Short Stories in Spanish
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Title:
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Short Stories In Spanish
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Editor:
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John R. King
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Publisher:
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Penguin Putnam Inc., New York, NY
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ISBN:
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0-140-26541-4
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Reviewed By:
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Frank Fogg
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Review Date:
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June, 2002
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Rating:
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The New Penguin Parallel Text Short Stories in Spanish is a bi-lingual paperback reader. It contains ten short stories by different Spanish language authors and is about 230 pages long.
 The stories in this collection are by familiar Spanish language authors that readers will recognize, including Isabel Allende and Carlos Fuentes. Each story is laid out in a side-by-side format, with the story on the left facing page, and the English translation on the right. In situations that the translation is difficult or unsure, the Spanish words are tagged with note numbers, and a list of these notes are in the back of the book.
Each story has its own unique theme. Flavored with Spanish influences, these stories are more likely to please the mature reader with their sublime messages and twisting storylines. The editor guides the reader through the intent of each story in the introduction, and also tells how the authors viewed their creations.
Although the stories in this collection are entertaining, the stories themselves require a firm grasp of Spanish to fully understand. I found myself frequently referring to the English translation or the notes at the back of the book.
Any student wishing to improve their mastery of advanced Spanish will find this book fun to read while also being challenging. Those readers looking for an easy beginner or mid-level bi-lingual reader should look elsewhere.
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