Which languages can I read The Tell-Tale Heart in?

English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.

In translation, German, Spanish, French and Italian are C1 Advanced. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.

About 2,079 words: around 10–15 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

Yes. Read it online with no account. The e-reader files (EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account; the PDF doesn't.

Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?

Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.

Classic

Das verräterische Herz

Edgar Allan Poe

In each language: The Tell-Tale Heart · Das verräterische Herz · El corazón delator · Le Cœur révélateur · Il cuore rivelatore

A man insists he is not mad and calmly tells the whole story. He loved the old man and has no quarrel with him, yet the old man’s pale blue, filmy eye makes his blood run cold, and he resolves to be rid of it. Each midnight he quietly opens the old man’s door.

In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · about 2,100 words · 10–15 min to read.

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How it begins

GermanEnglish

Wahr! – nervös – sehr, sehr schrecklich nervös war ich gewesen und bin ich; aber warum wollt Ihr behaupten, dass ich wahnsinnig bin? Die Krankheit hatte meine Sinne geschärft – nicht zerstört – nicht abgestumpft. Vor allem war der Gehörsinn überaus fein.

True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute.

Ich hörte alle Dinge im Himmel und auf Erden. Ich hörte viele Dinge in der Hölle. Wie also bin ich wahnsinnig? Horcht! Und beobachtet, wie gesund – wie ruhig ich Euch die ganze Geschichte erzählen kann.

I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

Es ist unmöglich zu sagen, wie die Idee zuerst in mein Gehirn gelangte; aber einmal gefasst, verfolgte sie mich Tag und Nacht. Einen Grund gab es nicht. Leidenschaft gab es nicht. Ich liebte den alten Mann. Er hatte mir nie etwas zuleide getan. Er hatte mich nie beleidigt.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult.

The opening paragraphs, as the reader shows them. Read on

Languages

The Tell-Tale Heart · English (original)2,079 words · ~10 min
Das verräterische Herz · GermanC1 Advanced · 2,177 words · ~10 min
El corazón delator · SpanishC1 Advanced · 2,065 words · ~10 min
Le Cœur révélateur · FrenchC1 Advanced · 2,297 words · ~15 min
Il cuore rivelatore · ItalianC1 Advanced · 1,886 words · ~10 min

Open in the reader: German with English · Spanish with English · French with English · Italian with English

Reading it as a parallel text

A parallel text puts a story next to its translation, paragraph by paragraph. Read in the language you are working on and glance across only when a sentence stops you: the story keeps moving, and the words you look up stay in context. More in how to read with a parallel text.

Questions

Which languages can I read The Tell-Tale Heart in?: English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.
What level is it?: In translation, German, Spanish, French and Italian are C1 Advanced. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
How long is it?: About 2,079 words: around 10–15 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.
Is it free?: Yes. Read it online with no account. The e-reader files (EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account; the PDF doesn't.
Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?: Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.