Epic voyages and small-town epitaphs: this shelf holds the verse that survives translation, plus the American original that turned a cemetery into a chorus.
Start with: The Iliad by Homer, The Odyssey by Homer or Beowulf by Anonymous. Each page carries chapter summaries, a word count, reading time and the free EPUB, AZW3 and KEPUB downloads.
Each edition is a complete free EPUB, AZW3 and KEPUB file with the translator or edition noted, because with Homer the translation you read is the poem you get.
8 free editions · ~714,000 words in total · 750 BC–1923 · EPUB, AZW3 and KEPUB
The IliadHomer · 750 BC~156,000 words · 8.7 h
The OdysseyHomer · 700 BC~125,000 words · 6.9 h
BeowulfAnonymous · 1000~25,000 words · 1.4 h
The Divine ComedyDante Alighieri · 1320~112,000 words · 6.2 h
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and RomeE. M. Berens · 1880~109,000 words · 6.1 h
Spoon River AnthologyEdgar Lee Masters · 1916~39,000 words · 2.2 h
Myths and Legends of ChinaE. T. C. Werner · 1922~136,000 words · 7.6 h
The ProphetKahlil Gibran · 1923~12,000 words · 0.7 hAll 8 Poetry & Epics titles
- The Iliad — Homer (750 BC), ~156,000 words
- The Odyssey — Homer (700 BC), ~125,000 words
- Beowulf — Anonymous (1000), ~25,000 words
- The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri (1320), ~112,000 words
- Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome — E. M. Berens (1880), ~109,000 words
- Spoon River Anthology — Edgar Lee Masters (1916), ~39,000 words
- Myths and Legends of China — E. T. C. Werner (1922), ~136,000 words
- The Prophet — Kahlil Gibran (1923), ~12,000 words
How to choose your next book
The list runs from the oldest publication date to the newest, not from easiest to hardest. If you are new to the period, start with the earliest; the later books are usually arguing with the earlier ones. If you only want one, pick by time rather than reputation: under 50,000 words is a weekend, 50,000 to 120,000 is two weeks of evenings, and anything above 150,000 wants a reading plan.
Frequently asked questions
Are these editions really free?
Yes. Every title on this page is in the public domain in the United States and most other countries, and the download links go directly to complete EPUB, AZW3 and KEPUB files with no account and no paywall.
Where do the texts come from?
The texts are taken from Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks, both of which proofread against printed editions. Each book page names its source and notes the edition used.
Which format should I choose?
EPUB for Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books and most reading apps; AZW3 for older Kindles that accept sideloaded files; KEPUB for Kobo devices, which render Kobo’s own pagination and reading statistics.
How long will these books take to read?
This shelf totals about 714,000 words. At 300 words per minute that is roughly 39.7 hours of reading, and each card shows its own word count.
Can I start with a shorter book?
Yes. Start with the shortest title in the list above: several are under 60,000 words and one or two can be finished in a single evening.
Other shelves on editions.ink
Victorian Novels (30) · Detective & Mystery (22) · Gothic & Horror (22) · Science Fiction (8) · Adventure & Sea (24) · Children's Classics (14) · Philosophy (27) · Poetry & Epics (8) · Modern Classics (18) · Drama (4) · the complete free classic-fiction catalog · word counts and reading times · all authors · series in reading order · books by decade.