Read the Best English Classic Books & Novels Online

The books you have to read in your lifetime

Classic books are categorised as such because they are generally accepted as being exemplary and worthy of belonging to a list of great literary works. Distinguished by their popularity among readers over time, many continue to be used in education and discourses as examples of noteworthy literature. Of course the term classic not only applies to English literature but also to the great works of Asia and the Middle East for instance.

It has been written that there are two types of classic book: the first are those that we know we should have read, but have not. These are the books that come up in conversation and we avoid commenting on for obvious reasons. The second are the books we have actually read and, like music, we savour and retain the words in our minds as we travel through life. We can quote passages at will and enjoy encouraging our friends, relatives and colleagues to read them.

Whichever way you regard classic books we think you will agree they are good stories, well written. With this in mind, we hope you will enjoy reading the collection of free books online we are putting together on Obooko. While most will be popular titles by authors you have heard of, we will also include some lesser-known works to add to your library.