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 C1ClassicsMargaret Capel: A Novel, vol. 2 of 3Set against the breathtaking cliffs and tranquil seas of southern England, a young woman returns home from Italy, where her journey has transformed her spirit.
Level C1ClassicsMarch HaresOn his thirtieth birthday, a disillusioned man contemplates despair amid London's bustling streets but finds unexpected clarity and hope in the city's ceaseless rhythm—and the myst…
Level C1ClassicsMaradick at Forty: A TransitionA coastal town shrouded in mist sets the stage for the Maradick family’s annual departure, where social rituals and quiet tensions unfold amid the ebb and flow of seaside life and…
Level C1ClassicsMany Thoughts of Many Minds: A Treasury of Quotations from the Literature of Every Land and Every AgeExplore a vast collection of over 2,500 quotations spanning every topic and era, offering timeless wisdom and insight into human thought and experience.
Level C1ClassicsMany MarriagesA quiet Wisconsin manufacturer nears forty when an inexplicable inner transformation stirs dreams and doubts, challenging his steady life and forcing him to confront the heavy sile…
Level C1ClassicsMany KingdomsA pragmatic young man wakes in a strange foreign village where no one acknowledges his presence and no language is familiar, until a mysterious woman offers her help to guide him t…
Level C1ClassicsManslaughterLydia Little, a fiercely willful young woman, clashes with the world and those around her in a tale of defiance and struggle within a grand Fifth Avenue household.
Level C1ClassicsManners: A Novel, Vol 1In a quiet Yorkshire village, Mrs.
Level C1ClassicsMammon and Co.In a witty social gathering, sharp observations and playful banter reveal the quirks of upper-class life, where memory, manners, and egotism collide.
Level C1ClassicsMamba's daughtersIn early 20th-century Charleston, Mamba, a resourceful black woman from the waterfront, dares to bridge social divides by ingratiating herself with the struggling Wentworth family,…
Level C1ClassicsMam' Lyddy's Recognition: 1908In a Southern plantation's close-knit world, Mam' Lyddy, a proud and discerning matriarch, guards the honor of the French family while navigating the trials of love and loyalty sur…
Level C1ClassicsMal Moulée: A NovelTwo young women from contrasting worlds meet as roommates at a prestigious academy, their fates entwined by secrets and sorrow.
Level C1ClassicsMaking People HappyIn a lively drawing-room meeting, Cicily Hamilton leads a spirited group of women determined to advance social equality and the emancipation of women, navigating clashes and camara…
Level C1ClassicsMakar's Dream, and Other StoriesJourney to the remote Siberian wilderness where Makar, a weary exile, endures harsh labor and loneliness yet fiercely protests the injustices of life and the afterlife.
Level C1ClassicsMain-Travelled RoadsFollow the harsh realities of rural life on the American frontier, where endless toil, poverty, and isolation test the spirit of farmers and their families along the dusty, unforgi…
Level C1ClassicsMain StreetIn a small Midwestern town where tradition reigns supreme, a young woman named Carol Milford yearns to break free from the confines of conformity and find her true self amidst the…
Level C1ClassicsMaid of the MistA thrilling fox hunt turns perilous when riders face the treacherous Old Roman Road, testing their courage and endurance.
Level C1ClassicsMagnum Bonum; Or, Mother Carey's BroodA compassionate young doctor and his devoted mother open their home to a vulnerable orphaned teacher, weaving a tale of kindness, duty, and unexpected connections in a world where…
Level C1ClassicsMagnhild; DustIn a rugged Norwegian valley, a mysterious traveler encounters Magnhild, a woman whose quiet strength and singular presence hint at untold stories woven into the wild landscape and…
Level C1ClassicsMagic words: A tale for Christmas timeOn Christmas Day, joyful reunions and warm hearths fill the countryside, yet a solitary traveler with a heavy heart returns to a home that feels distant.
Level C1ClassicsMaggie: A Girl of the StreetsIn the gritty streets of a tough urban neighborhood, young Jimmie battles rival gangs and harsh realities, revealing the raw struggles of childhood survival amid poverty and violen…
Level C1ClassicsMaggie Miller: The Story of Old Hagar's SecretIn a secluded New England home shadowed by history and secrets, the proud and reclusive Madam Conway guards a mysterious past while neighbors watch warily from afar—until old Hagar…
Level C1ClassicsMaggie Lee!At a fashionable seminary, two young girls face sharply different futures: Arabella, groomed for society’s charms, and Mildred, destined to master the practical lessons of life.
Level C1ClassicsMagda: A Play in Four ActsIn a provincial city brimming with tradition and ceremony, the arrival of a commanding figure stirs tensions between old values and new passions, as a music festival sets the stage…
Level C1ClassicsMadonna MaryIn the sweltering heat of an Indian bungalow, Major Ochterlony grapples with unsettling news that casts a shadow over his marriage and their future, while his wife Mary navigates t…
Level C1ClassicsMadge Hardwicke; or, The mists of the valleyAmidst the tranquil coastal village shrouded in morning mist, Madge Hardwicke's quiet life conceals a past full of tempests and unanswered questions.
