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Stories from Spain / Historias de España
Dive into the tales of Spain-in Spanish and in English
In "Stories from Spain/Historias de Espana," we've placed the Spanish and English stories side by side--"lado a lado"--so you can practice and improve your reading skills in your new language while enjoying the support of your native language. This way, you'll avoid the inconvenience of constantly having to look up unfamiliar words and expressions in a dictionary. Read as much as you can understand, and then look to the facing page for help. As you read, you can check your comprehension by comparing the two versions of the story. You'll also find a bilingual vocabulary list at the end of the book, so you'll have a handy reference for new words.
"Stories from Spain/Historias de Espana" allows you to explore Spain's rich history. It included 18 well-known Spanish legends that chronicle almost 1,000 years of Spanish history. These tales will introduce you to an array of characters as dynamic and colorful as the country that gave birth to them. Moors, kings, nobles, rogues, and pirates are among those who will make these pages come alive for you As you read these stories side by side, you will be not only fine-tuning your language skills but also gaining insight into the rich cultural heritage of the Spanish people.
Lemor of Ireland = Lémore de Irlanda --
The gypsy's prophecy = La profecía de la gitana --
The ransom = Es rescate --
The lovers of Teruel = Los amantes de Teruel --
Aliatar's horse = El caballo de Aliatar --
The woman warrior = La mujer guerrera --
The old woman and the candlestick = La vieja del candelero --
The bridge of St. Martin in Toledo = El puente de San Martín en Toledo --
Casilda's roses = Las rosas de Casilda --
The mysterious drawer = El cajón misterioso --
The student of Salamanca = El estudiante de Salamanca --
Pedro de Urdemalas = Pedro de Urdemalas --
Murillo, the famous painter = Murillo, pinto famoso --
The mercy dagger = El puñal de misericordia --
The mystery of the lost jewels = El misterio de las joyas perdidas --
The pirate's cave = La gruta del pirata --
The spirits = Las ánimas --
The lady of stone = La dama de piedra
In "Stories from Spain/Historias de Espana," we've placed the Spanish and English stories side by side--"lado a lado"--so you can practice and improve your reading skills in your new language while enjoying the support of your native language. This way, you'll avoid the inconvenience of constantly having to look up unfamiliar words and expressions in a dictionary. Read as much as you can understand, and then look to the facing page for help. As you read, you can check your comprehension by comparing the two versions of the story. You'll also find a bilingual vocabulary list at the end of the book, so you'll have a handy reference for new words.
"Stories from Spain/Historias de Espana" allows you to explore Spain's rich history. It included 18 well-known Spanish legends that chronicle almost 1,000 years of Spanish history. These tales will introduce you to an array of characters as dynamic and colorful as the country that gave birth to them. Moors, kings, nobles, rogues, and pirates are among those who will make these pages come alive for you As you read these stories side by side, you will be not only fine-tuning your language skills but also gaining insight into the rich cultural heritage of the Spanish people.
Lemor of Ireland = Lémore de Irlanda --
The gypsy's prophecy = La profecía de la gitana --
The ransom = Es rescate --
The lovers of Teruel = Los amantes de Teruel --
Aliatar's horse = El caballo de Aliatar --
The woman warrior = La mujer guerrera --
The old woman and the candlestick = La vieja del candelero --
The bridge of St. Martin in Toledo = El puente de San Martín en Toledo --
Casilda's roses = Las rosas de Casilda --
The mysterious drawer = El cajón misterioso --
The student of Salamanca = El estudiante de Salamanca --
Pedro de Urdemalas = Pedro de Urdemalas --
Murillo, the famous painter = Murillo, pinto famoso --
The mercy dagger = El puñal de misericordia --
The mystery of the lost jewels = El misterio de las joyas perdidas --
The pirate's cave = La gruta del pirata --
The spirits = Las ánimas --
The lady of stone = La dama de piedra
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 31, 2018
Eses estan buenas historias; los gocé mucho. I learned a few new words.
March 6, 2021
I was pleased to find that I could read these stories fluently with my rusty Spanish. The stories were kind of boring.
December 23, 2022
me iba a morir de aburrimiento. todas las historias son históricas, por lo que el vocabulario ni siquiera es tan útil:/
March 5, 2021
Quirky dual language book of stories from Spanish folklore. One to dip in and out of rather than read right through.
April 15, 2022
These side-by-side books are really helpful for learning Spanish.
July 2, 2024
Muy interesante pero demasiado corto.
November 16, 2016
I was disappointed to reach the end of this collection of stories, which had given me pleasant reading over a couple of weeks.
The Spanish is, according to the estimation shown on the back cover, of intermediate standard. I don't have access to Spanish speakers to converse with, but have been reading Spanish for a couple of years and wanted something to maintain my proficiency. So each day I've been reading one story; there are eighteen stories altogether.
