Ten free e-books to kindle your love of literature

One of the joys of owning a Kindle (or any other e-reader) is that you have access to tens of thousands of free books, e.g. through Project Gutenberg or the Amazon store. But where to start? Here is a list of my personal favorites. It is pretty diverse, so if you don't like a book, just delete it and get another one. After all, they're free...

1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
“The best book on programming for the layman is 'Alice in Wonderland'; but that's because it's the best book on anything for the layman”, says one of Alan Perlis’ famous Epigrams in Programming. This goes to show what reverence the book (along with its sequel, Through the Looking Glass) enjoys. While it perfectly works as an entertaining childern’s story, it also has deep philosophical underpinnings - it inspired thoughts on linguisitcs, logic, philosophy, feminism etc. etc.

This is a fine free edition, but you should consider splurging out $2 for the edition with the original graphics by Tenniel as they are an essential part of the book (I did not find a free version of that).

Pop culture is full of allusions to Alice, so go ahead and (re-)read the original!

Image from wikipedia

2. The Turn of the Screw

Henry James’ quintessential ghost story. Carefully crafted and extremely well written. It spawned a huge critical debate in which readers could not even agree what the story is about. See for yourself.

3. Tess of the D’Urbervilles

Thomas Hardy’s Tess is regarded as one of the great English novels. Set in the English countryside at the time of the industrial revolution, it paints a rich picture of life and the changes it is undergoing - political, technical and moral. Above all, very beautiful prose.

4. Moby Dick

Moby Dick has been called "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world." It tells not only the story of Captain Ahab and his hunt for the legendary white whale - you will also learn a great deal about the industry of whaling (based on the author's own experience!), and why it was so important in the 19th century.

5. Leaves of Grass

Published around the same time as Moby Dick, Leaves of Grass caused quite a stir when it was published - among other things, Walt Whitman lost his job because his boss found the book too offensive. His poems celebrate every aspect of American life - the high and the low, the sublime and the sensual.

6. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

James Joyce’s autobiographical novel is far easier to read than his big novels (Ulysses, anyone?) but full of literary innovation. Each chapter is written in the lanugage appropriate to this stage of life, and each ends with an “epiphany”, a sudden realization that turns the hero’s life in a new direction.

7. The Importance of Being Earnest

Hilarious play by Oscar Wilde about two guys trying to change their names to "Earnest" (at least that's what I remember). Famous for its excellent wit - try memorizing some quotes to spice up your conversation, e.g. "The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!" and many more. Read for yourself.

8. The Fall of the House of Usher

"House of Usher" tells of a visit to the last heirs of an ancient family who are living in a decaying house. Edgar Allan Poe shows how he is ahead of his time both in creating suspense and in the psychological insights in describing his characters.

9. Right Ho, Jeeves

P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves stories always work on the same principle: The rich Bertie Wooster and his "personal Gentleman" Jeeves go through a series of hair-raising events in order to avoid the ultimate catastrophe - Bertie getting married. With his encylopaedic knowledge and his gift for creative solutions, Jeeves always saves the day. Great fun to read.

10. Frankenstein

Frankenstein, written by the 18 year old Mary Shelley, is another of those classics that was way ahead of its time. Published in 1818, it is now considered one of the first Science Ficiton novels. The idea of the Doppelgänger, of course, became a perennial classic, spawning countless imitations and numerous films. But it all started with this novel.