Have you ever been interested in reading the “Classics” or other older books? You know the ones I’m talking about: Treasure Island, Great Expectations, Last of the Mohicans, A Tale of Two Cities, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, or The Hound of the Baskervilles. These works have a couple of things in common that you may not have thought of. All of these works—and many more—were published over 100 years ago, and they can all be downloaded to your favorite device. Every year, a few more books reach their 95th year in existence. These books then fall into the category of works that will become known as “Public Domain.”
Have you ever been curious about diving into some of the great literature of the past—or just looking for something free to read—then I want to tell you about “public domain”, it might just be the best secret you haven’t explored yet.
So let’s break this down a little more.
What Does “Public Domain” Mean?
When a book (or any creative work) enters the public domain, it means the copyright has expired. Copyright is a legal way to protect an author’s rights to their work, usually for their lifetime and a set number of years afterward—currently 95 years from the date of publication in the U.S. for most books. After that, the work becomes available for anyone to copy, share, remix, adapt, or republish.
Basically, once something is in the public domain, it belongs to everyone.
That’s why you’ll often see new editions or adaptations of really old books popping up in modern bookstores, or even online as part of games, movies, or comics. No one needs to ask permission to use them. It’s like a creative free-for-all—and for readers, it means free access to some of the greatest stories ever written.
So, Where Do You Find These Books?
Enter Project Gutenberg. I discovered this website after an internet search for free ebooks and if you love books even a little, you’ll probably love the site too.
Project Gutenberg is a volunteer-driven site that’s been digitizing public domain works for decades. It has over 70,000 free ebooks available to download or read online. You don’t need a subscription, you don’t need an app, and you definitely don’t need to pay. It’s all legal, all safe, and super easy to use.
You can search by title, author, or even subject. Want to read Frankenstein finally? They’ve got it. Always wanted to read The Art of War, Kidnapped, or Pride and Prejudice but didn’t want to pay the price for a digital or printed copy? Just a few clicks away is everything you want to read in formats you need—plain text, Kindle, ePub, even HTML if you want to read in your browser.
If you have a Kindle, Kobo, Nook, or another e-book reading device, there are usually versions of the book you want to read available to download for one of those devices.
Don’t have one of those devices, you say—just download an ebook reader app for your Smartphone or tablet, then download the ebooks of your choice, and you’re set. Do you like Audiobooks? Then the “LibriVox” app will enable you to listen to many of these books for free. These books are not read by professional voice actors, but by volunteers just like you and me.
Why Bother Reading the Classics?
Let’s be honest—not every classic is an easy read. Some of them are slow. Some are dense. But a lot of them? Still gripping, still funny, still powerful. And reading them gives you a sense of where today’s stories come from. You see the DNA of modern thrillers in Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. You recognize the roots of dystopian fiction in The Time Machine or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
And sometimes, it’s just cool to say you’ve read the original story behind that movie you love.
Plus, if you’re a writer, these books are like a masterclass in storytelling, structure, and character. They’ve stood the test of time for a reason.
Final Thoughts
If you haven’t checked out Project Gutenberg yet, give it a try. Whether you’re looking for an old favorite or trying something new (to you), there’s a world of literature just sitting there, waiting. No cost, no catch—just you, your device, and some of the greatest minds in literary history.
So the next time you’re scrolling through your favorite device, wondering what to read, remember this little corner of the internet where everything is free and everything is classic.