The stories are set out with a layout that is all but exactly the same throughout; for each story there is an attractive black and white drawing on a left hand page with introductory information in English and Spanish on the next right hand page, followed by the story itself, set out with English and Spanish on facing pages. Almost all of the stories are two pages in length (that is, two pages of Spanish, along with two pages of English translation). This was an ideal format for me, giving me a reading of a few minutes before I closed my day; and for those who need to resort more to the translation and vocabulary helps, I would imagine that the stories are short enough not to be overwhelming. But students of Spanish with greater proficiency may find the texts too short and insufficiently challenging.
The content of the stories will also affect a reader's response. The books preface states that "The eighteen legends are in chronological order and cover a period of more than a thousand years", from the eighth century to the end of the eighteenth. In one story, a pirate who breaks his leg is left on an island by his companions when he is unable to get back to their boat; discovered by islanders, he is taken to the village mayor, who treats him with kindness and has a beautiful daughter ... In another, a haughty lady steals a rosary from a chapel, bringing upon herself an unforeseen consequence. Of course, at something like two pages for each story, literary depth is not a consideration. As to the content, the reader to whom such tales are uninteresting had better look to improve their Spanish elsewhere. In my own case, learning something of a cultural heritage I know little of was actually part of the enjoyment. In fact, one of my criticisms of the volume is that the reader who is interested in such material is given no hints for further reading nor any significant indication of where the volume's authors have themselves found these tales.
A further disappointment is that not all of the eighteen tales are accompanied by (downloadable mp3) audio tracks. The front cover indicates that the volume "includes free audio download", while the back cover does include the more accurate information that the downloads are only of six chapters. The aural component of language-learning is significant, and so this struck me as a somewhat stingy provision.
The translation and the vocabulary lists (which include all significant vocabulary items) will be used according to the proficiency of the reader, but they are there if needed.
In sum, this is a very competently produced volume of stories which will serve well those endeavouring to improve their skills in Spanish as a foreign language, and will be all the more interesting to readers who enjoy the cultural content conveyed by these eighteen brief legends.
The Spanish is, according to the estimation shown on the back cover, of intermediate standard. I don't have access to Spanish speakers to converse with, but have been reading Spanish for a couple of years and wanted something to maintain my proficiency. So each day I've been reading one story; there are eighteen stories altogether.
The stories are set out with a layout that is all but exactly the same throughout; for each story there is an attractive black and white drawing on a left hand page with introductory information in English and Spanish on the next right hand page, followed by the story itself, set out with English and Spanish on facing pages. Almost all of the stories are two pages in length (that is, two pages of Spanish, along with two pages of English translation). This was an ideal format for me, giving me a reading of a few minutes before I closed my day; and for those who need to resort more to the translation and vocabulary helps, I would imagine that the stories are short enough not to be overwhelming. But students of Spanish with greater proficiency may find the texts too short and insufficiently challenging.
The content of the stories will also affect a reader's response. The books preface states that "The eighteen legends are in chronological order and cover a period of more than a thousand years", from the eighth century to the end of the eighteenth. In one story, a pirate who breaks his leg is left on an island by his companions when he is unable to get back to their boat; discovered by islanders, he is taken to the village mayor, who treats him with kindness and has a beautiful daughter ... In another, a haughty lady steals a rosary from a chapel, bringing upon herself an unforeseen consequence. Of course, at something like two pages for each story, literary depth is not a consideration. As to the content, the reader to whom such tales are uninteresting had better look to improve their Spanish elsewhere. In my own case, learning something of a cultural heritage I know little of was actually part of the enjoyment. In fact, one of my criticisms of the volume is that the reader who is interested in such material is given no hints for further reading nor any significant indication of where the volume's authors have themselves found these tales.
A further disappointment is that not all of the eighteen tales are accompanied by (downloadable mp3) audio tracks. The front cover indicates that the volume "includes free audio download", while the back cover does include the more accurate information that the downloads are only of six chapters. The aural component of language-learning is significant, and so this struck me as a somewhat stingy provision.
The translation and the vocabulary lists (which include all significant vocabulary items) will be used according to the proficiency of the reader, but they are there if needed.
In sum, this is a very competently produced volume of stories which will serve well those endeavouring to improve their skills in Spanish as a foreign language, and will be all the more interesting to readers who enjoy the cultural content conveyed by these eighteen brief legends.
July 23, 2012
Not a bad way to start reading in Spanish. Stories and language used to tell the stories are simple enough for a learner. This book can be read in one day if you read only the Spanish versions, using the English part to just clarify words and expressions you don't understand.
it'snot the most inspiring or exciting collection of stories, but it gets its task done of slowly teaching you to read. I am definitely looking up the other two books they recommended to me - Historias de Mexico and Historias de Puerto Rico.
November 7, 2015
I wish the authors would use English translations more true to the original Spanish.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews