The Library
Read Classic Literature in English
Learn English by reading the books worth reading. Every book is the complete text, labelled A2 to C2 — tap any word for an instant translation, hear natural audio narration, and save the vocabulary you meet as you go. Pick your level and start with a free sample.
Level C1RomanceA Rivermouth RomanceIn the quiet seaport town of Rivermouth, Margaret Callaghan secretly weds a man nearly twenty years her junior, risking scandal and upheaval in her long-standing service to the Bil…
Level C1AdventureA Rip Van Winkle of the Kalahari, and Other Tales of South-West AfricaVenture into the untamed Kalahari Desert and its mysterious borderlands, where diamond riches, deadly sandstorms, and ancient secrets await.
Level B2Children'sA Ring of RubiesA young woman, trapped in a life of poverty and strict family expectations, resolves to break free by pursuing her passion for art in London, challenging the limits placed on her b…
Level C1ClassicsA Rill from the Town PumpAt the bustling town corner, a lively pump serves as the community's life source, offering refreshment and a stage for vivid tales of history, hardship, and human nature.
Level C1ClassicsA Righted Wrong: A Novel. Volume 3 (of 3)Two unlikely companions sit in the sunlit gardens of a grand mansion, their conversations shadowed by memories of a lost woman and a past that haunts the present.
Level C1ClassicsA Righted Wrong: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3)Amid tangled emotions and whispered hopes, a letter arrives that could change Margaret's future, challenging her past and stirring a delicate struggle between duty and desire.
Level C1ClassicsA Righted Wrong: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 3)A woman boards a ship alone, haunted by a past she cannot escape and a home that has rejected her.
Level C1HistoricalA Ride With A Mad Horse In A Freight-Car: 1898Amid the brutal carnage of the Battle of Malvern Hill, a wounded major witnesses a riderless horse charging through the chaos, sparking a fierce bond forged in the heart of war and…
Level C1ClassicsA Ride Across PalestineTraveling alone through the stark deserts and sacred sites of Palestine, a solitary rider faces the wild landscapes and the customs of Bedouin protection.
Level C1ClassicsA Rich Man's Relatives (Vol. 3 of 3)Amid the upheaval of Scotland's church Disruption, a young Free Church minister discovers a mysterious baby washed ashore, sparking scandal and suspicion in a tight-knit rural pari…
Level C1ClassicsA Rich Man's Relatives (Vol. 2 of 3)In a remote Scottish parish during the Disruption of 1843, a young Free Church minister faces scandal and suspicion after rescuing a mysterious baby from a shipwreck, navigating th…
Level C1ClassicsA Rich Man's Relatives (Vol. 1 of 3)In a remote Scottish parish during the turbulent Disruption of the church, young Free Church minister Roderick Brown faces scandal and suspicion after rescuing a mysterious baby fr…
Level C1ClassicsA Reversible Santa ClausOn a snowy Christmas Eve, a seasoned crook known as "The Hopper" embarks on a desperate journey with stolen fortune in hand, seeking a fresh start while evading capture and temptat…
Level C1HistoricalA Residence in France: With an Excursion Up the Rhine, and a Second Visit to SwitzerlandJourney through post-revolutionary France and neighboring Switzerland amidst political upheaval and social unrest.
Level C1AdventureA Reputed Changeling; Or, Three Seventh Years Two Centuries AgoIn a seventeenth-century English parish, two young girls uncover the mystery of a "changeling" child amidst tales of fairies and social intrigue.
Level C1MysteryA Republic Without a President, and Other StoriesWhen the President and his wife vanish mysteriously from the White House, with servants found gagged and a powerful politician implicated, the nation plunges into chaos and conspir…
Level C1ClassicsA Rent In A CloudTwo young Englishmen, disillusioned yet bound by newfound friendship, share candid reflections on soldiering and legal careers as they wander through Europe, grappling with duty, a…
Level C1ClassicsA Red WallflowerA retired army officer lives quietly with his small family in a Connecticut village, shrouded in mystery and grief after his wife's death.
Level C1ClassicsA Record of Study in Aboriginal American LanguagesExplore the intricate structures and unique characteristics of Native American languages, revealing their deep connections to human cognition and the origins of speech, through a c…
Level C1RomanceA Reconstructed MarriageA young man secretly engaged to a mysterious woman named Theodora ignites a fierce clash with his determined mother, who insists he must marry the family-approved Jane Dalkeith.
Level C1ClassicsA Reckless Character, and Other StoriesIn a rigid, tradition-bound Russian household, young Mísha Polteff grows up under the watchful eyes of his strict father and melancholic mother, embodying a reckless spirit clashin…
Level C1ClassicsA Rebellious HeroineA determined author insists that a novelist’s true mission is to reveal life’s raw truth, capturing characters as they truly are without invention.
Level B2AdventureA Rebellion in DixieAmid the turmoil of the Civil War, a determined community in Mississippi refuses to join the Confederacy, risking everything to resist conscription and forge their own path.
Level C1ClassicsA ReapingAt a dinner table, contrasting views on health reveal the divide between obsessive wellness seekers and those embracing life's pleasures despite illness.
Level C2PoetryA Reading of Life, with Other PoemsYouth faces a vital choice between the fierce freedom of Artemis and the seductive allure of Aphrodite, as the poem explores the passionate, wild chase of life and love’s compellin…
Level C1RomanceA Rainy June, and Other StoriesAmidst the noisy, bustling life of London, a Venetian patrician falls deeply for a pure, primrose-like Englishwoman, challenging society's fast pace and rigid conventions in a tend…
Level C1RomanceA Question of MarriageA young woman faces a heartbreaking medical verdict forbidding marriage, challenging her dreams of love and family.
