Did you know you can read thousands of classic books completely free? Public domain books are works whose copyright has expired, making them free to read, download, and even republish. Here are the 50 best public domain books every reader should experience.
đź“š What is Public Domain?
In the US, books published before 1929 are in the public domain. This includes works by Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, and many other literary legends. You can legally read, share, and even sell these books.
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Browse our library of 60,000+ free public domain books.
Open Free Books Library →📖 Classic Literature
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1
Pride and Prejudice
The timeless tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Witty, romantic, and endlessly quotable.
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2
1984
A haunting dystopian masterpiece about surveillance, truth, and freedom.
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3
Jane Eyre
A groundbreaking novel of independence, passion, and moral strength.
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4
Wuthering Heights
A dark, passionate tale of love and revenge on the Yorkshire moors.
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5
Great Expectations
Pip's journey from humble origins to gentleman, with unforgettable characters.
🔍 Mystery & Detective
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6
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The iconic detective stories that defined the mystery genre forever.
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7
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Sherlock Holmes' most famous case—a legend of a demonic hound on the moors.
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8
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The first Hercule Poirot mystery from the Queen of Crime.
⚔️ Adventure
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9
Treasure Island
The ultimate pirate adventure with buried treasure and Long John Silver.
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10
The Count of Monte Cristo
An epic tale of betrayal, imprisonment, and elaborate revenge.
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11
The Three Musketeers
"All for one and one for all!" Swashbuckling adventure in 17th-century France.
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12
Robinson Crusoe
The original survival story—28 years alone on a deserted island.
đź‘» Horror & Gothic
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13
Dracula
The original vampire novel that spawned an entire genre of horror.
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14
Frankenstein
The first science fiction novel—a tale of creation, ambition, and consequence.
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15
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
A chilling exploration of the duality of human nature.
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16
The Picture of Dorian Gray
A man who never ages while his portrait shows his every sin.
🚀 Science Fiction
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17
The Time Machine
Travel 800,000 years into the future in this pioneering sci-fi classic.
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18
The War of the Worlds
Martians invade Earth in this thrilling tale of alien contact.
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19
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus explore the ocean depths.
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20
Journey to the Center of the Earth
An expedition into the Earth's core full of prehistoric wonders.
đź’ˇ Continue Reading...
This is just the beginning! Visit our Free Books Library to discover 60,000+ more public domain titles—from philosophy to poetry, from children's classics to historical texts.
More Must-Reads
Here are 30 more essential public domain books:
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
- Moby Dick - Herman Melville
- The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
- The Call of the Wild - Jack London
- White Fang - Jack London
- The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling
- Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum
- Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
- A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
- Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
- David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
- The Odyssey - Homer
- The Iliad - Homer
- Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes
- Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
- The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux
- Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
- War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
- Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
- The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Emma - Jane Austen
- Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
- Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
- The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
- A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett
- The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
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