CEFR C2 · Proficient
Read Proficient Classics in English (C2)
21 books graded at CEFR C2 (proficient) — learn English by reading the stories worth reading at exactly your level. Tap any word for an instant translation, listen to the narration, and save the vocabulary you meet. Start with a free sample.
What are the best C2 books to read in English?
The best C2 books to read in English are well-known classics whose own language sits at that level — start with Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 2, Milton's Comus and Memories of Lincoln. Each is the complete book, labelled CEFR C2 (proficient), with tap-to-translate, narration and saved vocabulary, so you read a real story while building the English you actually meet in it.
- 21
- books
| Title | Chapters | CEFR |
|---|---|---|
| Malcolm | 70 | C2 |
| Mae Madden | 15 | C2 |
| Last Poems: Translations from the Book of Indian Love | 5 | C2 |
| Idylls of the King | 14 | C2 |
| Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame | 2 | C2 |
| Harry | 4 | C2 |
| Endymion: A Poetic Romance | 6 | C2 |
| Cymbeline | 1 | C2 |
| Bubbles of the Foam | 3 | C2 |
| Axel Thordson and Fair Valborg: a ballad | 1 | C2 |
| A rogue's tragedy | 33 | C2 |
| Anna Karenina | 240 | C2 |
| Eloisa : $b or, A series of original letters | 164 | C2 |
| Erotica Romana | 24 | C2 |
| History of Tom Jones, a Foundling | 210 | C2 |
| Les Misérables | 372 | C2 |
| Middlemarch | 86 | C2 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 5 | C2 |
| The History of Don Quixote, Volume 1, Complete | 52 | C2 |
| The Lady of the Lake | 190 | C2 |
| War and Peace | 365 | C2 |
Level C2RomanceMalcolmIn a small Scottish town, Miss Horn confronts whispered rumors and hidden sorrows surrounding the death of her cousin Griselda, revealing a world where harsh judgments clash with f…
Level C2RomanceMae MaddenA man haunted by a timeless dream finally glimpses the mysterious woman he’s sought through the ages on the shimmering canals of Venice.
Level C2RomanceLast Poems: Translations from the Book of Indian LoveDive into a world of exotic passion and mystique through poetic translations that reveal the intimate laments and celebrations of Indian love, from dancing-girls to sacred nights.
Level C2RomanceIdylls of the KingAmid a land torn by war and wilderness, a young king rises to unite fractured kingdoms and tame wild beasts threatening his people.
Level C2RomanceHypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a DreameIn a dreamlike journey through a mysterious, enchanted landscape, a solitary traveler confronts the fleeting nature of worldly pleasures and the vanities of life, guided by vivid v…
Level C2MysteryHarryA chance smile at a passion-flower sparks an unexpected love between a strong, handsome soldier and a carefree young woman, setting their lives on an enchanting path of romance and…
Level C2RomanceEndymion: A Poetic RomanceA young dreamer embarks on a poetic journey through lush forests and sacred altars, seeking beauty and meaning amid nature’s timeless splendor.
Level C2RomanceCymbelineIn a kingdom shadowed by sorrow and banishment, a princess defies royal expectations by marrying a humble gentleman, igniting tensions that stir hearts and courts alike.
Level C2FantasyBubbles of the FoamJourney through an ancient Indian landscape where the Desert’s shifting mirages reflect life’s illusions and love’s fleeting ecstasies, revealing a world where reality blurs into d…
Level C2RomanceAxel Thordson and Fair Valborg: a balladIn a world of noble courts and secret loves, Sir Axel Thordson's heart is bound to Valborg, a maiden raised in cloister and courtly grace.
Level C2RomanceA rogue's tragedyAmid the ethereal Alps, two lovers find their world transformed by a transcendent passion that blurs the line between dream and reality.
Level C2RomanceAnna KareninaThe classic romance novel by Leo, graf Tolstoy.
Level C2RomanceEloisa : $b or, A series of original lettersThe classic romance novel by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Level C2PoetryErotica RomanaThe classic romance novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Level C2ClassicsHistory of Tom Jones, a FoundlingThe classic classics novel by Henry Fielding.
Level C2ClassicsLes MisérablesThe classic historical novel by Victor Hugo.
Level C2ClassicsMiddlemarchThe classic romance novel by George Eliot.
Level C2RomanceRomeo and JulietThe classic romance novel by William Shakespeare.
Level C2ClassicsThe History of Don Quixote, Volume 1, CompleteThe classic romance novel by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
Level C2PoetryThe Lady of the LakeThe classic romance novel by Walter Scott.
Level C2ClassicsWar and PeaceTolstoy's sweeping epic follows five aristocratic families through the Napoleonic Wars, weaving personal drama with grand historical events to create one of literature's greatest p…