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One of the most effective methods I have found for learning and practicing a foreign language is reading. In my experience, using books to learn German is super-effective (and fun!), more so than almost any other method I have used.
That doesn’t just include grammar books or textbooks (though those can be extremely helpful in their own ways), but also prose!
German literature is particularly rich and world-renowned, so it makes sense to use that to your advantage as a student.
By interacting with German novels and books in their original tongue, you don’t just get to improve your language skills. You will also develop a much better understanding of how people think, feel, and interact in German.
That’s in addition to all the things about national history and culture that novels, short stories, and other forms of literature can teach you!
In this quick guide, I will be introducing you to some of my favorite novels and storybooks by famous German authors to read.
Hop on, and maybe you’ll end up discovering a future favorite of yours!
Easy German short stories suitable for beginners
1. Teach Yourself Short Stories in German for Beginners
The Teach Yourself series has recently become one of the most popular among German students, and for me, it’s easy enough to see why.
Their little textbooks are accessible, fresh-looking, and neatly designed. They also feature an easy-to-read, informational yet casual tone of voice that avoids intimidating language.
All that also extends to this neat short story collection, targeted chiefly towards those early in their German learning journey.
The little stories themselves are always broken into short chapters for maximum gratification on the reader’s part (a nice touch in my opinion), and you get plenty of reference material and tips along the way – including a whole chapter on “How to Read Effectively” in German, reducing frustration and maximizing your understanding of the text.
2. German Short Stories for Beginners: 20 Captivating Stories
Produced by popular language learning resource LingoMastery, this short story collection takes you by the hand through 20 different examples of German short-form literature in an easily understood and clean format.
Along the way, you will find that each story is complemented by four supplementary chapters – a German-language summary, an English-language translation of that summary, a vocab list for practicing tricky words, and a quiz section.
3. Becoming Fluent in German: 150 Short Stories for Beginners
This is a good pick for those who don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to reading in German each day. Maybe you’re just starting out and don’t have a lot of confidence with the language yet, or you just have a busy schedule – whichever the case, Becoming Fluent is a great pick.
Each of its 150 short stories is really bite-sized – they’re what would nowadays be referred to as flash fiction in the literary world. Still, you do get a short quiz and a vocabulary list for each one, which is neat!
German novels for beginners
4. Die Verwandlung, Franz Kafka (Bilingual Edition)
Kafka has got to be one of the most influential of all modern German writers. In his short life, he penned three novels (though he managed to finish only one) and countless short stories.
Of those, Die Verwandlung (known to the English-speaking world as The Metamorphosis) is one of the most iconic.
Dealing with the bizarre motif of the transformation of a man into a giant cockroach, it’s a surrealist tale that has inspired countless other writers since then and has, in part, defined the term Kafkaesque.
Reading Kafka by itself is not a task I would consider fit for an absolute beginner, but this bilingual edition, with English-language notes and translations of every line, helps guide you through the short manuscript very effectively.
5. Die Leiden des Jungen Werther, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
One of the greatest classic German novels, this one from a much earlier period of literature, Die Leiden des Jungen Werther was Goethe’s initial breakout hit.
There are many popular legends about the book, including the persistent notion that its sales alone accelerated the spread of modern printing techniques throughout German-speaking Europe, just to keep up with demand!
Needless to say, it’s a must-read for anyone interested in the world of German literature, and an experience I can only recommend. Of course, the language is a fair bit antiquated, but not nearly as much as you might think!
If you’re at the point where you’re confident enough to take on a German novel without any English commentary throughout, this is a great first pick!
6. Die Räuber, Friedrich Schiller
Another 18th-century classic, Die Räuber is Schiller’s most celebrated work, and the one that made him one of the most famous German authors ever.
It’s technically a play, not a novel – but if anything, that makes it only more beginner-friendly in my opinion!
The story revolves around an arch-rivalry between two brothers, who are both members of a royal dynasty and are drawn into fighting over the inheritance of their aging father. Hence the title, which translates to “The Thieves”.
Famous German children’s books to read
7. Emil und die Detektive, Erich Kästner
- Amazon Kindle Edition
This was one of the first German novels I ever read cover-to-cover, and it remains a favorite to me and millions of others.
First published in the 1920s by the legendary Erich Kästner, Emil und die Detektive follows a plot that has become iconic: young Emil, from a small-town upbringing, heads to big, bustling Berlin for the first time to visit family. Just when he arrives at the station, an unknown man snatches his wallet!
Instead of going to his aunt in shame, Emil decides to hunt down the perp, going on a wild adventure through the interwar capital. On the way there, he’s joined by a few same-aged friends from the city – a gang that promptly calls itself die Detektive, the Detectives.
8. Momo, Michael Ende
- Amazon Kindle Edition
If there has ever been anyone to challenge Erich Kästner’s reputation for smart, thoughtful German children’s literature full of soul and heart, that would be Michael Ende.
Hailing from a later generation of German writers that explored more introspective themes in the decades following the war, Momo is one of Ende’s most unique works.
The story, taking place in a nameless, large city, follows the life of little Momo as she discovers her one great talent: taking the time to listen to people on a deep level and help them out when they’re struggling.
The notion of “giving someone your time” becomes way too literal for comfort as the city is invaded by an army of ominous gray men. Where the story goes past that is hard to explain, but suffice it to say that Momo was seriously controversial when it came out in the 70s.
Many critics called it too depressing or even too philosophical for a children’s book, whereas others called into question the highly abstract nature of the plot and the characters.
What’s certain is that Momo has established itself as one of the most famous German children’s novels ever written, and if you can stomach it (linguistically and thematically, that is), I definitely recommend the read.
9. Die Unendliche Geschichte, Michael Ende
I couldn’t go without mentioning Michael Ende’s other immensely successful novel for children, Die Unendliche Geschichte.
