Demetrio Pianelli: an Italian book for beginners (A2)
Emilio De Marchi · adapted by Alessio Insegnante · CEFR level A2
Emilio De Marchi's classic (1890), rewritten for learners of Italian at level A2: calibrated sentences, footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions in every chapter.
Ebook free with Kindle Unlimited · $4.99 · also in 6×9 paperback
The plot of Demetrio Pianelli
Milan, late nineteenth century. When his half-brother Cesarino takes his own life after stealing money from the office, the modest clerk Demetrio Pianelli shoulders everything: the debts, the scandal, and the widow Beatrice with her three children.
Day after day, through silent sacrifices, Demetrio discovers he feels something for Beatrice that he cannot confess. A delicate, profound novel about Milan's petite bourgeoisie and the hidden greatness of ordinary lives.
Why read Demetrio Pianelli to learn Italian
This is the everyday Italian of home and office, the kind you actually need: salaries, debts, family dinners. The descriptive imperfetto flows naturally, and the simple, moving register keeps you wanting to reach the end.
Inside this reader
CEFR adaptation
The text is fully rewritten for level A2, with controlled vocabulary and syntax, while staying faithful to the original plot.
Footnotes and glossary
Footnotes on difficult words and a final glossary, so you can read independently without a dictionary.
Comprehension questions
Every chapter ends with questions to check understanding, just like in class.
Paperback and ebook
6×9 paperback on cream paper, or Kindle ebook. The same text also lives in the ti app.
Language focus: what you practise
In this level-A2 edition you mainly practise imperfetto versus passato prossimo, the simple future, direct and indirect pronouns. The vocabulary revolves around home, the office and money: the key words, with translations, are in the glossary below and recur throughout the text, so you learn them in context.
Essential glossary (Italian · English · Dutch)
| Italian | English | Dutch |
|---|---|---|
| l'impiegato | clerk | de kantoorbediende |
| la vedova | widow | de weduwe |
| il debito | debt | de schuld |
| il sacrificio | sacrifice | de opoffering |
| lo stipendio | salary | het salaris |
| il fratellastro | half-brother | de halfbroer |
| l'ufficio | office | het kantoor |
| la dignità | dignity | de waardigheid |
About the author: Emilio De Marchi
Emilio De Marchi (1851–1901), from Milan, portrayed the ordinary people of his city with a Christian, deeply humane eye. Demetrio Pianelli is his masterpiece, a bridge between Manzoni and the twentieth-century novel.
Details and difficulty level
A2 is solid elementary Italian: still simple sentences, but with the imperfetto, the future tense and a wider vocabulary. This reader suits learners with a few months of Italian who want to finish their first complete story. Format: 6×9 paperback on cream paper or Kindle ebook; 20 chapters with footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions. All level A2 books →
Frequently asked questions
What level of Italian do I need to read Demetrio Pianelli?
This edition of Demetrio Pianelli is rewritten for CEFR level A2. A2 is solid elementary Italian: still simple sentences, but with the imperfetto, the future tense and a wider vocabulary. This reader suits learners with a few months of Italian who want to finish their first complete story.
Is this Emilio De Marchi's original text?
No, it is an adaptation: the plot and spirit of Emilio De Marchi's original remain, but vocabulary and syntax are rewritten for level A2, with footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions at the end of every chapter.
Which formats is it available in?
Paperback (6×9, cream paper) and Kindle ebook on Amazon. The ebook is free to read with Kindle Unlimited. The same text also lives in the ti app, with vocabulary translated into 14 languages.
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