I recently purchased the application “Classics” for my iPhone. It was my first purchased app and was a pretty good deal for a buck. Basically it’s an ebook reader that comes with a bunch of books (I don’t think you can add your own books in any way).

My immediate first impression was that it’s got quite a nice interface. The starting screen is a virtual bookshelf with a several shelves of books that you can scroll through. You can rearrange the books by dragging them with your finger. When you click on a book cover, it loads that book. The font is easy to read and if the book has illustrations, those are displayed as well. When you “turn the page” by swiping your finger in a page-turning motion, it looks like an actual turning page, complete with the sound of paper being flipped over. When you click on the home button, a book mark slides into the corner and you are brought back to the bookshelf screen. All in all it has a very nice user experience that makes you feel like you’re reading an actual classic book.

Now I’m not really much of a fiction reader, but this application makes it easy for me to carry around some classic novels that I can pick up and read when I have a spare moment. I’ve actually just finished reading my first book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland which I had never read before. Now I’m on to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I’m looking forward to working my way through the classic books included with the program and the additional ones that they are adding with future updates. It’s a great way to read some classic literature that I otherwise probably never would have have picked up.