Level C1AdventureA Question of LatitudeAn earnest young journalist known for his fearless exposes sets out to uncover the truth behind the corruption and exploitation in the Congo.
Level C1HistoricalA QuestionIn a richly adorned house near the olive groves of ancient Syracuse, tensions rise as the steward and housekeeper grapple with missing oil, stolen fruit, and a brother’s cunning sc…
Level B2MysteryA Queen's ErrorIn a neglected, long-shuttered house, a mysterious elderly woman invites a stranger into her dimly lit basement boudoir filled with art and secrets.![Cover of A Queen of Nine Days by E. C. [Contributor] Kenyon](https://dsx1pat3ljtul.cloudfront.net/books/da8sis5nmvfc73bihitg.webp)
Level C1HistoricalA Queen of Nine DaysA young gentlewoman leaves her free-spirited life in Sussex to serve a noble lady in London, stepping into a world of political intrigue and faith during the turbulent reign of Lad…
Level C1ClassicsA Psychological Counter-Current in Recent FictionAmid the fading tide of romanticism, a brilliant yet troubled lawyer grapples with his own flaws and destiny against the vivid backdrop of Canadian life, exploring the clash betwee…
Level C1ClassicsA Protegee of Jack Hamlin's, and Other StoriesA young woman aboard the steamer Silveropolis teeters on the edge of despair, haunted by a reckless companion who has abandoned her.
Level C1ClassicsA Prose English Translation of HarivamshaExplore the cosmic origins and heroic tales of gods, kings, and demons in this prose translation of the Harivamsha, unfolding ancient myths from primeval creation to Krishna’s divi…
Level B2RomanceA Proposal Under Difficulties: A FarceNervous Bob Yardsley musters courage to propose to his beloved Dorothy, but a surprising mix-up with the maid turns his romantic plan into a humorous tangle of misunderstandings an…
Level C1HistoricalA Probable Italian Source of Shakespeare's "Julius Cæsar"Uncover the overlooked Italian tragedy "Cesare," whose striking parallels suggest it may have inspired Shakespeare’s "Julius Caesar.
Level C1FantasyA Prisoner in Fairyland (The Book That 'Uncle Paul' Wrote)A mild-mannered City clerk with poetic dreams becomes the trusted confidant of a powerful employer, carrying secrets and ambitions that hint at deeper mysteries.
Level C1ClassicsA Princess of ThuleOn a bleak Scottish island, a lone man watches a steamer fade into the mist, bidding farewell to a beloved Sheila.
Level C1Children'sA Princess in CalicoAt seventeen, Pauline faces the relentless monotony and heavy burdens of life on Hickory Farm, longing for adventure and meaning beyond endless chores and careworn days.
Level C1MysteryA Prince to OrderAwakening in a lavish Paris hotel room with a strange beard and blond hair, Carey Grey grapples with lost memories and an unrecognizable identity.
Level C1MysteryA Prince of SwindlersAmid the dazzling festivities of a historic London season, a man unwittingly introduces a master swindler into high society, setting off a chain of cunning crimes.
Level C1ClassicsA Prince of SinnersA young political agent dives into the gritty world of electioneering, navigating alliances and ambitions behind the scenes.
Level C1HistoricalA Prince of Good FellowsIn the shadowed streets of Stirling, a young laird faces danger and disdain from the Scottish court’s nobles, navigating a tense clash between common folk and power as night falls…
Level C1HistoricalA Prince of DreamersIn the vibrant court of the Great Mogul Akbar, a visionary ruler faces the challenge of preserving his dream of empire amid political intrigue, family betrayals, and mysterious tre…
Level C1AdventureA Prince of Cornwall: A Story of Glastonbury and the West in the Days of Ina of WessexIn the turbulent days of King Ina's westward expansion, ancient British princes and Saxon warriors clash amid shifting alliances and fierce battles for the lands of Cornwall and De…
Level C1ClassicsA Prince of BohemiaIn the vibrant world of Parisian Bohemia, a young count navigates a life of wit, misfortune, and passionate love, embodying the restless spirit of an entire generation caught betwe…
Level C1HistoricalA Prince of Anahuac: A Histori-traditional Story Antedating the Aztec EmpireIn the rich valley of Anahuac, tribal rivalries and ancient traditions set the stage for Prince Nezahualcoyotl's daring struggle to reclaim his kingdom from Tepanec oppression, wea…
Level C1ClassicsA Primer of Mayan HieroglyphicsExplore the enigmatic world of Mayan hieroglyphs through detailed analysis of their symbols, manuscripts, and inscriptions found across Central America.
Why it works
Why read classics to learn English
Graded by real CEFR level
Every book is labelled B1, B2 or C1 so you can pick something that stretches you without overwhelming you.
Tap any word to translate
Touch a word or phrase to see it in your language instantly — no dictionary, no leaving the page.
Audio narration & pronunciation
Listen to clear, natural narration and read along to train your ear as well as your eye.
Vocabulary from your own reading
Save the words you meet; they become flashcards built from the books you actually read.
Questions
Learning English by reading
Reading exposes you to real grammar, vocabulary and phrasing in context — far more memorably than word lists. With instant translation and audio on every page, you stay in the story instead of stalling on unknown words, which is what builds fluency.
Choose a book one notch above where you feel comfortable: B1 if you read everyday English, B2 if you can follow longer articles, C1 for literary prose. You can always tap words you don’t know — a little stretch is exactly how you level up.
Sample chapters are free to read with no account. To read a full book — with tap-to-translate, audio narration and saved progress — you start your trial at quiz.nikmas.studio.
Not for sample chapters — they open with no signup. To read a whole book you start your trial at quiz.nikmas.studio, which keeps your vocabulary and place across devices.