahmen | Felix & Theo |
| Do you know Walter Angermeier? He is a painter in Berlin and would like to become rich and famous. But how? | ||
| Level: intermediate | ||
| Langenscheidt Verlag Berlin 1993 | ||
| A60 | Ein Fall auf Rügen | Felix & Theo |
| Following his doctor's advice, private detective Müller spends his vacation at the ocean on the island of Rügen. A terrible accident leaves a young man injured. Müller is puzzled by the circumstances and decides to find out what has occurred and why. | ||
| Level: advanced | ||
| Langenscheidt Verlag Berlin 2003 | ||
| A69 | Elvis in Köln | Felix & Theo |
| Carneval in Köln! Helmut Müller picks an Elvis costume and visits a costume ball. But there are problems: money, watches, and Bea Braun disappear. | ||
| Level: beginner | ||
| Langenscheidt Verlag Berlin 1999 | ||
| A5 | Das Fräulein von Scuderi | E. T. A. Hoffmann |
| It is the year 1680. In Paris, a series of mysterious murders occur, all involving expensive jewelry. Suddenly, the highly respected Miss Scuderi receives some strange letters… | ||
| Level: intermediate | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1976 | ||
| A6 | Drei Tage Liebe | Joe Lederer |
| A love story in the Berlin of the 1920s | ||
| Level: easy | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1996 | ||
| A7 | Die lange, große Wut | Hansjörg Martin |
| Two crime stories that describe the dependence of married couples and their search for personal freedom - which seems to be achievable only by murder. | ||
| Level C (1800 words) | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1983 | ||
| A10 | Die Tat / Ein Fall für Herrn Schmidt | Wolfdietrich Schnurre |
| The two stories deal with a cat that interferes fatefully with the lifes of a soldier and a boy. | ||
| Level C (1800 words) | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1974 | ||
| A11 | Die Oder gluckste vor Vergnügen | Rolf Ulrici |
| A humorous novel in the 1930s. Three teenagers, two girls and a boy, bike from Berlin to the Baltic Sea, and they have lots of fun during the trip. | ||
| Level C (1800 words) | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1994 | ||
| A12 | Der Sprung ins Ungewisse | Theodor Weißenborn |
| Seven stories about life in our times. Loneliness and increasing isolation, but also self esteem and stamina are some of the topics | ||
| Level: intermediate | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1975 | ||
| A13 | Treff mit Trimmel | Friedhelm Werremeier |
| Two crime stories located around Hamburg. In the one case, an alcohol dependent woman dies under mysterious circumstances. In the other case, two teenaged boys steal a car with unexpected content. | ||
| Level D (2400 words) | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1984 | ||
| A14 | Novellen | Stefan Zweig |
| Three novellettes that analyze the psyche and thoughts of people that are driven by mysterious and unconsious powers. | ||
| Level C (1800 words) | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart 1972 | ||
| A55 | Täglich dasselbe Theater - Heitere Geschichten | A & E Schmitz (Editors) |
| Humorous short stories | ||
| Level 2 (1300 words) | ||
| Max Hueber Verlag, Ismaning 1996 | ||
| A61a | Kurzgeschichten | Marie Luise Kaschnitz |
| A61b | Several short stories are presented with characters that experience super natural powers which cause anxiety. | |
| Level B (1200 words) | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart | ||
| A64 | Der geteilte Himmel | Christa Wolf |
| This is the story of a couple separated by the recent construction of the Berlin Wall. The two struggle with the contradictions of their different societies in the East and West. | ||
| Level B (1200 words) | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart | ||
| A67 | Die Züricher Verlobung | Barbara Noak |
| A humorous and confusing love story | ||
| Level C (1800 words) | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart | ||
| A68 | Jerry lacht in Harlem | Josef Reding |
