Frequently Asked Questions

Classic Atlas is a free website that helps you discover and understand the world's most important public-domain books. We combine the library of Project Gutenberg with modern AI-powered insights that explain why a book matters, what ideas it contains, and who it's most likely to appeal to.

Instead of browsing endless lists of old titles, you can explore books by genre, themes, reading mood, or the questions you're curious about—making classic literature far more approachable.

Yes. Every book you see comes from Project Gutenberg, which means the texts are in the public domain and legally free for anyone to read.

We don't charge for access, don't require an account, and don't limit features. Our goal is simply to make these important works easier to discover, understand, and enjoy.

The site focuses on classic works that shaped history, politics, philosophy, science, and culture. That includes novels, essays, speeches, historical documents, and foundational texts that still influence the modern world.

Everything in the library is in the public domain.

Classic Atlas uses a four-pillar discovery system that lets you explore books in ways that match how you actually think about reading:

• Genre — What kind of book is it? Fiction, philosophy, history, science, poetry, and more.
• Themes — What ideas does it explore? Power, freedom, love, identity, human nature, and other big concepts.
• Reading Mood — How does it feel to read? Light and entertaining, dark and serious, thought-provoking, or practical.
• Curiosity — What question does it help answer? Understand society, understand yourself, understand power, and more.

You can select multiple options within each pillar to find exactly what you're looking for.

Yes. You can select as many options as you like within each pillar. The results will show books that match any of your selected criteria, and the book count updates in real time as you refine your choices.

Click "Clear" to reset all filters and browse all books again.

You can search by title, author, subject, or even by concepts like "freedom of speech" or "human nature." The search runs directly in your browser, so it's fast and private.

As you type, you'll see suggestions that help you discover relevant books and ideas.

All books come from Project Gutenberg, the world's oldest digital library of free ebooks. They host carefully digitized versions of public-domain works from libraries around the world.

Each book page links directly to Project Gutenberg where you can read the full text.

Many books include AI-generated explanations such as "Why it matters today," "Big ideas," and "Reader fit." These are designed to give you context and help you decide whether a book is worth your time.

They are summaries and interpretations, not academic judgments, but they make exploring classics much easier.

We're building this collection carefully. Rather than rushing to generate insights for every title at once, we're reviewing and analysing books in stages to ensure the information is genuinely useful for modern readers.

We currently have detailed insights for a curated selection of popular and influential titles. More are being added regularly as we work through the collection.

The book texts and basic metadata come from trusted sources like Project Gutenberg. Popularity ratings come from Goodreads.

AI insights are generated based on those texts and historical context. While they aim to be helpful and accurate, they should be seen as guides rather than definitive scholarship.

Yes. Classic Atlas is designed to work well on phones, tablets, and desktop computers. You can browse and search on any modern device.

No. We don't require accounts and we don't collect personal information. The site may use basic anonymous analytics to understand how it's used, but nothing that identifies you personally.