Da Capo

I got this book for an Italian class, and it has been incredible. I went to Italy several years ago, and my Italian was pretty fluent by the end of that time, but since then I haven't been speaking much and needed a refresher. I would say this is great book if you want to work refresh your grammar as it is very neatly laid out and very easy to find information. (In most of the beginners Italian books I had, I learned through conversational practice and topics, so it's nice to have a book completely organized for grammar.) I would also say that this is NOT a good book for beginners as many reviewers have stated below because it doesn't provide as much information as to how the grammar is used in conversation. But whether you're looking for a good Italian grammar reference book, or looking to refresh your Italian, this is definitely a solid choice. (Also, for those of you trying to refresh vocabulary, pick up a book or short story in Italian and just try reading through it, looking up vocab words after reading through a chapter or segment. Or just read one of the Italian papers like Repubblica or Corriere della Sera online.)

Da Capo, as the title "From the Begining" states, does start with basic Italian essentials; it is not, however, a true beginner's text. It is an excellent text for intermediate students who have had classes, had some working knowledge of Italian, or had finished using a primary test. The book offers vocabulary, dialogues, reading pieces and exercises which showcase Italian culture. It does not, as do some of the other Italian texts, offer inane conversation or translation pieces simply to illustrate the lesson's grammar and vocabulary. The lessons include day-to-day speech patterns, not just the stiff grammatically correct phrases that one is unlikely to hear in everyday Italian conversation. The grammar lessons are well designed in a concentrated fashion. Da Capo is a worthwhile follow-on textbook for students who are both serious about studying the Italian language and putting some effort into that study.

I used the softcover version of this text in a class a few years ago, and it's great. It's truly unfortunate that the publisher has decided to upsell the book my reintroducing in hardcover format. I wish I could recommend something better, but I can't. My advice is to find a gently used copy for the softcover edition.

I bought this a few years ago for an evening class. The class wasn't too good, but I worked my way through the book and found it excellent. The explanations are clear and straightforward, the vocabulary is useful, and you can actually learn a lot about how to use the subjunctive and the conditional. It also has useful information about troublesome cognates and word usage. I would recommend this quite highly for anyone trying to learn Italian. It's a review grammar so in theory you should already know a little Italian, but if you have some knowledge of French, Spanish or Latin, or if you just have a positive attitude, you should have no problems with this book.

Having started Advanced Italian lessons, I find Da Capo an excellent review of the grammar structure and a good vocabulary enhancer for those who have had a comprehensive overview of Italian through beginning and intermediate classes. It starts off at a steady pace that allows students to review rules and those pesky exceptions. It maintains a good level of interest, espcially important since it main task is to review previously learned materials. Although I find the book a bit pricey, especially for a paperback, it is a great way to master previously studied material and bridge the gap from familiarity to fluency in the Italian Language. Bravo!