The Awful German Language

Description

Mark Twain wasn’t always quick to complain and criticize something, but when he did, he went all out. This remarkably well-written essay about the German language is a testament to Twain’s knowledge, skill and understanding, as well as to his remarkable humor that has captivated many through his books, and is equally prevalent in The Awful German Language.

German is considered by many to be a very difficult language to learn – at least when it isn’t necessarily your first language. That didn’t change much since Mark Twain’s day, and so this bilingual essay is an extremely good set of examples of what the differences between German and English are, and how much more problematic certain issues, such as learning lengthy words, dealing with cases and coping with grammatical genders, may be.

The author goes to great lengths to criticize the language, but he is also a fair player, pointing out the advantages associated with German as well, including a lack of differences between adverbs and adjectives and the increased clarity when it comes to pronunciation, as it is related to the written word.

Whether you’ve just been studying German for a while, or German is your mother tongue, reading this entertaining, as well as informative little work may help you get a lot of insight on the language itself, as well as Mark Twain’s unique and oftentimes hilarious portrayal of certain “qualities” that make learning the language all the more challenging.

Although it may, at first, seem like it wouldn’t really be a good read unless you are acquainted with both German and English, the essay is actually well-written and entertaining enough for anyone to benefit from. If ever you thought that German sounded a little too challenging, you will definitely feel better after reading The Awful German Language, a fun and interesting work of literary art the likes of which only Mark Twain could have come up with.
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