Advanced Italian books (level C1)
These advanced readers stay close to the original language: the passato remoto, gerunds and participles, literary vocabulary and shades of register are all here, with footnotes and a glossary as your safety net. They are the last step before reading nineteenth-century originals: and a pleasure in themselves for teachers and lovers of Italian literature.
On this page: I Viceré: a merciless Sicilian family saga; Piccolo mondo antico: lyrical prose between faith and reason; Il piacere: D'Annunzio's dazzling decadent Rome.
The level C1 books
What you can do at each level
| Level | What you can do in Italian | Books |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Introduce yourself, ask simple questions, follow short sentences spoken slowly. | 4 in paperback |
| A2 | Talk about your day and your past, get by in shops and on a trip. | 5 in paperback |
| B1 | Tell a story, give your opinion, follow the main points of a conversation. | 5 in paperback |
| B2 | Discuss abstract topics, follow most films and the news, write a clear argument. | 5 in paperback |
| C1 | Read long literary texts, notice tone and register, speak fluently at work. | 2 in paperback |
| C2 | Understand almost everything, catch fine nuances, read any original. | The originals |
Is C1 your level?
Take the free level test: grammar, reading and vocabulary, no sign-up. Then read the free Amazon sample of one of the C1 books: if you understand about 90% without a dictionary, you are in the right place. If you stop on almost every line, try the B2 books.
Questions about the C1 books
How long are the C1 books?
110 to 133 pages in the 6×9 paperback, in 20 chapters, each followed by comprehension questions.
Which C1 book should I read first?
Piccolo mondo antico, if you want a story that moves steadily: a family on Lake Lugano in the years before Italian unification. Il piacere, set in D’Annunzio’s Rome, has the richer and more ornate language.
Paperback or Kindle?
Both, on Amazon. The paperback is $9.99 on Amazon.com; prices vary by country. The links on this page open the paperback, and the Kindle edition is on the same Amazon page.