| The present shortstories from the book "Don't call me Nigger" depict people from the dark side of life. There is the Harlem boy Jerry and his gang, the poor Italian immigrant, a welfare recipiant, or just people with bad luck. A book for thought. | ||
| Level B (1200 words) | ||
| Ernst Klett Verlag Stuttgart | ||
Novellen und Kurzgeschichten (Short stories)
| A15 | Nicht nur zur Weihnachtszeit | Heinrich Böll |
| Collection of satirical stories describing the German society of the 1950s | ||
| Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag 1966 | ||
| A16 | Wanderer kommst du nach Spa…. | Heinrich Böll |
| Short stories, mostly placed in the early part of the 20th century | ||
| Paul List Verlag München 1956 | ||
| A51 | Gedichte | Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |
| Complete edition of Goethe's poems, with comments by Erich Trunz | ||
| Verlag Beck, München 1978 | ||
| A17 | Der Gegenwart ins Gästebuch | Erich Kästner |
| Collection of Poems | ||
| Büchergilde Gutenberg, Frankfurt 1968 | ||
| A18 | Arche Noah, Touristenklasse | Ephraim Kishon |
| 42 satirical short stories from Isreal | ||
| Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag Reinbek 1973 | ||
| A19 | Sternstunden der Menschheit | Stefan Zweig |
| 12 historical miniatures | ||
| S. Fischer Verlag Frankfurt 1991 | ||
| A56 | Klassisches Vorlesebuch 1 | Friedrich M. Fux (Editor) |
| Chapters from 12 great novels of world literature from Cervantes to Tolstoj | ||
| Langewiesche-Brandt KG, Ebenhausen 1964 |
Romane (Novels)
| A20 | Ansichten eines Clowns | Heinrich Böll |
| Hans Schnier wants to be an honest clown rather than a hypocrite. For six years, he lives with Marie, without being married. Marie leaves him, because he refuses to agree to bring up potential children in the catholic faith. Schnier can't cope with this loss. From being a clown in great demand, he turns into a beggar that sits on the stairs of the Bonn train station - when Marie returns from her honey moon with a 'progressive' catholic. | ||
| Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag München 1967 | ||
| A54 | Ende einer Dienstfahrt | Heinrich Böll |
| A strange trial is being held in a small town: it looks like sabotage, but the two suspects, a father and son, don't fit the image of saboteurs who would set a jeep of the army on fire. Böll depicts a detailed picture of his protagonists and the town, lovely and idyllic, but not without irony towards everyone. | ||
| Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Köln 1967 | ||
| A21 | Die chinesische Heirat | Pearl S. Buck |
| Nine stories of Asia, past and present; one of Chinatown, New York. | ||
| Droemer Knaur, München 1978 | ||
| A22 | Die Frauen des Hauses Wu | Pearl S. Buck |
| Madame Wu, wife of a rich merchant, is the head of a large family. She guides her sons securely and unnoticed through life. At the age of 40, she decides to regain freedom from her husband by satisfying him with a second wife. She falls in love with an Italian priest. This strange relationship leads her into a completely new world and changes her life. | ||
| Fischer Bücherei Frankfurt 1956 | ||
| A23 | Die Mutter | Pearl S. Buck |
| The story of a poor Chinese Farmer's woman and mother that bears her tough life only through the never ending love for her children. | ||
| Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag Reinbek 1957 | ||
| A24 | Land der Hoffnung, Land der Trauer | Pearl S. Buck |
| Wu I-wan was the son of a wealthy banker in Shanghai. Reacting against the squalor and misery of the masses, I-wan joined the illegal student revolutionary movement to fight against the corrupt and heedless rulers of his country. This is the story of his betrayal, of his flight to Japan - of his return to take up arms when the Japanese invaded his country. | ||
| Eduard Kaiser Verlag, Klagenfurt | ||
| A25 | Ostwind - Westwind | Pearl S. Buck |
| The love and life story of a chinese girl with her husband, that was assigned to her already at birth. The husband, a medical doctor, was brought up in the western world. The book describes vividly and sensitively the differences between East and West. | ||
| Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag Reinbek 1953 | ||
| A26 | Insel am Ende der Welt | Ian Cameron |
| Treasure hunt in the heart of the Arctic. A member of a whaling fleet disappears with his helicopter in the Arctic and is believed dead. But his father doesn't agree. He organizes an expedition to search for his son. On the way, they discover unknown Arctic tribes and unexpected treasures. | ||
| Known through the film version by Walt Disney | ||
| Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag Frankfurt 1976 | ||
| A27 | Kleiner Mann - was nun? | Hans Fallada |
| The story of a poor couple that fights with life in Germany after world war 1. Thanks to their love, loyalty, idealism and fantasy they never lose hope and their dreams of a better life. | ||
| Rowohlt Verlag Reinbek 1981 | ||
| A28 | Kleine Liebe zu Amerika | Manfred Hausmann |
| A young man strolls across the United States. He observes and analyzes carefully what he sees, without rushing to conclusions. A lively and colourful image of the US. | ||
| Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag Frankfurt 1961 | ||
| A29 | Beim nächsten Mann wird alles anders | Eva Heller |
| Student Constanze is tired of her boy friend. He is cheap and unemotional. She looks for a new relationship that will allow her to have her emancipated dreams come true. Who is the real man, how can she find him? A book as exciting as a love story and as amusing as men. | ||
| A book for women | ||
| Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag Frankfurt 1987 | ||
| A30 | Dublin | James Joyce |
| Scenes of every day life in Dublin around 1900. | ||
| Fischer Bücherei Frankfurt 1953 | ||
| A31 | Morgens um sieben ist die Welt noch in Ordnung | Eric Malpass |
| The humorous story of a little innocent boy who brings his whole family up in arms with his true and simple-minded observations. His ears and eyes are everywhere where they shouldn't be. | ||
| Rowohlt Verlag Reinbek 1967 | ||
| A32 | Tonio Kröger | Thomas Mann |
| The life of a young man who is torn between the south European life style of his mother, and the Northern German seriousness of his father. He turns into a restless artist that feels at home neither in Italy nor in Denmark, and has a difficult time to establish lasting relations with others. | ||
| S. Fischer Verlag Berlin 1965 | ||
| A33 | Natascha | Heinz G. Konsalik |
| Natascha, a world renowned singer from Russia, decorated with all honours the country had to give away, asks for political asylum in France. The book describes the fascinating and unparalleled life of Natascha Tschugunowa. | ||
| Wilhelm Heyne Verlag München 1975 | ||
| A34 | Wechselspiel der Liebe | Rosamunde Pilcher |
| A young woman finds out that she has a twin sister. She discovers a person that resembles her in looks, but lives a very different life. The world turns upside down when she meets the former fiancé of her sister. | ||
| A book for women | ||
| Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag Reinbek 1993 | ||
| A35 | Der Gasmann | Heinrich Spoerl |
| The honest civil servant, Mr. Knittel, takes the train to work in the morning. Suddenly a passenger who has lost his suit during a little love affair in the sleeping car, forces Knittel to change his uniform for the stranger's pyjama and a large check. For Knittel starts a dramatic time, rich with conflicts and misunderstandings. | ||
| Rowohlt Verlag Reinbek 1957 | ||
| A70 | Herr der Diebe | Cornelia Funke |
| Two brothers flee to Venice, and continue on to an island in the lagoon, where they find an old, tubled-down merry-go-round with magic powers. | ||
| Cornelia Funke is the most successful German contemporary children book author. This book was a New York Times bestseller after it's first publishing. | ||
| Adult edition of the children phantasy story | ||
| Atrium Verlag, Zürich 2002 | ||
| A44 | Die Tochter des Schmieds | Selim Özdogan |
