{"id":148044,"date":"2022-12-01T04:53:04","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T09:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/free-english-ebooks\/"},"modified":"2025-02-22T01:21:58","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T06:21:58","slug":"free-english-ebooks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/free-english-ebooks\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Classic English Books Available as Free PDFs"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re looking for free English books online, either in PDF or e-reader formats, start with classic literature: <\/strong>People have enjoyed these books for a long time, and they still enjoy them today. They\u00a0contain themes and topics that are relevant to every<\/em> human being, no matter whether they were born in 1600, 1950 or 2010.<\/p>\n

And luckily, many of these books now belong to the public domain and available for free\u2014that’s why you’ll find them readily available to download to your computer, phone or e-reader.\u00a0I’ve scoured the internet for some great options to get you started building your digital library.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

1. The Story of Doctor Dolittle<\/a> by Hugh Lofting\"The<\/a><\/h2>\n

Doctor Dolittle loves animals. He loves them so much that when his many pets scare away his human patients, he learns how to talk to animals and becomes a veterinarian instead.<\/p>\n

He then travels the world to help animals with his unique ability to speak their language.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0The Red House Mystery<\/a> by A.A. Milne\"The<\/a><\/h2>\n

Does the name Winnie the Pooh sound familiar? Author A.A. Milne is best remembered for creating the fluffy, yellow teddy bear.<\/p>\n

But before he became a famous children\u2019s book author Milne wrote a few adult fiction books. “The Red House Mystery” is one of these.<\/p>\n

In this mystery novel, the guests in a man\u2019s home become detectives as they try to find a killer\u2014who is one of them!<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0The Secret Garden<\/a> by Frances Hodgson Burnett\"The<\/h2>\n

“The Secret Garden” is a touching story about the power of friendship.<\/p>\n

Mary Lennox is a spoiled and rude little girl sent by her parents to live at her uncle\u2019s huge home. One day while exploring outside the home, she discovers a secret: a locked garden.<\/p>\n

The secret garden helps her make a friend, and thanks to the love of their friendship she learns to be a better person.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Treasure Island<\/a> by Robert Louis Stevenson\"Robert<\/a><\/h2>\n

Everything you know about pirates probably came from this one book: wooden legs, parrots on the shoulder and treasure maps.<\/p>\n

“Treasure Island” is the story of a boy who sails on a ship searching for treasure, but instead finds himself surrounded by terrible pirates. It\u2019s also a story about growing up, full of action and adventure.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0Black Beauty<\/a> by Anna Sewell\"Black<\/a><\/h2>\n

“Black Beauty” is one the best-selling books of all time, and for a good reason\u2014this story about a horse teaches kindness towards animals and people.<\/p>\n

The story is told by the horse. It describes his life and the many cruel people and difficult times he had to live through before finding peace.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great read even if you\u2019re not a fan of horses.<\/p>\n

6. Heidi<\/a> by Johana Spyri\"Heidi\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

“Heidi” is a book often described as being \u201cfor children and for people who love children.\u201d<\/p>\n

It does a great job of showing the world through a little girl\u2019s eyes as she explores the mountains in Switzerland. She makes many friends along the way, but also deals with the kinds of fears that a child would have, like being alone and away from the people who love you.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a long book, but one that’s easy to fall in love with.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0My Man Jeeves<\/a> by P.G. Wodehouse\"My<\/a><\/h2>\n

These days not many of us have butlers (servants hired to care for you and your house) but whenever people talk about a butler, his name sometimes comes up as Jeeves.<\/p>\n

That name comes from Wodehouse\u2019s series of books featuring the perfect butler Jeeves, and the many humorous adventures he and his employer had.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0Wuthering Heights<\/a> by Emily Bronte\"Wuthering<\/h2>\n

Jealousy and revenge are the main themes of “Wuthering Heights,” which is the name of the farmhouse where the story takes place.<\/p>\n

This book can be hard to get through, and it’s not because of the vocabulary. It’s a hard book to read because of all the cruelty in it. Still, this is a good book if you\u2019re interested in dramas and passions.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood<\/a> by Howard Pyle\"The<\/a><\/h2>\n

Robin Hood is a special kind of thief: he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. This book is a collection of stories about the legendary, kindhearted thief and his group of outlaw friends.<\/p>\n

Be prepared for many fun and funny moments, and some with a more serious tone. This book is perfect for reading little by little, since the stories are only connected by their characters.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>10.\u00a0The Red Badge of Courage<\/a> by Stephen Crane<\/h2>\n

There are many war books that show how terrible war is physically\u2014all the violence and death. “The Red Badge of Courage” talks instead about the psychological terrors of war.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s told from the point of view of a soldier in the Civil War who’s actually running away from the battlefield. It uses many symbols and metaphors to discuss the important themes.<\/p>\n

If you can handle the advanced vocabulary, you can find much more meaning hidden in this book.<\/p>\n

\"The11.\u00a0The Picture of Dorian Gray<\/a> by Oscar Wilde<\/h2>\n

What if you could stay young forever? Dorian Gray makes a deal to stay young forever\u2014while a painted portrait of him shows all the signs of aging.<\/p>\n

