The Story Behind Modernized Classics
I've always wanted to read the great classics—works like Meditations, The Wealth of Nations, and The Art of War. But every time I tried, I found myself struggling with the old English prose, archaic language, and outdated references that made these timeless works feel impenetrable.
The ideas and wisdom in these books are as relevant today as they were centuries ago, but the language barrier was keeping me—and countless others—from accessing them. I realized there had to be a better way to experience these classics without losing their essential meaning and beauty.
That's when Modernized Classics was born: a project to make timeless literature accessible to modern readers by translating classic public-domain works into contemporary language while preserving their original essence, themes, and profound insights.
Powered by AI Technology
We leverage cutting-edge artificial intelligence to transform classic literature while maintaining its essential spirit.
AI Translation
We use Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro to carefully translate archaic language into contemporary, readable prose while preserving the original meaning and literary style.
Learn about Gemini 2.5 Pro →Text-to-Speech
High-quality audiobooks are generated using the Kokoro-82M neural TTS model, creating natural-sounding narrations for every modernized classic.
Explore Kokoro-82M →EPUB Generation
Beautiful, standards-compliant EPUB files are created using epub-gen, ensuring compatibility with all major e-readers and reading apps.
View epub-gen →Our Mission & Values
Breaking down barriers to timeless wisdom, one classic at a time.
Accessibility
We believe everyone should be able to enjoy and learn from classic literature, regardless of their background or language proficiency.
Respect
We honor the original authors' intentions and artistic vision while making their work more accessible to modern readers.
Education
We're committed to fostering a love of literature and lifelong learning through our modernized classics and educational resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
We select books based on several criteria: literary significance, educational value, cultural impact, and potential benefit from modernization. We focus on public domain works that are considered classics but may be difficult for contemporary readers to fully appreciate due to archaic language or outdated references.
Our service is completely free! All of our modernized classics are available at no cost in EPUB and audio formats, and you can access our entire library without any subscription fees. We believe in making classic literature accessible to everyone without financial barriers.
We use AI technology to modernize the language while preserving the core meaning and themes of the original works. Our primary goal is readability for contemporary audiences, so we update archaic language, clarify obscure references, and restructure sentences to make them accessible. While we prioritize readability, we carefully maintain the essence, themes, and key insights that make these works timeless classics.
Our modernized classics are available in EPUB format (compatible with most e-readers), as well as online reading through our website. We also provide AI-generated audio versions in MP3 format for each book. All formats are designed to be accessible across devices.
Yes, absolutely! We encourage the use of our modernized classics for educational purposes. Teachers and students are welcome to use our materials for classroom activities, assignments, and learning initiatives. Since all our texts are based on public domain works and are freely available, you can incorporate them into your educational curriculum without restrictions.
Currently, we don't have a formal process for accepting book suggestions, as we're focusing on completing our initial catalog of classics. However, we're considering implementing a suggestion system in the future that would allow readers to vote on which public domain works they'd like to see modernized next. Stay tuned for updates on this feature!
Contact Us
Have questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you.