ARTales Library
Explore original works, translations, and curated public-domain editions. ARTales is being built as a living library: a place where texts keep their structure, context, editions, and reading layers.
Public domain
Language: English
Some books stay with us not only because of the story, but because of the person at their centre. Jane Eyre follows a young woman searching for her place in the world, for independence, and for love without losing herself along the way. Alongside mystery and strong emotion, it becomes an unexpectedly intimate story about trusting one’s own heart while holding on to one’s sense of self.
Public domain
Language: English
Some books become famous long before we ever open them, and Dracula is often one of them. Yet beyond the story of a mysterious count lies a world of growing unease, unfamiliar places, and tension that builds almost unnoticed. Perhaps that is why it still feels so vivid today — some fears never fade as much as we imagine.
Public domain
Language: English
What begins to change when someone crosses a boundary once thought impossible? Often remembered for its scientific experiment, Frankenstein is, beneath the surface, a surprisingly human story about loneliness, responsibility, and choices that cannot easily be undone. A novel that often surprises readers by how deeply human it truly feels.
Public domain
Language: English
What if youth and beauty never had to fade? The Picture of Dorian Gray begins with a question that feels almost irresistible, gradually unfolding into something far more unsettling about identity, morality, and the cost of our desires. A novel that manages to be both captivating and quietly disturbing — often at the same time.
Public domain
Language: English
At first glance, an adventure story — but underneath, a journey shaped by conscience, freedom, and the search for one’s own path. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn lets its protagonist move through a world without easy answers, and its questions still feel unexpectedly relevant today. Some books grow alongside their readers, and this may be one of them.
Public domain
Language: English
Some adventures begin with a map, but rarely end where one expects them to. Treasure Island opens a world of shifting loyalties, dangerous choices, and characters who resist simple labels. The pirates here are neither purely heroic nor purely villainous, which is exactly what makes the story still feel alive today.
Public domain
Language: English
The Story of My Life carries the quiet strength of someone who had to discover the world in a different way. It is not simply a book about obstacles, but about patience, trust, and the moment when things begin to connect with words, meaning, and the nearness of others. Helen Keller does not feel like a distant symbol here, but like a sensitive and curious person whose life reminds us that learning the world can be one of the deepest forms of courage.
Public domain
Language: English
The Wind in the Willows carries the quiet kindness of books that seem to wait for our return. To come back to the river, the cosy burrows, the friendships, and the small adventures is to feel the world slow down for a while. It is more than a tale of animal characters; it is the feeling that somewhere there is a place where curiosity, mischief, and the need for safety are all gently welcomed. Perhaps that is why readers return to it like an echo of childhood that has never quite faded.
Public domain
Language: English
A thrilling adventure in which Professor Challenger leads an expedition into a remote South American plateau where prehistoric creatures still survive. As the team confronts dinosaurs, hidden dangers, and rival tribes, the story blends scientific curiosity with high suspense. Doyle’s imaginative world offers both excitement and a classic exploration of discovery and survival.
Public domain
Language: German
Some journeys do not lead across landscapes, but through silence, doubt, and the longing to understand one’s own life. Siddhartha is a book about a search that cannot be borrowed from others or hurried to its end. In a calm voice, it speaks of the restlessness of a person seeking meaning through lived experience. Its quiet power lies in this simplicity: it does not hand the reader an answer, but gently invites them to begin asking their own questions.
Public domain
Language: English
A classic Sherlock Holmes mystery blending eerie folklore with sharp deduction. When a nobleman fears a legendary spectral hound haunting the moors, Holmes and Watson uncover a web of greed, deception, and family secrets. Atmospheric landscapes, rising tension, and a chilling sense of the supernatural make this one of Doyle’s most iconic and compelling investigations.
Public domain
Language: English
A classic collection of twelve Sherlock Holmes stories showcasing the detective’s sharp intellect, keen observation, and mastery of deduction. From blackmail and stolen treasures to mysterious disappearances, each case reveals a different facet of Victorian London’s secrets. The stories blend suspense, wit, and atmosphere, making this anthology a defining cornerstone of detective fiction.
Public domain
Language: English
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve detective stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, following Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they solve a wide range of mysteries. The stories showcase Holmes’s deductive brilliance, explore darker themes, and introduce key figures such as Mycroft Holmes and Professor Moriarty. Cases range from the disappearance of a racehorse in Silver Blaze to ancient family secrets in The Musgrave Ritual, early episodes from Holmes’s youth in The Gloria Scott, and political intrigue in The Naval Treaty. The collection culminates in The Final Problem, where Holmes confronts Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls in what was intended to be the detective’s final appearance
Public domain
Language: English
A darker and more mature collection of Sherlock Holmes stories that explores the detective’s sharp intellect in cases filled with deception, obsession, and moral ambiguity. From eerie domestic mysteries to complex criminal schemes, Holmes and Watson confront some of their most challenging investigations. The volume offers a compelling blend of tension, atmosphere, and Doyle’s refined storytelling.
