Classic
Bartleby, der Schreiber
Herman Melville
In each language: Bartleby the Scrivener · Bartleby, der Schreiber · Bartleby, el escribiente · Bartleby le scribe · Bartleby, lo scrivano
A Wall Street lawyer hires a quiet new copyist named Bartleby, who copies an extraordinary amount at first, then begins answering every request with a calm 'I would prefer not to.' As the refusals pile up, his baffled employer cannot decide whether to fire him or feel responsible for him.
In English, German, Spanish, French and Italian · 2 chapters · about 14,400 words · 1 h 30 min to read.
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Comment ça commence
Bartleby, der Schreiber Eine Geschichte von der Wall Street.
Bartleby, The Scrivener A STORY OF WALL-STREET.
von Herman Melville Ich bin ein ziemlich alter Mann.
by Herman Melville I am a rather elderly man.
Die Natur meiner Beschäftigungen in den letzten dreißig Jahren hat mich mehr als gewöhnlich mit einer interessanten und etwas sonderbaren Gruppe von Männern in Kontakt gebracht, über die meines Wissens noch nie etwas geschrieben wurde: ich meine die Gesetzesschreiber oder Schreiber.
The nature of my avocations for the last thirty years has brought me into more than ordinary contact with what would seem an interesting and somewhat singular set of men, of whom as yet nothing that I know of has ever been written:—I mean the law-copyists or scriveners.
Languages
- Bartleby the Scrivener · English (original)14,371 words · ~1 h 15 min
- Bartleby, der Schreiber · GermanC2 Advanced · 14,202 words · ~1 h 15 min
- Bartleby, el escribiente · Spanish14,174 words · ~1 h 15 min
- Bartleby le scribe · French15,385 words · ~1 h 30 min
- Bartleby, lo scrivano · Italian13,772 words · ~1 h 15 min
Open in the reader: German with English · Spanish with English · French with English · Italian with English
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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 Bartleby the Scrivener 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 is C2 Advanced. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
- How long is it?
- About 14,371 words in 2 chapters: around 1 h 30 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.