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 C1ClassicsThe Countess CathleenIn a famine-stricken land where the dead walk and strange creatures lurk, Countess Cathleen returns to her childhood home, confronting hunger, despair, and eerie omens that threate…
Level C1ClassicsThe Count of Narbonne: A Tragedy, in Five ActsAmidst grief and political strife, a noble Count faces betrayal, loss, and a mysterious disappearance that threatens his legacy and honor.
Level C1ClassicsThe Council of SevenA powerful politician returns unexpectedly to a London club, stirring admiration and hostility alike, as Helen Sholto grapples with a shocking newspaper report that threatens every…
Level B2ClassicsThe Cottage of Delight: A NovelIn a grim mill town, young John Trott wakes to a smoky kitchen where orphaned Dora Boyles struggles to prepare breakfast amid hardship and uneasy household tensions.
Level C1ClassicsThe Cost of KindnessIn a quaint village, the contentious Rev.
Level B2ClassicsThe CostIn a small town, spirited Pauline Gardiner faces the rough teasing of John Dumont, a boisterous boy whose bullying masks a growing fascination.
Level C1ClassicsThe Coryston Family: A NovelIn the charged atmosphere of the House of Commons, Lady Coryston and her daughter Marcia navigate political tensions and societal expectations amidst debates over a transformative…
Level C1ClassicsThe Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol. IExplore the rich intellectual friendship between two towering 19th-century thinkers through their candid letters, revealing insights into literature, philosophy, and the challenges…
Level C1ClassicsThe Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol II.Two towering minds exchange letters revealing their struggles, triumphs, and the literary world of their time—discussing poetry, politics, piracy, and the shaping of history throug…
Level C1ClassicsThe Cornish Fishermen's Watch-Night, and Other StoriesIn a storm-lashed Cornish village where fishermen’s livelihoods hide dark secrets of wrecking and murder, a determined young minister confronts their ruthless ways with fearless fa…
Level C1ClassicsThe Coquette, or, The History of Eliza Wharton: A Novel: Founded on FactIn a world bound by rigid social codes, Eliza Wharton navigates the delicate balance between desire and duty, revealing the complexities faced by a woman whose charm and independen…
Level B2ClassicsThe Cook's Wedding and Other StoriesIn a bustling household kitchen, a young boy observes the uneasy preparations for the cook Pelageya’s unexpected wedding to a sober cabman, stirring questions about love, duty, and…
Level C1ClassicsThe Convict: A TaleA young scholar at Cambridge, driven by ambition and burdened by relentless study, struggles against the weight of his family's lost fortune and the desire for a different life.
Level C1ClassicsThe ConvertA young woman sneaks into a grand household nursery, where mischievous children and a strict nurse create a lively scene of innocence and discipline.
Level C1ClassicsThe Convent School; Or, Early Experiences of a Young FlagellantA young girl recounts her strict upbringing under a formidable governess and her father's stern discipline, revealing a world where punishment shapes education and family alliances…
Level C1ClassicsThe ContrastStep into the lively world of early America where sharp wit and satire expose the clash between honest simplicity and polished hypocrisy.
Level C1ClassicsThe ConsulAn aging U.
Level C1ClassicsThe Constant Couple; Or, A Trip to the Jubilee: A Comedy, in Five ActsIn this lively comedy, a charming rake navigates love and misadventure amidst the bustling backdrop of London’s high society, where wit and folly collide in a spirited quest for co…
Level C1ClassicsThe Conquest of CanaanIn the quiet Indiana town of Canaan, a group of elderly sages gather each morning at the National House, observing the world with sharp wit and deep reflection as they debate the m…
Level B2ClassicsThe Conjure WomanIn the postwar South, a Northern man seeks to revive a neglected vineyard and escape harsh winters, discovering a land where history, superstition, and the struggles of a changing…
Level C1ClassicsThe Confounding of CameliaA rebellious young woman returns to her quiet country family, where her wild charm and defiance of tradition stir scandal and fascination alike.
Level C1ClassicsThe ConflictJane Hastings returns home after years abroad, restless and unwilling to surrender her identity to marriage.
Level C1ClassicsThe Confidence-Man: His MasqueradeA mysterious stranger boards a Mississippi steamer, attracting curious onlookers and whispers of imposture.
Level C1ClassicsThe Confessions of Artemas Quibble: Being the Ingenuous and Unvarnished History of Artemas Quibble, Esquire, One-Time Practitioner in the New York Criminal Courts, Together with an Account of the Divers Wiles, Tricks, Sophistries, Technicalities, and Sundry Artifices of Himself and Others of the Fraternity, Commonly Yclept "Shysters" or "Shyster Lawyers"Raised under strict religious discipline and orphaned young, Artemas Quibble embarks on a legal career shaped by family eccentricities and sharp observations of the courtroom’s cun…
Level C1ClassicsThe Confession: A NovelIn a Russia caught between despair and revolution, the lives of society’s lowest outcasts reveal the fierce courage and restless spirit of a nation struggling to awaken.
