And the Oscar goes to ... Free-eBooks.net (crowd erupts in cheers).
Alright, so maybe not. But if you're looking for stories that have inspired a multitude of Academy Award winners, then look no further.
Many of these were brought to the big screen thanks to renowned directors. Many to rave reviews and some to…well let's say they're at least entertaining.
We invite you to download any of these works for free and to give us your opinion.
"Books and movies are like apples and oranges. They both are fruits, but they taste completely different" ~ Stephen King
Marie Le Prince de Beaumont | Flash Fiction
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Beauty and the Beast is one of the most classic tales ever written. A beautiful daughter dreams of meeting a handsome prince, but in order to save her father's life, she leaves home to live with a terrible, frightening beast.
James Fenimore Cooper | Fiction Classics
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During the French and Indian War, half-sisters, Cora and Alice, are rescued by a Hawkeye who leads them to the safety of the last of his tribe, the Mohican Uncas.
Frances Hodgson Burnett | Children's Classics
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After the death of her parents, Mary is sent live in her uncle's great lonely house on the Moors where she discovers the key to a Secret Garden.
Bram Stoker | Horror Classics
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Count Dracula is a vampire who terrifies the countryside in his quest for human blood, but the residents soon learn his real identity and vow to destroy him.
Rudyard Kipling | Children's Classics
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After getting lost in the jungle, Mowgli is adopted into a family of wolves where he learns Jungle Law, the importance of loyalty, and survival skills.
Jane Austen | Romance Classics
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The beautiful, young Elizabeth falls in love with Mr. Darcy, but he must control his pride while she tries to overcome her prejudice.
Mary Shelley | Sci-Fi Classics
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A scientist creates a monster with pieces of corpses, but the monster develops a mind of his own begins to despise his creator.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Mystery Classics
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Twelve fascinating stories recount the investigations of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they try to solve crimes in Victorian London.
Louisa May Alcott | Children's Classics
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The March sisters, Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth, survive poverty and the absence of their father during the Civil War.
William Shakespeare | Drama Classics
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Romeo and Julie is a play by William Shakespeare concerning the fate of two young star-crossed lovers. Perhaps the most famous of his plays, it is one of his earliest theatrical triumphs and is considered the archetypal love story of the Renaissance.
Leo Tolstoy | Romance Classics
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Anna is unhappy with her marriage to a powerful politician, and when she falls in love with a dashing young officer, she must endure the criticism of others.
Victor Hugo | Fiction Classics
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Ex-convict Jean-Valjean struggles to find redemption after his release for a 19 year prison sentence for stealing food for his starving family.
Alexandre Dumas | Fiction Classics
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Edmond Dantes is imprisoned on a false political charge. He makes a daring escape, finds the treasure of Monte Cristo, and seeks revenge upon his enemies.
Jonathan Swift | Grown Up
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The first book of Gulliver Travels.
Anonymous | Children's Classics
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The son of a tailor finds a magical lamp, and he uses it to gain the love of a beautiful princess.
Anonymous | Children's Classics
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A poor maid, attends a fancy ball and dances with the handsome prince all night long, but in her haste to return before midnight, she leaves behind a glass slipper.
James M. Barrie | Children's Classics
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Peter Pan, a little boy who can fly, experiences many adventures in Wonderland with Wendy, her brothers, Tinkerbelle, and Captain Hook.
Edith Wharton | Romance Classics
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Three wealthy New Yorkers become immersed in a tragic love triangle.
Charles Dickens | Fiction Classics
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Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Christmas past in this classic Christmas tale.
Washington Irving | Sci-Fi Classics
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A headless horseman terrorizes the town of Sleepy Hollow.
Lucy Maud Montgomery | Children's Classics
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Although they wanted a sensible boy, the Cuthberts adopt a young, outgoing, headstrong girl with a lively spirit and love of life.
Francis Scott Fitzgerald | Short Stories Classics
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This story was inspired by a remark of Mark Twain's to the effect that it was a pity that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst part at the end.
Sir Walter Scott | Fiction Classics
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The son of an English merchant travels to Scotland to collect his father's debt.
Herman Melville | Fiction Classics
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Captain Ahab's is fueled by his desire to kill the great white whale that tore off his leg leads, but his attempts lead to disaster.
Jules Verne | Sci-Fi Classics
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After ships are threatened by a mysterious object under the sea, Captain Nemo uses his submarine, the Nautilus, to search for answers.
L. Frank Baum | Children's Classics
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After a tornado, Dorothy falls into the Land of Manaboos where she and three newfound friends journey to find the Wizard of Oz with special requests.
Lewis Carroll | Children's Classics
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In this classic by Lewis Carroll little Alice experiences countless adventures in Wonderland.
Alexandre Dumas père | Fiction Classics
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Dramatic, stirring, and romantic, the story of D'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, and their famous code of "one for all and all for one," remains an unsurpassed tale of adventure and heroism.
Jack London | Fiction Classics
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The adventure in the wild Yukon by dog kidnapped and sold to sledders is one not to be missed. White Fang, performed by John Ritter is action-packed, and as relevant today as it was when it was written.