Which languages can I read Five Weeks in a Balloon in?

English and German. 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.

The original English is A2 Easy. In translation, German is A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.

About 48,186 words in 44 chapters: around 9 h 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.

Easy Classics A2 · Story 18

Five Weeks in a Balloon

Retold in easy English (A2) from the novel by Jules Verne

In each language: Five Weeks in a Balloon · Fünf Wochen im Ballon

Jules Verne's first great adventure, retold in full in easy English. Doctor Ferguson has a bold plan: to cross Africa from east to west in a balloon, high above the land that no explorer has ever seen whole. With his friend Kennedy, a famous hunter, and his cheerful servant Joe, he leaves the coast of Zanzibar. Storms, thirst, hungry lions, strange kings and burning deserts wait below. Every day the gas grows lighter, and the journey gets more dangerous.

In English and German · 44 chapters · about 48,200 words · 9 h 15 min to read.

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

Dr Ferguson

Dr. Ferguson

On the fourteenth of January, 1862, a big crowd came to the Royal Geographical Society in London. The hall was full. The president, Sir Francis, stood at the front and made a speech. People often stopped him with loud applause.

Am vierzehnten Januar 1862 ist eine große Menge zur Royal Geographical Society in London gekommen. Der Saal war voll. Der Präsident, Sir Francis, hat vorne gestanden und eine Rede gehalten. Die Leute haben ihn oft mit lautem Applaus unterbrochen.

“England is always first,” he said. “Our explorers go to the farthest places in the world. Now Dr Samuel Ferguson, one of our best sons, is going to do something new.”

„England ist immer vorn“, hat er gesagt. „Unsere Forscher gehen an die fernsten Orte auf der Welt. Jetzt will Dr. Samuel Ferguson, einer von unseren besten Söhnen, etwas Neues machen.“

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

Languages

Five Weeks in a Balloon · English (original)A2 Easy · 48,186 words · ~9 h
Fünf Wochen im Ballon · GermanA2 Easy · 49,873 words · ~9 h 15 min

Open in the reader: German with English · English with German

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 Five Weeks in a Balloon in?: English and German. 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?: The original English is A2 Easy. In translation, German is A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
How long is it?: About 48,186 words in 44 chapters: around 9 h 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.