Level C1ClassicsMademoiselle de Maupin, Volume 2 (of 2)A young woman grapples with the awakening of a profound love for her close friend Théodore, whose delicate beauty blurs gender lines and ignites a passionate, introspective journey…
Level C1ClassicsMademoiselle Olympe ZabriskiIn a world where gossip fuels high society, a proud young millionaire’s mysterious troubles ignite whispers of scandal and forbidden love, challenging the rigid expectations of lin…
Level C1ClassicsMademoiselle Miss, and Other StoriesIn a lively yet melancholic Parisian spring, a close-knit group grapples with the departure of Mademoiselle Miss to England, revealing the deep, unspoken bonds and quiet sorrows th…
Level C1ClassicsMadelon: A NovelAmidst a snowy village and haunting music, Burr Gordon navigates family tensions and inner conflicts as he contemplates a visit that stirs complex feelings of love and loyalty.
Level C1ClassicsMadcapA spirited young heiress defies convention with reckless horse rides and a carefree attitude, navigating life’s pleasures and pitfalls in a grand house filled with admirers and adv…
Level C1ClassicsMadame de TreymesIn the elegant backdrop of Paris, a chance encounter between John Durham and the enigmatic Madame de Malrive unfolds, revealing the subtle tensions and unspoken possibilities benea…
Level C1ClassicsMadame FirmianiIn a Parisian society where appearances and whispers shape reputations, Madame Firmiani’s world unfolds through the eyes of diverse characters—each revealing the delicate emotions…
Level C1ClassicsMadame DelphineIn the fading grandeur of New Orleans’ Rue Royale, an ancient house shelters the enigmatic Madame Delphine, a retired quadroon whose past intertwines with the city’s complex Creole…
Level C1ClassicsMadame De MauvesA young man at Saint-Germain-en-Laye encounters a mysterious American woman whose silent charm captivates him, sparking curiosity and an invitation that promises to unveil the intr…
Level C1ClassicsMadame ChrysanthèmeA French naval officer arrives in Japan, enchanted by its exotic beauty and culture, and dreams of marrying a local woman to escape his loneliness.
Level C1ClassicsMadame Bovary: A Tale of Provincial Life, Vol. 1 (of 2)In a quiet provincial town, a young doctor's marriage to the beautiful but restless Emma Bovary sparks a yearning for passion and escape beyond mundane life, revealing the complexi…
Level C1ClassicsMadam: A NovelIn a grand country house, young Rosalind navigates a world of hidden tensions beneath serene luxury, confronting secrets and old grudges as a storm brews both outside and within th…
Level C1ClassicsMadam Crowl's Ghost and the Dead SextonAn aging nurse recounts her first eerie engagement at Applewale House, where whispers of a haunted lady and shadowy figures blur the line between the living and the spectral.
Level C1ClassicsMad: A Story of Dust and AshesSeptimus Hardon, awkward in appearance but with a heart full of unspoken love, lives a quiet life shadowed by his secret passion for Mary Phillips, betrothed to his friend Tom Grey…
Level C1ClassicsMad Shepherds, and Other Human StudiesIn a quiet village, a fiercely intelligent clergyman's wife defies social norms, while Snarley Bob, a tempestuous head shepherd, navigates fierce passions and complex human bonds—r…
Level C1ClassicsMacleod of DareIn the fading light of Castle Dare, a proud Highland family faces the weight of loss and legacy as the last son prepares to leave home.
Level C1ClassicsMacaulay's Life of Samuel Johnson, with a Selection from his Essay on JohnsonDiscover the early life and remarkable intellect of a prodigious boy whose love of reading and sharp wit set the stage for a brilliant career in letters, shaped by family, educatio…
Level C1ClassicsMabel: A Novel. Vol. 3 (of 3)Haunted by a past fire that scarred her both physically and emotionally, Mabel faces lingering trauma while cared for by those around her.
Level C1ClassicsMabel: A Novel. Vol. 2 (of 3)In the aftermath of a devastating fire, a village grapples with suspicion and remorse as a mysterious stranger urges justice for a dark deed committed among them, while a repentant…
Level C1ClassicsMabel: A Novel. Vol. 1 (of 3)A young officer, recently returned from India, seeks health and renewal in the tranquil English countryside, where the beauty of a peaceful village and its inhabitants slowly draw…
Level C1ClassicsMabel's MistakeIn a richly described autumnal valley near the Harlem River, an old mansion with a storied past sets the stage for a tale of family and hidden emotions, where nature's beauty contr…
Level C1ClassicsMa PettengillOn a quiet ranch, the formidable Ma Pettengill commands respect with her sharp tongue and surprising kindness as she guides a novice through the delicate art of knitting, revealing…