25 Free Online Classics Books Everyone Should Read

This is a must-read list of most important classics works of literature :

1. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert: French bourgeois life in all of its soul-crushing triviality is explored through the character of Emma Bovary in this novel.
2. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: This well-loved novel follows the hi jinks of young Tom Sawyer, full of humor, adventure and fun.
3. Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Follow along with this book as Captain Ahab tracks down his arch-nemesis the legendary white whale.
4. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: Pilgrimages were a major part of medieval life and you can enjoy several different perspectives as Chaucer’s characters travel to Canterbury Cathedral.
5. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky: Is murder ever justified? This novel explores through its main character the student Raskolnikov.
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo: Full of tragic characters, this novel explores life from its beauty to its horror.
7. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: This sci-fi novel is full of adventure as a group of sailors try to track down a deadly sea monster.
8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: This story explores the many difficulties associated with marriage and morality in 18th century England.
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre follows Jane, an orphan, throughout her life providing readers with a compelling story full of love, social criticisms and many elements characteristic of the Gothic novel.
10. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: Get a more personalized tale of life during the French Revolution as the monarchy is replaced by a regime responsible for terror and numerous executions.
11. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Many know little of this novel other than that its long, but the story takes readers through the impact of the Napoleonic invasion of Russia through a vast and varied cast of characters.
12. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: Treachery and lost love form the basis for this novel by Three Musketeers author Dumas.
13. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: This novella takes readers to the depths of the Congo to find the mysterious Kurtz, along the way exploring ideas of imperialism.
14. Ulysses by James Joyce: The classical Modernist novel, Ulysses follows the story of the Odyssey through stream of consciousness writing that’s been called everything from brilliant to obscene.
15. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse: This novel parallels the life of the Buddha, employing Eastern philosophy in a beautiful and poignant tale of a quest for enlightenment.
16. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: Readers will be familiar with the title character in this novel who leads a double life as the unpredictable Mr. Hyde.
17. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Set in the years following WWI, this book explores the life of Princeton student Amory Blaine as he struggles with greed, morality, status and more.
18. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells: When the Victorian scientist at the center of this story propels himself forward in time he discovers a world that may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.
19. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: This abolitionist novel helped fuel the movement towards the end of slavery in the United States.
20. Little Women by Louise May Alcott: Follow along with the young women in this novel who come of age in this 19th century setting.
21. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis is one of Kafka’s most famous short stories, transforming traveling salesman Gregor into a horrifying cockroach.
22. Don Quixote by Cervantes: This famous Spanish novel follows the often absurd travels of Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza.
23. The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: Originally published in a magazine, this collection of definitions is entertaining, enlightening and controversial.
24. Dracula by Bram Stoker: With all the hubbub about vampires these days why not read the classic vampire novel about the most famous vampire of them all?
25. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: This psychological short story will have readers questioning their own judgment about what’s real and what’s imagined.