Il corsaro nero: an Italian book for beginners (A2)
Emilio Salgari · adapted by Alessio Insegnante · CEFR level A2
Emilio Salgari's classic (1898), 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 Il corsaro nero
The Caribbean, seventeenth century. Emilio di Roccabruna, lord of Ventimiglia, has become the Black Corsair for one purpose only: to avenge his brothers, killed by the traitor Wan Guld, governor of Maracaibo. With his ship, the Folgore, he spreads terror among the Spanish galleons.
But fate places Honorata in his path, a mysterious and beautiful woman hiding a terrible secret. Between boardings, jungles and blood oaths, Salgari's most famous adventure races on to the very last page.
Why read Il corsaro nero to learn Italian
The pace of adventure makes you read page after page without noticing: ideal for building reading stamina at A2. Short sentences full of movement verbs and sea vocabulary make every scene easy to visualise.
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 the sea, adventure and action: 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 |
|---|---|---|
| il corsaro | corsair | de kaper |
| la nave | ship | het schip |
| la vendetta | revenge | de wraak |
| il mare | sea | de zee |
| il traditore | traitor | de verrader |
| la tempesta | storm | de storm |
| il giuramento | oath | de eed |
| l'assalto | assault | de aanval |
About the author: Emilio Salgari
Emilio Salgari (1862–1911) wrote more than eighty adventure novels while hardly ever travelling: Malaysian pirates, Caribbean corsairs, tigers and sailing ships all born from his imagination and entire libraries of atlases.
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 Il corsaro nero?
This edition of Il corsaro nero 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 Salgari's original text?
No, it is an adaptation: the plot and spirit of Emilio Salgari'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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