Public domain
Language: English
A fast‑paced Sherlock Holmes mystery that begins with a cryptic summons and unfolds into a tale of hidden treasure, betrayal, and long‑buried secrets. As Holmes and Watson follow a trail across London’s darker corners, they uncover a complex conspiracy rooted in colonial history. Suspense, deduction, and emotional undercurrents make this one of Doyle’s most engaging adventures.
Public domain
Language: English
A gripping Sherlock Holmes mystery that intertwines a brutal country‑house murder with a hidden past rooted in secret societies and betrayal. As Holmes unravels cryptic clues, the story shifts between England and America, revealing how long‑buried loyalties ignite deadly consequences. A tense, atmospheric novel blending deduction with dark intrigue.
Public domain
Language: English
Some mysteries draw us in through their secrets; others because of the person determined to uncover them. The Mystery of the Blue Train combines elegant surroundings, carefully hidden truths, and clues that reveal their significance only gradually. Presiding over it all is Hercule Poirot, a detective whose insight into human nature is every bit as compelling as his talent for solving crimes.
Public domain
Language: English
Sometimes the search for something important begins when the familiar world suddenly turns into something unknown. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz brings together adventure, friendship, and the quiet courage needed to keep moving forward, even without knowing what lies ahead. Beneath its colourful world and unforgettable characters lies a story that speaks surprisingly well to adult readers, too.
Public domain
Language: English
Some love stories are far removed from fairy tales. The Phantom of the Opera unfolds in a world of music, admiration, and mystery, while quietly exploring loneliness, longing, and feelings that struggle to find their place. Perhaps that is why it lingers not only as a tale of suspense, but also with a certain melancholy.
Public domain
Language: English
What happens when we decide to follow something that makes very little sense? Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland begins with a fall into a world where size changes without warning, animals speak, and questions often matter more than answers. Beneath its playful absurdity lies a story that can feel both enchanting and disorienting — perhaps that is why readers find something different in it at every stage of life.
Public domain
Language: English
The sea here is not merely a setting, but a force that tests, tempts, and consumes. Moby-Dick belongs to those stories in which desire slowly hardens into obsession, and courage crosses into something far more dangerous. Beneath its vastness lies adventure, fate, and the unsettling question of whether a person is truly struggling against the world outside — or against something within himself.
Public domain
Language: French
Not every thief earns a reader’s affection. Arsène Lupin, however, belongs to that rare breed of characters whose charm, wit, and ability to stay one step ahead make him difficult to resist. The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin offers a world of disguises, clever schemes, and shifting identities, where the journey is often every bit as entertaining as the outcome.
Public domain
Language: German
Some stories unsettle us not because of what they show, but because of how little certainty they offer. The Trial begins quietly, yet gradually turns into a world where rules remain unclear and answers seem forever out of reach. A novel both frustrating and strangely compelling — perhaps that is exactly why it lingers in the mind.
Public domain
Language: German
Some books stay with us from their very first sentence, and Metamorphosis is certainly one of them. What first appears absurd soon becomes unexpectedly familiar: a story of alienation, family ties, and the quiet feeling of slowly becoming unintelligible to the people around us. A short work carrying far more feeling than its reputation might first suggest.
Public domain
Language: English
Home is not always a place. Sometimes, it is the people with whom we share our joys, losses, and hopes for the future. Little Women follows four sisters, each searching for her own path while holding on to the bond that connects them. Beneath the quiet rhythm of everyday life lies a story about growing up, family, and the changes time inevitably brings. Readers return to this novel for its warmth, humanity, and gentle reminder that the simplest moments are often the ones we cherish most.
Public domain
Language: English
Not every great love story offers comfort — some are filled with defiance, longing, and emotions too tangled to settle easily. Wuthering Heights draws readers into a harsh landscape of complicated relationships, fierce attachment, and feelings that refuse simple explanations. A novel people tend to either deeply love or struggle with at first — but rarely forget.
Public domain
Language: English
If some stories seem made for autumn evenings, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow surely belongs among them. In a landscape shaped by whispered legends and quiet uncertainty, the line between reality and imagination slowly begins to blur. Some stories do not frighten us outright — they simply make us glance over our shoulder a little longer.
Public domain
Language: English
Some stories are shaped less by what happened than by how long its consequences endure. The Scarlet Letter follows lives marked by guilt, secrecy, and the judgement of others, without offering easy answers. Beneath the portrait of a strict society lies a deeply human story about dignity, resilience, and the price we sometimes pay for our choices. A novel quieter than its reputation suggests, yet one that often lingers long after the final page.
Public domain
Language: English
The Song of Roland feels like a story meant to be spoken aloud, carried from one listener to the next. It brings us into a world of solemn vows, pride, and loyalty, where a person is measured by what they remain faithful to, even at great cost. More than an echo of ancient heroism, it offers a glimpse of an age that believed honour could outlive the body, and a name could enter the memory of a people.
