For language learners
Finally read the novel — without losing the thread.
Forty-plus classics — Kafka, Cervantes, Flaubert, Tolstoy — in two languages, sentence by sentence. Free to read in the browser. Free to export as a bilingual EPUB or PDF. No dictionary tabbing, no flashcard grind, no app gamification — just the book, in the language you're learning, beside the language you already know.
Real, full-length books — free.
Forty-plus public-domain classics are free to read in either language and free to export as bilingual EPUBs and PDFs. No paywall on the reading itself.
Sentence-by-sentence alignment.
Every sentence in the source language sits beside its translation. When a clause goes over your head, your eye drops one line, then comes back. You never lose your place in the story.
An AI tutor inside the book.
Tap any sentence to ask why a verb takes that mood, what an idiom means, or who that character is. Replaces the dozen browser tabs you used to keep open.
Eight language pairs and counting
What it's not
Not Penguin Parallel Text.
Those anthologies give you eight short stories and stop. Babelotheca gives you full novels — Madame Bovary, The Trial, Don Quixote — sentence-aligned end to end.
Not Duolingo.
After the green owl plateau you need real language, not more streaks. A novel is the most natural, sustainable place to spend two hours a week.
Not ReadLang or LingQ.
Those tools shine on short articles with click-to-translate words. Babelotheca is built for long-form reading: the whole sentence is already there, on the same page, ready when you need it.
Free to read. Subscribe for the tutor.
Babelotheca subscription
Sentence explanations, EPUB exports, and translated word credits.
- ✓Full library of bilingual classics
- ✓EPUB & PDF exports
- ✓3,000 translated words / month for your own documents
- ✓500 AI sentence explanations / month
- ✓Offline reading on phone and tablet
- ✓50,000 translated words / month for your own documents
- ✓Everything in Basic
- ✓2,000 AI sentence explanations / month
- ✓300,000 translated words / month
- ✓Priority support
Secure checkout via Lemon Squeezy · Cancel anytime
Common questions
Is the library really free?
Yes. Every book is free to read in both languages, and free to export as a bilingual EPUB or PDF. We only charge for the optional extras — AI sentence explanations, offline reading, and translating documents you bring us beyond the free 3,000-word allowance.
What level of language do I need?
If you've finished a Duolingo tree or sat a B1 exam, you have enough to start. The bilingual layout means you never get truly stuck — your eye can drift to the English line whenever a sentence pushes you out of the story. Most readers report tolerating much harder texts here than they would alone.
Can I read offline, on a Kindle, or on a Kobo?
Yes. Every book exports as an EPUB and a PDF you can side-load onto a Kindle, Kobo, iPad, or print at home. Subscribe to Basic if you'd rather keep the offline layout inside our app on phone and tablet without exporting.
Will there be physical printed books?
Yes — full-length bilingual paperbacks are coming. Penguin Parallel Text only sells short anthologies; we're filling the gap with proper sentence-aligned novels you can hold. Subscribers get 10–20% off when print launches.
How is this different from Penguin Parallel Text or LingQ or ReadLang?
Penguin Parallel Text is paper-only and limited to short stories. LingQ and ReadLang focus on word-by-word lookup on articles and clips. Babelotheca is the only one that gives you a true sentence-aligned, full-length novel that you can read free in the browser and keep as a portable bilingual file.
Why classics rather than modern books?
Public domain — which is why we can give them away free. The library leans toward writers who shaped a language, which is also what most learners actually want to read. Modern translations are something we'd love to do but require licensing deals we're working on.
Pick a book. Start reading.
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