Made internationally famous by the English-language movie, The NeverEnding Story, the book follows the adventures of a young boy named Bastian who one day discovers a book simply calling itself “the neverending story”.
What he soon learns is that he is actually able to dive into the story world directly, eventually becoming one of its main characters and affecting it in profound ways.
As one of the most successful and well-known examples of German fantasy literature for kids and young adults, this is a must-read if you’re at all a fan of the genre.
Intermediate-level German novels
10. Die Blechtrommel, GĂĽnter Grass
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Günter Grass is not an easy character, neither in terms of his writing style nor in his public persona. Creating a huge controversy when he first published Die Blechtrommel in 1959, Grass has since then become one of Germany’s most cherished writers.
As for the plot, the book centers itself on a man who, from his earliest childhood years, realizes he has a fully-formed consciousness and intellect, and hence decides he will never physically age.
Inexplicably, his wish is granted, and he spends his entire adulthood in the body of a little boy.
Throughout his exploits, the one thing that accompanies this man tirelessly is a little tin drum – a piece of symbolism that has entered the German language as an idiomatic expression and made the book timeless.
11. Der Tod in Venedig, Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann is one of the greatest writers of the German Modernist school and a personal favorite, so to put one of his books on this list was a no-brainer for me.
What makes Der Tod in Venedig special is twofold.
First, it’s incredibly colorful. Mann’s signature cinematic writing style begs you to read slowly, taking in every word, every “shot” as you would. This perfectly fits the strangely tragic-romantic subject matter of the mental downfall of a middle-aged writer (there’s a lot more to it than just that, but I won’t spoil it for you).
Secondly, it’s short, straddling the line between a full novel and a novella. So despite the effort it may take you to understand some of its passages, it should not be too much of a book to ask for at an intermediate level of German.
12. Der Vorleser, Bernhard Schlink
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This book, like Die Unendliche Geschichte, gained fame years after its initial release thanks to an English-language movie adaptation called The Reader, starring Kate Winslet in the lead role.
Written in a straightforward, contemporary style, the book follows the story of a young lawyer who falls in love with an older woman in postwar Germany, only to later discover that she is hiding a dark secret about her time during the war.
With the remembrance of the Holocaust in today’s German culture being one of the central themes of the story, this is one of the best contemporary novels to read in German to acquaint yourself with such themes fundamental to the country’s culture and history.
This book is also available on Better World Books.
German novels and stories for advanced learners
13. Die Verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum, Heinrich Böll
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I have probably read more of Heinrich Böll than any other single German author – you can blame my father for that, as he made sure there was always a tall stack of his stories somewhere around the house.
Die Verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum is one of Böll’s most successful books, one of his most elegant to read, and the one I would recommend as the best introduction to his work.
It also happens to be one of the most famous German novels of the postwar period, dealing with issues of modern capitalism, the social culture of the West German society at the time, and the shallowness of mass media.
Böll has a very distinctive literary voice which may come off as a bit strange and hard to follow at first, but thanks to his use of quick sentences and dramatic expressions, you shouldn’t find yourself getting lost too much.
Still, I would mostly recommend this book to advanced readers if you want to get the most out of it.
This book is also available on Better World Books.
14. Der Steppenwolf, Hermann Hesse
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Hermann Hesse is one of the most celebrated of all German authors, and like Thomas Mann, he represents some of the very best to come out of the Modernist period.
Hesse’s style is a totally different one though, something that’s showcased really well by something like Der Steppenwolf. The story follows a man who is tormented by his “inner steppenwolf”, a creature explained only in the abstract.
His struggle with this double identity leads him down the seedy underbelly of Jazz Age Germany, including scenes of opium-fueled orgies and entire chapters that might as well be hallucinations, dreams, or out-of-body experiences depending on whom you ask.
The language itself isn’t what makes this book an “advanced learners only” title in my opinion. Rather, it’s the incredibly dense and fast-paced use of literary symbolism and visual motifs.
The real meaning of Der Steppenwolf is still being debated in the German-speaking world, and Hermann Hesse himself famously said that in the years following its release, everyone had gotten his intentions with the story entirely wrong!
Because of that, you might struggle at first – just like I did – with wrapping your head around the dense imagery that graces its pages. Believe me though that it’s definitely worth it if you feel up to the challenge!
15. Homo Faber, Max Frisch
For my final pick, and perhaps the most challenging one of them all, how about you read Homo Faber by Max Frisch?
It’s a quirky, unabashedly post-modern story of a man whose memory is riddled with holes and whose story – told by himself, naturally – keeps switching between past, present, and… something else?
The books of Max Frisch defy easy explanation or definition, and in fact, I would suggest you read more of his work to get a good grip on the way he writes and communicates. My favorite is Stiller, but I have also heard plenty of great things about his later work, such as Blaubart.
One more caveat: Frisch was Swiss, not German by birth, and this shows in his writing. He consistently followed Swiss spelling rules, which differ slightly from those common in Germany, and he also frequently made use of vocabulary and expressions that only exist in Switzerland.
In some of his stories, he even incorporates full-on Swiss German dialogue in short instances!
That might make his novels trickier to decipher for some, but those who are already proficient at reading German at a high level should have no trouble following most of it – and wondering about the meaning of it all like the rest of us!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this short list of German novels and storybooks at least half as much as I did writing it! As you can see, the German literary scene (and its long history) is really full of gems just begging to be explored, and you don’t have to be fluent to get started!
With any of these books, I would recommend you to be kind and generous with yourself. Take each story at the pace it needs, and don’t be afraid to look up words or phrases here or there if you don’t get something right away – even native speakers have to do that now and then!
Feel free to read some of our other pieces on how to learn German – whether by reading, writing, speaking, or listening!