| The story of a girl in a village in Anatolia who submits to the strict traditions of her surroundings, without ever catering to her own wishes. The author gives a sensitive picture of the conficts between young and old. | ||
| Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 2005 | ||
| A47 | Hechtsommer | Jutta Richter |
| Two children, who know that their mother is very sick, react completely different to the situation: the girl wants to stop time, the boy thinks catching a pike would heal his mom. Despite the disagreement, the two stick together through hope, despair, mourning and comfort. | ||
| Carl Hanser Verlag, Ottobrunn 2004 |
Epische Romane, dicke Bücher (Epic Novels, thick books)
| A36 | Die Einwanderer | Howard Fast |
| The story of the American dream: born to Italian immigrants, Daniel Lavette starts out as a fisher man in San Francisco and builds up a huge empire with ships, airplanes, hotels and real estate. But then comes black Friday and the big depression. Rise and fall of a whole generation. | ||
| Rowohlt Verlag Reinbek 1979 | ||
| A37 | Vom Winde verweht | Margaret Mitchell |
| The centerpoint of this epic is the beautiful, proud Scarlett O'Hara and her love to the outlawed outsider Rhett Butler. | ||
| Lesering Das Bertelsmann Buch 1953 | ||
| A38 | Doktor Schiwago | Boris Pasternak |
| The life of the Russian doctor Jurij Schiwago. He is torn between the love for his wife and another woman that crosses his path again and again during his life. Finally, he gives way to this woman, and a great, unfortunate love develops. | ||
| Europäischer Buchklub Stuttgart | ||
| A39 | Hurra wir leben noch | Johannes Mario Simmel |
| The story of Jakob Formann, who builds a worldwide economic empire and is one of the richest, most successful and most requested men of the higher society. However, during the oil crises he loses everything and is as poor as thirty years ago. This gives him the time to remember and to return to his great love from then, the woman he never forgot. | ||
| Knaur Verlag München 1978 | ||
| A57 | Der Schut | Karl May |
| Following adventures in the Devil's Gorge and the Cave of the Jewels, hero Kara Ben Nemsi and his companions meet the head of the dreaded criminal gang, the 'Schut'. Dangerous situations arise, before the hunt, that started in the desert of Tunesia, comes to an end in Albania. | ||
| Manfred Pawlak Verlag, Herrsching 1990 | ||
Kriminalgeschichten (Crime stories)
| A40 | Das Verhör des Harry Wind | Walter M. Diggelmann |
| A story about the influence that clever and aggressive advertisement has on the public opinion. Harry Wind, a sly, reckless manager, is in detention because he supposedly spied for the Soviets. A dramatic duel unfolds between the investigation officer and Wind, covering many aspects of life in Switzerland. | ||
| Buchclub Ex Libris Zürich 1962 | ||
| A41 | Der Verdacht | Friedrich Dürrenmatt |
| Detective Bärlach checks himself into a famous clinic of a doctor that is suspected to have been a doctor in a concentration camp. Together with one survivor of the camp, the detective unmasks the doctor and uncovers a dark past. | ||
| Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag Reinbek 1965 | ||
Biographien (Biographies)
| A42 | Konrad Adenauer | Klaus Gotto |
| A review of the life of the first German chancelor. Many photos, text in German, English, French and Spanish | ||
| Verlag Bonn Aktuell 1988 | ||
| A43 | Häuptling Büffelkind Langspeer erzählt sein Leben | Büffelkind Langspeer |
| The author grew up as an Indian among Indians and was witness of the intrusion of the White Man in the life of the Indians. It is a true-to-life description of the life of the Indians at the turn from the 19th to the 20th century. | ||
| Paul List Verlag München 1958 | ||
| A45 | Wilhelm Busch Museum Hannover | Museum |
| The book describes the life and oeuvre of Wilhelm Busch, as it is shown in the museum in Hannover. Many fotos, examples of his paintings and his world famous cartoons. | ||
| Westermann Druck, Braunschweig 1980 | ||