Classics
Read Classics Classics in English
6,942 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 C1ClassicsJohn Leech's Pictures of Life and CharacterStep into a bygone era where childhood memories are shaped by haunting portraits, wax figures, and vivid tales of knights and royalty.
Level C1ClassicsJohn Ingerfield, and Other StoriesIn a gritty London neighborhood shadowed by a weathered churchyard, the tale of John Ingerfield unfolds—a saga of a hard-headed family whose legacy is forged in battle, business, a…
Level C1ClassicsJohn Halifax, GentlemanA strong, determined boy named John Halifax appears at a rain-soaked alley, seeking work and shelter.
Level C1ClassicsJohn Gabriel BorkmanA disgraced banker clings to lost power while entangled in the lives of two contrasting sisters, revealing the haunting consequences of ambition and betrayal.
Level C1ClassicsJohn Forster: By One of His FriendsA formidable literary figure rises from humble beginnings to become a respected guide and arbiter among London's elite writers and politicians, wielding a sharp tongue and indomita…
Level B2ClassicsJohn Dene of Toronto: A Comedy of WhitehallA determined outsider arrives at the unassuming British Admiralty, insisting on delivering a message worth three thousand miles of travel.
Level C1ClassicsJohn Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, ClassifiedExplore the vibrant world of 19th-century Scottish chap-books, revealing raw, humorous, and unfiltered glimpses into rural life, popular beliefs, and peasant culture through the ey…
Level C1ClassicsJohn CaldigateA stern country squire mourns his lost family while struggling to connect with his rebellious son, whose wild pursuits and affection for lively cousins clash with his father's rigi…
Level C1ClassicsJohn Bull; Or, The Englishman's Fireside: A Comedy, in Five ActsIn a rustic Cornish inn, Dennis Brulgruddery grapples with ill fortune and a new marriage, while sharp wit and lively characters expose the follies and generosity of human nature i…
Level C1ClassicsJohn Bull's Other IslandWhen Broadbent, a spirited civil engineer, receives a curious visitor from Ireland, he prepares for a journey to the island that promises unexpected encounters and lively adventure…
Level C1ClassicsJohn BarleycornA man reflects on his lifelong struggle with alcohol, exploring its grip as both a tormentor and a revealer of harsh truths.
Level C1ClassicsJoe Miller's Jests, with Copious AdditionsDive into a lively collection of sharp jests, witty repartees, and clever anecdotes attributed to the famously humorless Joe Miller, whose name ironically became synonymous with ti…
Level C1ClassicsJoe Miller's Jests, or The Wits Vade-MecumDive into a lively collection of the wittiest jests, sharp repartees, and amusing short stories, capturing the vibrant humor and social quirks of the age with sparkling dialogue an…
Level C1ClassicsJocelynGiles Legard confronts a stirring transformation as he grapples with the stark realities of life during a sunlit afternoon in Hôtel Milano, where isolation and desire intertwine wi…
Level C1ClassicsJoan of Arc of the North WoodsIn the timber-rich Tomah country, young Ward Latisan clashes with the powerful Comas Paper Company over control of the forests, igniting a fierce battle between independent operato…
Level C1ClassicsJoan Thursday: A NovelCaught between youthful hope and harsh reality, a tired young woman navigates the relentless grind of city life and the looming threat of lost employment, all while striving to mai…
Level C1ClassicsJoan HasteIn a windswept coastal village shadowed by ancient ruins, Joan Haste, a bright and restless young woman, wrestles with her lowly station, unfulfilled desires, and a haunting sense…
Level C1ClassicsJinny the CarrierIn a charming rural landscape inspired by Essex, Jinny the Carrier navigates love and life among simple, kindly country folk, capturing the spirit and dialect of a timeless village…
Level C1ClassicsJimmy Quixote: A NovelAn aging countryman returns from the bustling city burdened with mysterious parcels and a mission tied to "Old Paul's babies," blending nostalgia and quiet determination in a quain…
Level C1ClassicsJimmie Moore of BucktownIn the harsh slums of Bucktown, young Jimmie Moore carries burdens far beyond his years, seeking help for his ailing, desperate family.
Level B2ClassicsJim MortimerA young surgeon spends his holiday managing a private asylum and practice in rural Eastfolkshire, navigating emergencies and eccentric patients with a mix of skill and humor.
Level C1ClassicsJilted! Or, My Uncle's Scheme, Volume 1An idle young man drifts through a monotonous life in a sleepy French town under the watchful eye of his charming but reckless army major father.
Level B2ClassicsJiglets: A series of sidesplitting gyrations reeled off—An out-of-luck actor embarks on a humorous journey through small-town America, encountering quirky characters, odd accommodations, and absurd situations that test his wit and resil…
Level C1ClassicsJezebel's DaughterTwo strangers die on the same day, leaving behind widows bound by fate and secrets.
