I have a
non-kindle e-reader, which I love and carry with me everywhere – this tiny
gadget is what lets me get through over a book a week. I read it on subways, in
waiting rooms, and wherever else I remember to bring it. So what do I do when I
forget it at home or find it inconvenient to carry (small as it is, it can’t
fit into a jeans pocket)? I turn to the free Kindle app on my phone and the free
books that you can get through Amazon. These are the books that I read
sporadically – only when no other entertainment is available – so they have to
be good enough to keep my interest and attention through months of grabbing a
page here and there.
Here are my top
few classic works of literature available for free through Amazon and perfect
for bite-sized reading sessions on the go.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Length: 191 pages
Premise: Scientist creates mutant; shenanigans
follow.
Why should you read it? I will admit up front that neither of
the main characters is particularly likable. Frankenstein – the scientist
behind the mutant – is perhaps the whiniest protagonist in literary history.
Frankenstein’s mutant is a gentle soul who turns on the world upon being
mistreated by it. Shelley’s beautiful descriptions of each setting (icy seas,
urban and suburban Geneva, Swiss Alps) as well as the underlying philosophy of existentialism
(who deserves life?) are what make this book worth reading. Other reason to
read – Frankenstein’s life has more drama than a reality show confessional
room. There’s incest, revenge plots, story-within-a-story-within-a-story, conspiracies,
death count as high as Hamlet’s, and long agonizing bouts of flu.
Time Machine and War of the Worlds by
H.G.Wells
Length: 80 pages and 180 pages
Premise: One is a novella about going to the
future in a time machine and seeing how the human race ended up. The other is
about Martians attacking London and surrounding suburbs.
Why should you read it? H.G.Wells is a pretty brilliant science
fiction writer who was ahead of his time. Reading these works, published in the
last few years of the 19th century, introduces us to the beginnings
of the genre (much like Jules Verne novels). Both of these stories are quick
reads and balance quick action (Attack! Run away! Explore! Run away!) with long
internal monologues about the state of the world and humankind.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Length: 160 pages
Premise: A very beautiful and shallow young man
who cares of nothing but beauty and extravagance has his portrait painted
around the same time that someone tells him that beauty is fleeting with age.
Freakouts ensue right before the magical portrait sets everything right.
Why should you read it? First of all, Oscar Wilde is hilarious.
Secondly, if you’ve ever seen a witty Oscar Wilde quote, chances are it came
from this book. Thirdly, there’s a lot of pondering about getting old in this
book – so if that’s a subject that’s ever weighed heavily on your mind (as it
does on mine every time I celebrate my 21st birthday for the nth
year in a row), this book will provide some insight into your own mind.
Finally, you absolutely can’t stop reading until you find out whether the vain
youth ever learns his lesson (because we all secretly hoped he would).
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Length: 408 pages
Premise: Vampire needs killing.
Why should you read it? Because it’s the first vampire novel.
Though its length may seem imposing, keep in mind that the entire novel is
written as a collection of letters and journal entries from each main character
(and there’s significant overlap in case you forget something between reading
sessions). Sadly, we never get any journal entries from Dracula himself to gain
insight into his mind, though his journal is probably full of the word “blood”
in cursive and newspaper clippings from towns he has terrorized. 
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