It is funny that many people seem to have this idea at the same time. Must be that the time has come for this.
A while back I wrote a bunch of python scripts that do the same thing for subtitles for myself.
Regarding your problem with Goethe and Mann: Maybe you shouldn't try to start with "the masters". I read books in various languages and have come to the conclusion that after a hard day at work I just can't read a nobel prize winner in a foreign language. What I can read, however, is a crime novel, or something funny (Maybe even a comic book).
Here is a book that I would recommend for you to read if you want to read an important, well-known but easy german novel:
"Der Schatz im Silbersee" by Karl May: This is an escapist western written in the 19th century and actually one of the most read German novels of all times. Rest assured that every famous German you know (including Einstein and the bad one with the ridiculous beard) have read this in their youth.
you hit it right on the money with the nobel prize winners :)
I have to (guiltily) admit reading a krimi or bestseller is fun, you know the words, you're done after a couple train rides, it was usually exiting - of course then you forget it, because the contents where basically nothing. I have liked max frisch though and Kafka is also surprisingly easy when you consider people study him, also thanks for karl may suggestion I'll put it on my to read list. The thing is sometimes you want something to think about and I know there's many great german authors and I'd like to be able to "get" them like I do Borges :)
A while back I wrote a bunch of python scripts that do the same thing for subtitles for myself.
Regarding your problem with Goethe and Mann: Maybe you shouldn't try to start with "the masters". I read books in various languages and have come to the conclusion that after a hard day at work I just can't read a nobel prize winner in a foreign language. What I can read, however, is a crime novel, or something funny (Maybe even a comic book).
Here is a book that I would recommend for you to read if you want to read an important, well-known but easy german novel:
"Der Schatz im Silbersee" by Karl May: This is an escapist western written in the 19th century and actually one of the most read German novels of all times. Rest assured that every famous German you know (including Einstein and the bad one with the ridiculous beard) have read this in their youth.