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On the Origin of Species

Charles Darwin

On the Origin of Species is 155,286 words — about 10h 21m at 250 words per minute, across 14 chapters. Measure your own speed and read it free, here.

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Cover of On the Origin of Species

How it opens

“But with regard to the material world, we can at least go so far as this—we can perceive that events are brought about not by insulated interpositions of Divine power, exerted in each particular case, but by the establishment of general laws.”…

Details

  • AuthorCharles Darwin
  • SourceProject Gutenberg #1228
  • Length155,286 words · 10h 21m of reading
  • Chapters14
  • DictionaryIncluded
  • CopyrightPublic domain in the United States
  • Source checked2026-09-06

Contents

14 chapters

Recovered from the original source text, so you can open the book at any of them.

  1. 01CHAPTER I. VARIATION UNDER DOMESTICATION.
  2. 02CHAPTER 2. VARIATION UNDER NATURE.
  3. 03CHAPTER 3. STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE.
  4. 04CHAPTER 4. NATURAL SELECTION.
  5. 05CHAPTER 5. LAWS OF VARIATION.
  6. 06CHAPTER 6. DIFFICULTIES ON THEORY.
  7. 07CHAPTER 7. INSTINCT.
  8. 08CHAPTER 8. HYBRIDISM.
  9. 09CHAPTER 9. ON THE IMPERFECTION OF THE GEOLOGICAL RECORD.
  10. 10CHAPTER 10. ON THE GEOLOGICAL SUCCESSION OF ORGANIC BEINGS.
  11. 11CHAPTER 11. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.
  12. 12CHAPTER 12. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION—_continued_.
  13. 13CHAPTER 13. MUTUAL AFFINITIES OF ORGANIC BEINGS: MORPHOLOGY: EMBRYOLOGY: RUDIMENTARY ORGANS.
  14. 14CHAPTER XIV. RECAPITULATION AND CONCLUSION.

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