Classics
Read Classics Classics in English
5,467 classics books at CEFR A2 to C2 — learn English by reading the stories worth reading. Select any word for an instant translation, listen to the narration read the page aloud, and save the vocabulary you meet. Pick your level and start with a free sample.
What are the best classics classics to read in English as a learner?
The best classics classics for English learners are the well-known titles you can read in the original — start with Émile Zola, Novelist and Reformer: An Account of His Life & Work, Æschylos Tragedies and Fragments and Âmona; The Child; And The Beast; And Others: From "The Strange Adventure of James Shervinton, and Other Stories" - 1902. Each one is labelled with a CEFR level, any word you do not know is one selection away from a translation, and the narration reads the page aloud while it highlights the words.
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Level C1Classics"Swingin round the cirkle"A sharp-witted satirical voice navigates the turbulent aftermath of the Civil War, exposing political loyalties and struggles through the eyes of a displaced Democratic pastor.
Level C1Classics"Swat the Fly!": A One-Act FantasyIn a shadowy garden behind a laboratory, a determined inspector confronts a doctor accused of cruel animal experiments, while a curious boy secretly cares for the creatures.
Level C1Classics"Surly Tim": A Lancashire StoryIn a Lancashire factory, a young manager seeks to unravel the mystery behind "Surly Tim," a misunderstood and solitary worker whose gruff exterior hides acts of quiet kindness and…
Level C1Classics"Speaking of Operations--"After a mysterious, drifting pain leads him to the surgeon’s office, the narrator explores the strange, shared experience of undergoing an operation—revealing how this personal ord…
Level C1Classics"Short Sixes": Stories to be Read While the Candle BurnsIn a cozy New York room, two young women hold a secret ritual worshipping the portrait of a famed French tenor, embodying the restless yearning of youth to idolize and find meaning…
Level C1Classics"Seth"A weary young English miner arrives at a remote Tennessee coal town, hoping to find work and shelter through a connection with a company owner.
Level C1Classics"Our Street"A vivid portrait of a street caught between old country charm and rapid urban transformation reveals the quirky characters and spirited conflicts within its fading and rising neigh…
Level C1Classics"Moo-oo-oo-oo!"A city traffic officer’s dull routine brightens each day with the brief, enchanting visits of a mysterious woman in a silky roadster, stirring dreams of love and longing amid the c…
Level C1Classics"Good-Morning, Rosamond!"In a genteel village where tradition reigns, Rosamond Mearely, a proud widow, navigates the strict rules of decorum and the unyielding scrutiny of her household staff.
Level C1Classics"Everyman," with other interludes, including eight miracle playsMedieval English towns come alive through vibrant pageants and miracle plays, blending biblical tales with the daily lives of craftsmen and townsfolk.
Level C1Classics"Der Tag"; or, The Tragic ManAn Emperor contemplates signing a declaration that will plunge his nation into war, revealing the tense alliances and fragile honor that bind Europe on the brink of conflict.
Level C1Classics"Clear the Track!" A Story of To-dayAmidst the vibrant spring festival on the Riviera, a group of foreigners witness lavish floral celebrations and the captivating presence of the Wildenrods, where charm, rivalry, an…
Level C1Classics"Chinkie's Flat": 1904A remote Queensland mining camp thrives amid harsh sun and scarce water, where a famed gold-crushing battery fuels a frenzied rush of prospectors.
Level C1Classics"Browne's Folly": (From: "The Doliver Romance and Other Pieces: Tales and Sketches")On a hill known as Brown's Folly, the ruins of a grand, ill-fated mansion hold stories of a Royalist exile and eerie family legends, inviting a journey into the layered history and…
Level C1Classics"A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a SculptressIn a city torn between wealth and poverty, a bold sculptress shatters societal norms with her daring art, while a fiery preacher challenges the congregation on morality and hypocri…
Level C1Classics"A Cathcart or a Riggs?"In a turbulent Western mining town, the fiery and unpredictable Pearl Brown ignites reform and rivalry, challenging the status quo with bold actions and sharp wit.
Level C1Science FictionA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's CourtThe classic science-fiction novel by Mark Twain.
Level C1ClassicsA Tale of Two CitiesThe classic historical novel by Charles Dickens.
Level C1RomanceA pair of blue eyesThe classic romance novel by Thomas Hardy.
Level C1HistoricalAutobiography of Benjamin FranklinThe classic historical novel by Benjamin Franklin.
Level C1RomanceCamille (La Dame aux Camilias)The classic romance novel by Alexandre Dumas.
Level C1ClassicsCranfordThe classic classics novel by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell.
Level C1ClassicsCrime and PunishmentThe classic mystery novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Level C1ClassicsDavid CopperfieldThe classic classics novel by Charles Dickens.
Level C1HorrorDraculaLetters and journals trace a vampire's voyage from the Carpathians to London.
Level C1ClassicsGreat ExpectationsThe classic classics novel by Charles Dickens.
Level C1AdventureGulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the WorldThe classic adventure novel by Jonathan Swift.
Level C1RomanceJane Eyre: An AutobiographyThe classic romance novel by Charlotte Brontë.
Level C1RomanceManon LescautThe classic romance novel by abbé Prévost.
Level C1HistoricalNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American SlaveThe classic historical novel by Frederick Douglass.
Level C1ClassicsOliver Twist, Vol. 2 (of 3)The classic mystery novel by Charles Dickens.
Level C1RomancePride and PrejudiceWit, pride and slow-burning love in the drawing rooms of Regency England.
Level C1RomanceSense and SensibilityThe classic romance novel by Jane Austen.
Level C1MysteryThe Man Who Was Thursday: A NightmareThe classic mystery novel by G.
Level C1MysteryThe MoonstoneThe classic mystery novel by Wilkie Collins.
Level C1GothicThe Mysteries of UdolphoThe classic mystery novel by Ann Ward Radcliffe.
Level C1MysteryThe Mystery of Edwin DroodThe classic mystery novel by Charles Dickens.
Level C1GothicThe Picture of Dorian GrayA portrait ages while its beautiful owner does not — Wilde’s only novel.
Level C1ClassicsThe Scarlet LetterThe classic historical novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Level C1MysteryThe Woman in WhiteThe classic mystery novel by Wilkie Collins.
Level C1ClassicsWhite nights, and other storiesThe classic classics novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Level C1GothicWuthering HeightsThe classic gothic novel by Emily Brontë.
Level C1PhilosophyThe Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: Translated From the Sanscrit in Seven Parts With Preface, Introduction and Concluding RemarksThe classic romance novel by Vatsyayana.