The classics are classics for a reason—they’re just that good—and what better time to hit up some of the best of the best than the summer? Daring adventures, intricate love stories, tragic heroes—what better travel inspiration than that?
When it comes to adding literature into your summer plans, lugging around a library full of books may be a little unrealistic, but the good news is there are plenty of online resources to help with that. So grab your iPhone, iPad, or laptop, and a Virtual Private Network to get around geo-location blocking, and you can travel anywhere in the world and still get the same great reads.
So whether you’re into the heavy hitters or prefer the fluffier stuff, here’s to those reads that are oldies but goodies!
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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
It may be something in the air, but Lewis Carroll’s trippy 1865 hit is on the radar for Disney 2016, which means it’s on the radar for everyone else as well. So get up to speed with the plot of Alice Through the Looking Glass before you hit the cinema (or even after) with an online read of all her adventures into Wonderland. From Jabberwocky to tea parties, this classic is great for reading out loud to the kids before bed, and it has international and all-ages appeal. Check out the text online here.
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Emma by Jane Austen
Another read that’s relevant now is Jane Austen’s classic Emma. While the whole world has read Pride and Prejudice, Emma is an equally light-hearted tale of finding love in Regency England. Centering on Emma, a well-off lady who schemes to make love matches of all of her friends, the story delves into the sometimes hilarious and sometimes retrospective nature of how relationships around us shape who we become. If you’re a fan of the recent release Love & Friendship on the big screen starring Kate Beckinsale, it’s the perfect antidote for your Austen loss after the credits roll. Here’s the full text.
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Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Making fun of the Robinson Crusoe of the time, Gulliver’s Travels centers on a surgeon who turns into a sea-captain and travels the world while making many jokes at the expense of the traditional travel story along the way. An instant classic with the English when it was published, it’s just as good for reading yourself (or to the kiddies) as Alice. This one is another to guarantee wanderlust—what story about far-off places and wonderful seafaring adventures isn’t? Check out the full text here.
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The Adventures of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
What story is better for inspiring summer playdates than the boy who never ages? J.M. Barrie’s sweet classic is as adventurous as you remember, but it’s the excellent writing that will pull in any adult readers who may have glossed over the prose the first time around. Tiger Lily, Captain Hook, and the ticking crocodile all return for an adventure into Neverland that literally never grows old. Follow up this fantastic read with a look behind the scenes at the making of the book in the movie Finding Neverland—it’s a tale of Barrie’s plight while writing his most famous piece and stars Johnny Depp. Read on here.
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The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Now here’s a story for the ages. Villainous cardinals, secret lovers, kings, queens, and country and the three (then four) best friends that anyone could have—what better epic could possibly exist? Alexandre Dumas’s timeless novel of brotherhood and honor is one that does so in a grand epic fashion with long descriptions, slow builds and plenty of sword fights. Gone are the days when books were the main entertainment factor, but it’s easy enough to imagine them with The Three Musketeers, and it’s the perfect companion for any long travel ride. For the full text, head here.
Reading online or downloading PDFs to your Kindle has never been easier, and with these classics available for free, it’s never been cheaper. So dive into these timeless tales and then send me suggestions on what oldies I should turn to next.
