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Although for avid readers there is nothing like rummaging through a second-hand book store or flea market for great literary classics, there is something to be said for convenience and immediacy, and with the invention of eBook readers and the ability to download eBooks from the Internet, thousands of classics are almost instantly at your fingertips.

Free online books

There are some really cool websites out there on the web that have huge catalogues of free online books. One such site is Manybooks.net, which has 26,406 free online books for download, and with their in-depth reviews, special collections and most popular sections, choosing is easy.

Feedbooks.com, with their catch phrase, ‘Food for the mind’, don’t only allow you to download e books but also give you the option of publishing your book online, as well as publishing your own newspaper.

The most famous of these sites, however, is Project Gutenberg, the first site to publish free online books with over 30,000 titles – many of which were digitised through the help of thousands of volunteers. All of these sites offer downloads in various formats: ePub, Mobipocket, HTML, PDF and simple text format.

The classics

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Some books are so powerful that they withstand the test of time. And now, many of these literary classics are available online, to be downloaded in seconds. Here are some gems:

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is a story about the mad adventurer Don Quixote and his side-kick Sancho Panza as they journey through Spain looking to destroy the wicked. A tale of misadventure and glory, much loved for centuries.

Next to The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is considered Dumas’ best work, completed in 1844. This is a universal story about betrayal, forgiveness, hope and mercy.

Charlotte Brontë received immediate commercial success with Jane Eyre, her most famous novel, about a young girl on her journey to maturity. The book received much praise but was also the subject of heated criticism for its critical prose.

David Copperfield, by Charles Dickins, is a grown man’s reflections of youth and his life, making this novel highly emotional and unforgettable, weaving intricate narratives with complex characters and masterful dialogue. Dickens at his best.

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Next to Emma, Pride and Prejudice is of Jane Austen’s most read novels. The story, set in England, is about the clumsiness of love and courtship, sisterhood and social classes.

Whether you are new to the classics or delving into one of your all-time favourites for the umpteenth time, don’t be put off by the idea of reading a digital book. Good eBook readers have screens designed to look just like the pages of a book, and there is no beating the convenience of being able to carry hundreds of your favourite books with you wherever you go.