About Acres of Diamonds
What it's about
Russell Conwell's famous lecture begins with a story: a Persian farmer named Ali Hafed sells his farm and travels the world looking for diamonds. Conwell uses it to make one point, that the chance you are looking for may be closer than you think.
Who it's for
Readers who enjoy motivational talks and stories with a lesson, and anyone who wants a short classic about opportunity.
- Level
- CEFR B2
- Length
- 3 parts · about 1,300 words
- Reading time
- about 11 minutes (~4 min per part)
- Author
- Russell Conwell
If you liked this, read
Looking for something easier or harder? See Easy English books by level (A1–B2).
Reading Acres of Diamonds in English: quick answers
- What English level is Acres of Diamonds on SeoJae Story?
- Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell is retold in simplified English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate). It is split into 3 short parts, and every sentence has a Korean translation you can show or hide, so a learner at that level can follow the story without a dictionary.
- Is Acres of Diamonds hard to read in English?
- The original is written for native readers, with long sentences and older vocabulary, so most learners find it hard. This retelling keeps the story but uses simpler English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate), so if you read English at that level you can follow it, and the Korean translation is there for any line that stops you. If it feels too hard, start with an easier book one level down.
- How long does it take to read Acres of Diamonds in simple English?
- About 11 minutes of reading in total — roughly 4 minutes per part across 3 parts. Listening to the audio narration, reviewing the vocabulary and taking each part's comprehension check adds a little more.
- Is this the full, unabridged text of Acres of Diamonds?
- No. It is an abridged graded retelling written for English learners that follows the story of the original in 3 parts. Every part also lets you read the matching unabridged chapters from the original, split into short readings.
- Is Acres of Diamonds free to read here?
- Yes. All 3 parts are free to read online, with the Korean translation, audio narration, vocabulary flashcards and comprehension questions included.
- Is Acres of Diamonds in the public domain?
- Yes. Russell Conwell's Acres of Diamonds is in the public domain, and the original text is freely available from Project Gutenberg (eBook #368). SeoJae Story's simplified retelling and Korean translation are original text written for learners.