The Marginalia Press reference
Public-Domain Classics Availability Atlas
Use this selected list to find a Project Gutenberg text and check what its record says. The table separates a work's original publication or composition date from the date its ebook appeared on Gutenberg.
Compare 22 selected titles using the linked Project Gutenberg records. Each entry gives the author, language, rights wording, ebook release date and any edition notes shown in its source. The 30-day download figures are observations from 27–28 September 2026, with the observation date listed for each entry. They describe that period, rather than lasting popularity.
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These are editorial routes through titles in the atlas, not a personal reading assessment. Pick the kind of first step you want; the order is a suggestion, not a score.
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Compare recorded text editions and translations
For these five works, the helper compares actual Project Gutenberg eBook records, their release dates, and the edition or translator details stated by those records. It does not rate translation quality or compare commercial print editions.
Choose a work to see the editions or translations recorded in the source.
Pride and Prejudice: 2 recorded versions
- Pride and Prejudice, eBook #1342 (1998-06-01; English). The atlas record. Its page also lists eBook #42671.
- Pride and Prejudice, eBook #42671 (2013-05-09; English). An alternate Gutenberg eBook record. Its page points back to #1342; no separate translation or annotation claim is made.
Frankenstein: 3 recorded versions
- Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus, eBook #84 (1993-10-01; English). The atlas record lists the 1818 and 1831 versions as improved editions below.
- Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus (1818 publication), eBook #41445 (2012-11-23; English). Gutenberg gives the original publication as United Kingdom, 1818.
- Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus (1831 publication), eBook #42324 (2013-03-13; English). Gutenberg gives the original publication as United Kingdom, 1831.
Moby-Dick: 3 recorded versions
- Moby Dick; Or, The Whale, eBook #2701 (2001-07-01; English). One of the three Gutenberg text eBook records listed for this work.
- Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, eBook #15 (1991-05-01; English). Gutenberg says this is believed to be the highest-quality text of its three editions and is based on the first American edition, 1851.
- Moby Dick; Or, The Whale, eBook #2489 (2001-01-01; English). One of the three Gutenberg text eBook records listed for this work.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: 2 recorded versions
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, eBook #1661 (1999-03-01; English). The atlas record notes the improved illustrated eBook #48320.
- Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Illustrated, eBook #48320 (2015-02-20; English). Gutenberg record title identifies this as an illustrated edition.
The Odyssey: 3 recorded versions
- The Odyssey (Samuel Butler translation), eBook #1727 (1999-04-01; English). English prose translation by Samuel Butler.
- The Odyssey of Homer, eBook #1728 (1999-04-01; English). Translation by S. H. Butcher and Andrew Lang.
- The Odyssey, eBook #3160 (2002-04-01; English). Translation by Alexander Pope.
The selected titles
| Title and author | Original publication or composition | Gutenberg ebook release | Language | Record's rights statement | 30-day downloads snapshot | Record note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pride and Prejudice | 1813 | 1998-06-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 185,689 | Also available as eBook #42671. |
| Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus | 1818 | 1993-10-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 134,415 | Record lists improved 1818 and 1831 editions: eBooks #41445 and #42324. |
| Moby Dick; Or, The Whale | 1851 | 2001-07-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 165,303 | Three Project Gutenberg editions are noted (#15, #2701, #2489). |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | 1865 | 2008-06-27 | English | Public domain in the USA | 117,763 | No edition note retained. |
| The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe | 1719 | 1996-05-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 15,408 | No edition note retained. |
| Dracula | 1897 | 1995-10-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 78,459 | No edition note retained. |
| The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1892 | 1999-03-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 98,047 | An improved edition is available as eBook #48320. |
| Great Expectations | 1860 | 1998-07-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 35,241 | First published serially from 1860 to 1861. |
| Jane Eyre: An Autobiography | 1847 | 1998-03-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 58,928 | No edition note retained. |
| Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy | 1868 | 2011-08-16 | English | Public domain in the USA | 61,622 | Published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. |
| War and Peace | 1869 | 2001-04-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 42,525 | English translation by Aylmer and Louise Maude. |
| Crime and Punishment | 1866 | 2006-03-28 | English | Public domain in the USA | 84,934 | English translation by Constance Garnett. |
| The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete | 1876 | 2004-07-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 40,625 | No edition note retained. |
| Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | 1884 | 2004-06-29 | English | Public domain in the USA | 34,720 | First published in the UK in 1884 and the US in 1885. |
| The Time Machine | 1895 | 2004-10-02 | English | Public domain in the USA | 26,026 | No edition note retained. |
| The Picture of Dorian Gray | 1890 | 1994-10-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 50,646 | No edition note retained. |
| The Scarlet Letter | 1850 | 1992-06-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 6,484 | An improved edition is available as eBook #25344. |
| The Odyssey | 8th–7th century BCE (approx.) | 1999-04-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 68,740 | Gutenberg subtitle: 'Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original.' Samuel Butler translation. Other editions are #1728 and #3160. |
| The call of the wild | 1903 | 2008-07-02 | English | Public domain in the USA | 18,557 | No edition note retained. |
| Hamlet | 1600 | 1998-11-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 9,925 | Written circa 1599–1601. |
| Ulysses | 1922 | 2003-07-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 33,186 | This eBook is based on pre-1923 print editions. |
| The cruise of the Snark | 1911 | 2001-02-01 | English | Public domain in the USA | 993 | Nonfiction travel account. The Gutenberg record identifies it as public domain in the USA. |
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Download counts can change as the source updates. They are shown only as the captured record value, not as a ranking, quality judgment or recommendation.
Sources and method
Each linked title opens its official Project Gutenberg record. The source's own title, author, language, edition information, release date, rights statement and displayed download count are the basis of this table. We do not infer modern edition rights from a Gutenberg record.
Project Gutenberg explains its catalog and metadata access in its offline catalogs guidance. This page was last checked 28 September 2026. Refresh source details before relying on a later download-count or edition reading.
Read beyond Moby-Dick
The Moby-Dick row points to one novel. Our Melville reading guide adds Omoo, White-Jacket, Typee and both parts of Mardi, each with its own reading entry and full source text.