Free books!!!
I've been making more of an effort to read classics recently. One benefit is that many books old enough to be in the public domain can be easily found as free ebooks. Personally I'm a big fan of Standard Ebooks but there are other sources too.
These are some of my favourite public domain books that I really think you should check out.
Moby Dick by Herman Melville (1851)
Hands down, the best opening paragraph of all time. Just read it:
Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.
Ouuughghh!!! Aaauuugughgh!!!!! Just reading this makes me feel invigorated! Who among us has not felt a damp, drizzly November in their soul, and the desire to knock strangers' hats off out of sheer petty bitterness at the world, and the urge to run away from their lives entirely?
I read Moby Dick for the first time a few years ago and now I cannot shut up about it. It was so much more fun than I expected. Melville was doing some stuff with the literary form that would be wild even for now, let alone 1851.
Anyone who complains about Ishmael's whale-based digressions has no sense of joy. Obviously he has no idea what he's talking about, but it's still extremely funny to hear him insult manatees for whatever reason:
But as these pig-fish are a noisy, contemptible set, mostly lurking in the mouths of rivers, and feeding on wet hay, and especially as they do not spout, I deny their credentials as whales; and have presented them with their passports to quit the Kingdom of Cetology.
Truly a shitposter of his time. Also a lot of this book is pretty gay so hell yeah 😎 You should read Moby Dick immediately.
- Download Moby Dick from Standard Ebooks
- Or read Clickhole's The Time I Spent On A Commercial Whaling Ship Totally Changed My Perspective On The World
Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)
Did you know there's a vampire-hunting cowboy in this book? Many adaptations omit this character for some reason. Many adaptations are made by fools.
Anyway Dracula is a really good time! I first read it through Dracula Daily, which sends you excerpts of the book in chronological order between May and November. It's a fun way to read the novel over a longer stretch of time, and because other people are reading it at the same time, there's a bit of a book club feel to it.
The Gadfly by Ethel Voynich (1897)
Apparently this book was enormously popular in the Soviet Union and China, but became comparatively obscure in the Anglosphere. It's a shame, because I think it's really good.
Set in 1840s Italy, when many people were starting to rise up against the Austrian empire, focuses on the relationship between an idealistic young revolutionary and his mentor, a devout priest. The plot is pacy and the characters are memorable (Gemma!), but what really struck me is how much it has to say about the nature of revolution and the sacrifices required. If you're interested in revolution and/or Catholic angst, then this is a must-read.
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