What Book or Movie Made You Realize You Actually Understand a Language?

Hello everyone,

I’ve often heard people say that if you can read and understand 1984 by George Orwell in English, then you’ve basically reached around 90% proficiency in the language.

The reason I’m asking this is because I struggle with perfectionism. For several years now, it has affected me both in language learning and in my professional life. I always feel like I’m “not good enough yet,” even when I actually understand a lot.

So I’m curious about your perspective.

For native English speakers:

Do you think there are specific books, movies, or TV series that, if a learner can fully understand them, it means they have a strong command of English?

And not just English — I’d also love to hear from speakers of other languages (Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Persian, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, etc.):

👉 In your opinion, what are some books or media in your language such that if a learner can understand them (let’s say 80–90%), you would consider them proficient or close to native level?

From my own experience:

Azerbaijani is my native language, and I’ve read many books in Turkish. When I understand around 80–90% of a Turkish book, I feel quite confident in my level.

So I wonder:

Is there really a “threshold” like this? A book, a film, or a type of content that signals true fluency?

I’d really appreciate your thoughts.