The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells (1898)

Read H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds (1898) in full, chapter by chapter. This is the complete original novel in advanced English, with a reader that lets you tap any word to hear, translate, or define it.

CEFR B2–C2 · 27 chapters · full public-domain text

1. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER I - THE EVE OF THE WAR. C2 hard 15 min · 2226 words 📖 Reader
2. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER II - THE FALLING STAR. C1 moderate 9 min · 1342 words 📖 Reader
3. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER III - ON HORSELL COMMON. C1 moderate 7 min · 1015 words 📖 Reader
4. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER IV - THE CYLINDER OPENS. C1 moderate 7 min · 1122 words 📖 Reader
5. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER V - THE HEAT-RAY. C1 moderate 10 min · 1485 words 📖 Reader
6. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER VI - THE HEAT-RAY IN THE CHOBHAM ROAD. C1 moderate 6 min · 828 words 📖 Reader
7. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER VII - HOW I REACHED HOME. B2 moderate 9 min · 1321 words 📖 Reader
8. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER VIII - FRIDAY NIGHT. C2 hard 6 min · 974 words 📖 Reader
9. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER IX - THE FIGHTING BEGINS. C1 moderate 14 min · 2123 words 📖 Reader
10. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER X - IN THE STORM. C1 moderate 15 min · 2255 words 📖 Reader
11. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER XI - AT THE WINDOW. C1 moderate 14 min · 2033 words 📖 Reader
12. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER XII - WHAT I SAW OF THE DESTRUCTION OF WEYBRIDGE AND SHEPPERTON. C1 moderate 26 min · 3844 words 📖 Reader
13. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER XIII - HOW I FELL IN WITH THE CURATE. C1 moderate 12 min · 1791 words 📖 Reader
14. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER XIV - IN LONDON. C1 moderate 25 min · 3739 words 📖 Reader
15. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER XV - WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN SURREY. C2 hard 19 min · 2817 words 📖 Reader
16. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER XVI - THE EXODUS FROM LONDON. C1 moderate 29 min · 4405 words 📖 Reader
17. BOOK ONE - CHAPTER XVII - THE “THUNDER CHILD”. C1 moderate 22 min · 3294 words 📖 Reader
18. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER I - UNDER FOOT. C1 moderate 17 min · 2611 words 📖 Reader
19. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER II - WHAT WE SAW FROM THE RUINED HOUSE. C2 hard 22 min · 3307 words 📖 Reader
20. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER III - THE DAYS OF IMPRISONMENT. C1 hard 13 min · 1939 words 📖 Reader
21. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER IV - THE DEATH OF THE CURATE. B2 moderate 11 min · 1625 words 📖 Reader
22. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER V - THE STILLNESS. C1 moderate 6 min · 960 words 📖 Reader
23. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER VI - THE WORK OF FIFTEEN DAYS. C2 hard 8 min · 1254 words 📖 Reader
24. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER VII - THE MAN ON PUTNEY HILL. B2 moderate 38 min · 5634 words 📖 Reader
25. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER VIII - DEAD LONDON. C1 moderate 21 min · 3114 words 📖 Reader
26. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER IX - WRECKAGE. C1 moderate 12 min · 1850 words 📖 Reader
27. BOOK TWO - CHAPTER X - THE EPILOGUE. C2 hard 9 min · 1374 words 📖 Reader

Frequently asked questions

Is this the full text of The War of the Worlds?

Yes. This is the complete, unabridged public-domain text, split into 27 chapters you can read one at a time.

What English level is The War of the Worlds?

The War of the Worlds is an advanced classic (around CEFR C1). In ESL Reader you can tap any word to hear it, translate it, or see a definition, so you can read comfortably above your level.

Is it free to read?

Yes. Every chapter is free to read online, with no sign-up and no paywall.

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