Of course, it turns out this deal he made might not have been such a good idea after all…<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>12.\u00a0The Count of Monte Cristo <\/a>by Alexander Dumas<\/h2>\n

After being thrown into jail for a crime he didn’t commit, Edmond manages to escape and become rich. With his new money, he tries to get revenge on the people who put him in prison, but his plans don\u2019t quite go like he hopes.<\/p>\n

“The Count of Monte Cristo” is about betrayal, love and letting go.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>13.\u00a0The Adventures of Tom Sawyer<\/a> by Mark Twain<\/h2>\n

Tom Sawyer is a troublemaking little boy who’s always causing problems, having fun and enjoying many crazy adventures. In this classic tale by Mark Twain, Tom visits his own funeral, stops a crime and tries very hard to get a girl to like him.<\/p>\n

Tom Sawyer is a well-known name in American literature and his stories of adventure are very fun\u00a0to\u00a0read.<\/p>\n

\"The14.\u00a0The Invisible Man<\/a> by H.G. Wells<\/h2>\n

Being invisible sounds like fun, but is it really?<\/p>\n

When a man learns how to make himself invisible, all he gets in return is problems and people betraying him. Maybe he should have just stayed normal…<\/p>\n

\"Emma\"<\/a>15.\u00a0Emma<\/a>\u00a0by Jane Austen<\/h2>\n

Jane Austen is perhaps best known for her novel “Pride and Prejudice,” which is about life and love for rich, upper-class people in the early 1800s.<\/p>\n

“Emma” takes place in the same time period, focusing on the character of Emma who is \u201chandsome, clever and rich.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emma thinks that she\u2019s great at matching people up to get married, but she soon learns that maybe she shouldn’t interfere with (get involved in) people\u2019s lives so much.<\/p>\n

\"Tarzan<\/a>16.\u00a0Tarzan of the Apes<\/a> by Edgar Rice Burroughs<\/h2>\n

Tarzan is a wild man, raised by apes in the middle of the jungle. This book tells about his life among the apes and other animals, and what happens when a wild monkey man meets other humans for the first time.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>17.\u00a0The Innocence of Father Brown<\/a> by G.K. Chesterton<\/h2>\n

If you met Father Brown, you wouldn’t realize that he\u2019s a great detective. He\u2019s a small Catholic priest who always carries an umbrella\u2014the kind of person who’s easy to forget.<\/p>\n

He’s a great thinker, though, and he can see people for who they really are. “The Innocence of Father Brown” has 12 short stories where the little priest uses his knowledge of human nature to solve mysteries.<\/p>\n

\"Frankenstein\"<\/a>18.\u00a0Frankenstein<\/a> by Mary Shelley<\/h2>\n

Creating life from death is Dr. Frankenstein\u2019s dream. When he finally brings a dead man to life, things don\u2019t work out the way he wants.<\/p>\n

If you know the Frankenstein monster, you might think he\u2019s a terrible creature.<\/p>\n

But this book tells the real story of Dr. Frankenstein\u2019s creation, named only \u201cthe monster.\u201d It turns out that the monster might not be such a monster after all.<\/p>\n

19. The Moonstone<\/a> by Wilkie Collins\"The<\/a><\/h2>\n

If you love detective books, you’ll love “The Moonstone,” which might be the first detective novel in the English language!<\/p>\n

It has everything that a good mystery needs\u2014a precious jewel is stolen during a young woman\u2019s 18th birthday party.<\/p>\n

Who stole the jewel and where is it now? Follow the trail of the thief in this book.<\/p>\n

20.\u00a0Dracula<\/a> by Bram Stoker\"Dracula\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

Dracula is one of the best known vampires of all time. If you’ve watched any movies about Dracula, you might be surprised at what the actual book is like.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an epistolary novel, which means it\u2019s written completely in the form of letters, and the story of Dracula is told through other people\u2019s points of view.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an interesting look at the first \u201cmodern\u201d vampire, and it’s really a great read.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n

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\"learn-english-with-videos\"<\/a>

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\r\nThe FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\"learn-english-with-subtitled-television-show-clips\"<\/a>

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.<\/p><\/div>\r\n

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\"learn-conversational-english-with-interactive-captioned-dialogue\"<\/a>

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

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\"practice-english-with-adaptive-quizzes\"<\/a>

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n

\r\nThe best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you\u2019re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words\u2014and reminds you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’re looking for free English books online, either in PDF or e-reader formats, start with classic literature: People have enjoyed these books for a long time, and they still…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":251521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"20 Classic English Books Available as Free PDFs | FluentU English Blog","description":"These free English e-books on PDF feature classic works from English literature, with well-known authors like Jane Austen and Mark Twain. Download them as English book PDFs and read to your heart\u2019s content! With our list, you can easily access some of the best stories ever written in the English language\u2014for free."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[685,688],"tags":[],"coauthors":[169],"class_list":["post-148044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-resources-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148044"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":230245,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148044\/revisions\/230245"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148044"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=148044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}