Level C1ClassicsThe Confession of a FoolIn a vast royal library, a young librarian haunted by despair confronts the shadows of his failed ambitions and a tumultuous marriage, embarking on a raw, unflinching journey into…
Level C1ClassicsThe Comstock ClubIn the rugged wilderness of the American West, pioneers blaze trails and face relentless hardships to transform the wild into civilization.
Level B2ClassicsThe Complete Writings of Charles Dudley Warner — Volume 4Experience the joys and challenges of boyhood on a lively farm, where driving oxen and teaching cows Latin reveal the humor, lessons, and unexpected rules of rural life through the…
Level B2ClassicsThe Complete Writings of Charles Dudley Warner — Volume 3A casual blackberry-picking trip in the Adirondacks turns into an unexpected adventure when a man encounters a bear doing the same.
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Writings of Charles Dudley Warner — Volume 2Embark on a reflective journey across the vast Atlantic, challenging common myths about discovery and history while exploring the legacy of Columbus and the enduring mysteries of t…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Writings of Charles Dudley Warner — Volume 1Explore a collection of thoughtful essays that weave gentle observations of nature, rural life, and gardening into a tapestry of wisdom and quiet joy, offering solace and insight b…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Appendix to Volume XII: Tales, Sketches, and other Papers by Nathaniel Hawthorne with a Biographical Sketch by George Parsons Lathrop: Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel HawthorneExplore the life and mind behind a celebrated writer through a detailed biographical sketch that traces his upbringing in old Salem, family background, and the shaping of his liter…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Works of Josh BillingsDive into the sharp wit and homespun wisdom of a beloved American humorist whose clever observations and pointed satire illuminate both the profound and the trivial, promising laug…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Works of Brann, the Iconoclast — Volume 10Dive into sharp critiques of wealth and power as the author dissects the economic realities behind business revivals and the widening gap between plutocrats and workers, revealing…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Works of Brann, the Iconoclast — Volume 01Dive into the fierce and fearless writings of a defiant genius who challenged provincial politics, social norms, and orthodox popularity with raw, unfiltered passion in a turbulent…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 7: MiscellaneousEmbark on a whimsical journey down the Wabash Canal aboard the Polly Ann, where lively characters, rustic scenes, and unexpected adventures unfold in a humorous and heartfelt narra…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 6: Artemus Ward's PanoramaStep into the unconventional humor and charm of a renowned showman delivering lively lectures on Mormons, Utah, and the American West, all accompanied by his whimsical panorama at…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 5: The London Punch LettersA sharp-witted American humorist arrives in London, sharing quirky tales and satirical observations of British society, history, and culture through whimsical letters filled with c…
Level B2ClassicsThe Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 4: To California and ReturnEmbark on a chaotic and humorous voyage from New York to California aboard the overcrowded steamer Ariel, encountering eccentric passengers, rough seas, and dubious accommodations…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 3: Stories and RomancesIn a lively Boston mansion, young Elizy reunites with Moses, a fiery fireman claiming noble birth and daring adventures.
Level B2ClassicsThe Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 2: WarAmid rising tensions in the South, a traveling showman faces arrest, confiscation, and chaos as he navigates the turbulent early days of war, witnessing fierce local passions and u…
Level A2ClassicsThe Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and LettersDive into a treasure trove of sharp wit and satirical essays that explore everything from politics and society to personal letters and spirited interviews, all delivered with a hum…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Works of Artemus Ward (HTML edition)Dive into a rich collection of witty essays, letters, and sketches that chronicle the humorous observations and adventures of a 19th-century American humorist, from lively local sc…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Short Works of Georg EbersIn a bustling tavern on the eve of an imperial assembly, a group of outcasts hides from the watchful eyes of noble magistrates, their secrets tangled with the arrival of aristocrat…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Prose Works of Martin Farquhar TupperIn a harsh rural England, Roger Acton, a hardworking and humble laborer, endures poverty and oppression while maintaining kindness, faith, and a quiet dignity.
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Essays of John GalsworthyBeneath a blazing Italian sky, an unlikely innkeeper with a bowler hat and a gramophone disrupts the serene olive groves, embodying the clash between rustic tradition and modern ci…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Essays of Charles Dudley WarnerExplore a vivid meditation on changing tastes and social symbols, as the rose yields to the bold chrysanthemum in fashion and feeling, questioning how this shift reflects deeper ch…
Level C1ClassicsThe Complete Cynic: Being Bunches of Wisdom Culled from the Calendars of Oliver Herford, Ethel Watts Mumford, Addison MiznerSharp wit and biting wisdom collide in a collection of cynical proverbs and observations on human nature, society, and relationships, revealing the humor and harsh truths behind ev…