Read in Spanish
Learn Spanish by readingreal books, at your level.
Passage has 87 Spanish books you can read today, all public-domain classics in their full text: 14 beginner, 35 intermediate and 38 advanced. The oldest is El conde Lucanor (1335), the newest Pasado amor (1929). Authors include Benito Pérez Galdós, Miguel de Unamuno, Horacio Quiroga, Ramón del Valle-Inclán and Vicente Blasco Ibáñez.
Picking your first Spanish book
Every Spanish book in Passage carries one of three levels. Beginner books suit readers who know the basics and want a first whole book. Intermediate books expect everyday Spanish to feel familiar. Advanced books have longer sentences and richer vocabulary.
Spanish spelling follows pronunciation closely, so reading builds vocabulary fast. The harder part is the verbs: the preterite and imperfect, and the subjunctive that literary Spanish uses everywhere. Tap a sentence and the note explains which form is used and why.
Spanish books for beginners 14
Intermediate Spanish books 35
Abel Sánchez
Aura o las violetas
Aves sin nido- Cecilia Valdés o la Loma del Ángel
Cuentos de Edgar Allan Poe
Cuentos fatales
Doña Perfecta- El caso extraño del Doctor Jekyll
El espejo de la muerte- El libro de las mil noches y una noche
El sombrero de tres picos
El sí de las niñas
El Zarco
El ángel de la sombra
Insolación y Morriña
Juvenilia
La aldea perdida
La barraca
La bolsa de huesos
La corte de Carlos IV
La gaviota
La hermana San Sulpicio
Lazarillo de Tormes- Los cuatro jinetes del Apocalipsis
Los desterrados- Mare nostrum
María
Narraciones inverosímiles
Narraciones maravillosas y biografías ejemplares de algunos grandes hombres humildes y desconocidos
Niebla
Pepita Jiménez
Recuerdos de mi vida: Mi infancia y juventud
Sangre y arena
Tres novelas ejemplares y un prólogo
Tristana
Advanced Spanish books 38
Amalia
Amor y pedagogía- Azul...
- Bailén
Cañas y barro- Cuentos de amor de locura y de muerte
Cuentos de la Alhambra- Don Quijote
Don Segundo Sombra
El anacronópete
El conde Lucanor
El escándalo
El juguete rabioso
Fortunata y Jacinta
Historia de la vida del Buscón
La guerra gaucha
La Regenta- La segunda casaca
La vorágine
Las fuerzas extrañas
Los caranchos de la Florida- Los miserables, tomo 1
- Los miserables, tomo 2
Los pazos de Ulloa
Los siete locos
Luces de bohemia
Misericordia
Noli me tángere
Novelas ejemplares- Obras escogidas de G. A. Bécquer
Sab
Sonata de estío
Sonata de otoño. Sonata de invierno
Sonata de primavera
Tirano Banderas- Tradiciones Peruanas
- Trafalgar
- Zaragoza
Questions about reading in Spanish
Can you learn Spanish by reading books?
Yes, once you know the basics. Reading shows you vocabulary and grammar in real context, and a book gives you thousands of sentences of practice. The two things that make it work are a book at the right level and help with the sentences you can't untangle. Passage marks every Spanish book beginner, intermediate or advanced, and explains any sentence you tap.
What are good Spanish books for beginners?
Passage marks 14 Spanish books as beginner. A few to start with: Cuentos de Navidad y Reyes by Emilia Pardo Bazán, La alegría del capitán Ribot by Armando Palacio Valdés, Marianela by Benito Pérez Galdós, La Edad de Oro by José Martí and Cuentos de color de rosa by Antonio de Trueba. Each one is the full original book, and any sentence you tap is explained.
How do I choose my level?
Start one level below where you think you are, and tap freely. If you understand the gist of most pages and only need help with a few sentences each page, the level is right. If you're tapping every line, go down a level.
What language are the explanations in?
You choose: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Turkish or Portuguese. Each explanation gives a natural translation of the sentence, a short grammar note and the key words.
Are the Spanish books free?
The books are public-domain classics. Passage is free to download and free to start. Passage Pro unlocks every book, unlimited explanations, unlimited saved words and all eight practice games, for $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month in the US, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial.