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  • The Awful German Language

  • By: Mark Twain
  • Narrated by: Cathy Dobson
  • Length: 49 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (40 ratings)

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The Awful German Language

By: Mark Twain
Narrated by: Cathy Dobson
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Publisher's summary

Mark Twain's classic satire on the German language. A must listen for anybody learning German or living in a German-speaking country.

"The Germans have another kind of parenthesis, which they make by splitting a verb in two and putting half of it at the beginning of an exciting chapter and the other half at the end of it. Can anyone conceive of anything more confusing than that?

These things are called 'separable verbs'. The German grammar is blistered all over with separable verbs; and the wider the two portions of one of them are spread apart, the better the author of the crime is pleased with his performance."

Public Domain (P)2013 Red Door Audiobooks
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What listeners say about The Awful German Language

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Hilarious and spot on!

I loved this book and highly recommend it to any one who is trying to learn German. Twain nails it!

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Die Storyestmosthilariouslyfunnying

Great Twain. Sarcastic, but oh so true. How many words can YOU stick together? Hint - the Germans will beat you every time.

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3 people found this helpful

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This is a terrific piece of writing!

Twain's viewpoint on the German language was written a long time ago. He has been one of my favorite writers since I was a child and this is one of his funnier pieces. It is only surpassed by his story about crossing the Platte River near Julesburg CO where I currently live.

He tells a story about a buffalo climbing a tree after a hunter that makes most people laugh out loud.

I advocate reading more Twain for the good of your digestive and respiratory system!

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7 people found this helpful