Level B2ClassicsJewish childrenIn a small village, the tender bond between two children, orphaned and bound by loss, unfolds amid the celebratory backdrop of Passover.
Level B2ClassicsJewel: A Chapter in Her LifeA young man steps into the prestigious role of coachman for a wealthy New York gentleman, navigating high expectations, old rivalries, and the challenges of a refined new world.
Level C1ClassicsJewel WeedIn a bustling Western city, young Ellery Norris navigates new friendships and ambitions amid a gathering that contrasts worldly ambition with mysterious Eastern spirituality, where…
Level B2ClassicsJessie TrimA child's vivid memories weave through a peculiar family world, where a mysterious stone monkey figure seems to possess eerie powers and secrets linger behind a grandmother’s weddi…
Level C1ClassicsJessie GrahamAn aging deacon reflects on loss and legacy beneath a towering maple tree, while his young grandson Walter carries the weight of a sorrowful past as the family navigates grief, lov…
Level C1ClassicsJesse CliffeIn a secluded, marshy English landscape, a once-grand farmstead stands abandoned, shrouded in silence and decay.
Level B2ClassicsJess of the Rebel TrailOn a stormy night, a mysterious man intrudes upon a reclusive woman, claiming to bridge the gap between ignorance and knowledge with books, while seeking an unexpected favor that c…
Level C1ClassicsJerusalemIn a steadfast Swedish parish, a powerful religious revival shakes the lives of the Ingmarsson family and their neighbors, leading many to forsake their ancestral homes and embark…
Level B2ClassicsJersey Street and Jersey Lane: Urban and Suburban SketchesExplore the clash between urban annoyance and human hardship through vivid sketches of city life, where an organ-grinder’s persistent music tests the patience of a well-to-do lady…
Level B2ClassicsJerome, A Poor Man: A NovelIn the warmth of spring, twelve-year-old Jerome finds solace in a hidden rock ledge, where a chance encounter with Lucina Merritt, a well-to-do girl, sparks a tender but uneasy con…
Level C1ClassicsJenny: A Village IdylAs a train journeys through a quiet countryside, strangers bound by their worries and hopes share fleeting moments—a fierce woman traveling to care for her ailing child, a young wo…
Level C1ClassicsJenifer's PrayerA troubled man escorts a young English beauty southward through ancient England, their journey shadowed by unspoken tension and a secret past.
Level C1ClassicsJean-Christophe, Volume IA gifted musician wrestles with truth, integrity, and societal compromise as he grows from youth to a rebellious young man forced to flee his German hometown for Paris.
Level B2ClassicsJean-Christophe in Paris: The Market-Place, Antoinette, the HouseAn awkward newcomer arrives in bustling Paris, overwhelmed by its chaos, grime, and indifferent crowds.
Level B2ClassicsJean-Christophe Journey's EndTwo struggling friends in Paris face sudden fame when a glowing newspaper article crowns one as a musical genius, thrusting him into a whirlwind of journalists and powerful admirer…
Level B2ClassicsJean Baptiste: A Story of French CanadaA young boy in French Canada wrestles with his destiny as a potential priest, caught between divine calling and personal uncertainty, while the voices of his heritage and community…
Level C1ClassicsJava HeadOn a radiant May morning, eleven-year-old Laurel Ammidon confronts the bittersweet shift from childhood imagination to sober reality, set against the backdrop of her family's state…
Level C1ClassicsJaunty Jock, and Other StoriesIn a rain-soaked Edinburgh, a plain but sharp-witted man named Macdonald navigates a lively masked ball where appearances deceive and clan rivalries simmer beneath the dance floor’…
Level C1ClassicsJaponetteA once-wealthy scion returns to New York broke but determined to face ruin on his own terms, navigating the collapse of family fortunes and the harsh realities of honor, friendship…
Level C1ClassicsJapanese Plays and PlayfellowsExplore the enchanting world of Japanese theater and culture through the eyes of a foreign visitor who uncovers the contrast between the country's poetic surface and its deeper soc…
Level C1ClassicsJapanese Literature: Including Selections from Genji Monogatari and Classical Poetry and Drama of JapanStep into the refined world of Heian-era Japan, where courtly life, poetry, and drama intertwine through the eyes of a talented noblewoman who crafts a timeless tale filled with de…
Level C1ClassicsJap Herron: A Novel Written from the Ouija BoardWhen a psychic gathering attempts spirit communication via a Ouija board, the voice of a famed humorist surfaces, urging the telling of untold stories from beyond the grave—launchi…
Level C1ClassicsJanet of the DunesOn a remote Long Island shore, Janet and her steadfast guardian Cap'n Billy navigate the rugged life of the Life Saving Station, where bravery meets the challenges of isolation, st…
Level C1ClassicsJane TalbotA young woman pours out her heart in letters to her beloved, revealing the depths of her passionate love and the haunting shadows of her past.