Project Gutenberg MCP Server
by bobbyhouseio.github.bobbyhouse/project-gutenberg-mcpv1.2.0
Read Project Gutenberg books via MCP. Search, fetch metadata, and retrieve text in passages.
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Stale7mo ago
Install Project Gutenberg MCP server
Install in Claude Code
claude mcp add project-gutenberg -e GUTENBERG_BASE_URL='<gutenberg-base-url>' -e GUTENBERG_TOOLS='<gutenberg-tools>' -- docker run -i --rm -e GUTENBERG_BASE_URL -e GUTENBERG_TOOLS roberthouse224/project-gutenberg-mcp:1.2.0Install in Cursor
{
"mcpServers": {
"project-gutenberg": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"GUTENBERG_BASE_URL",
"-e",
"GUTENBERG_TOOLS",
"roberthouse224/project-gutenberg-mcp:1.2.0"
],
"env": {
"GUTENBERG_BASE_URL": "<gutenberg-base-url>",
"GUTENBERG_TOOLS": "<gutenberg-tools>"
}
}
}
}Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (project).
Install in Claude Desktop
{
"mcpServers": {
"project-gutenberg": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"GUTENBERG_BASE_URL",
"-e",
"GUTENBERG_TOOLS",
"roberthouse224/project-gutenberg-mcp:1.2.0"
],
"env": {
"GUTENBERG_BASE_URL": "<gutenberg-base-url>",
"GUTENBERG_TOOLS": "<gutenberg-tools>"
}
}
}
}Settings → Developer → Edit Config (claude_desktop_config.json), then restart.
Install in VS Code
{
"servers": {
"project-gutenberg": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"GUTENBERG_BASE_URL",
"-e",
"GUTENBERG_TOOLS",
"roberthouse224/project-gutenberg-mcp:1.2.0"
],
"env": {
"GUTENBERG_BASE_URL": "<gutenberg-base-url>",
"GUTENBERG_TOOLS": "<gutenberg-tools>"
}
}
}
}Add to .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace.
Install in Windsurf
{
"mcpServers": {
"project-gutenberg": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"GUTENBERG_BASE_URL",
"-e",
"GUTENBERG_TOOLS",
"roberthouse224/project-gutenberg-mcp:1.2.0"
],
"env": {
"GUTENBERG_BASE_URL": "<gutenberg-base-url>",
"GUTENBERG_TOOLS": "<gutenberg-tools>"
}
}
}
}Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
Configuration
| Variable | Required | Secret | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| GUTENBERG_BASE_URL | yes | — | Base URL of your Gutenberg mirror. Run the mirror from the mirror/ directory and point this at it. See the README for setup instructions. |
| GUTENBERG_TOOLS | yes | — | Comma-separated list of tools to expose. Available: search_books, get_book_metadata, fetch_book_text, list_passages, get_passage |
| GUTENBERG_BOOK_ID | — | — | Project Gutenberg book ID to use as the default for all tools. Find IDs via search_books. Example: 2680 for Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. |
| GUTENBERG_CHUNK_SIZE | — | — | Size in bytes of each passage returned by get_passage. |
| GUTENBERG_LANGUAGE | — | — | Default ISO 639-1 language code filter for search_books. Used when the caller omits the language parameter. |
Freshness
Stale — last maintenance signal 7mo ago. The newest of the signals below sets the band.
Last commit (default branch)
2026-03-26 · 7mo ago · GitHub
Latest release
no data · GitHub
Package published
no data · npm/PyPI
Registry entry updated
2026-03-25 · 7mo ago · official registry · v1.2.0
FAQ
›How do I install the Project Gutenberg MCP server in Claude Code?
Run: claude mcp add project-gutenberg -e GUTENBERG_BASE_URL='<gutenberg-base-url>' -e GUTENBERG_TOOLS='<gutenberg-tools>' -- docker run -i --rm -e GUTENBERG_BASE_URL -e GUTENBERG_TOOLS roberthouse224/project-gutenberg-mcp:1.2.0. For Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop and Windsurf, use the install tabs above.
›Does Project Gutenberg require an API key?
Yes. It expects GUTENBERG_BASE_URL, GUTENBERG_TOOLS.
›Can I use Project Gutenberg as a remote (hosted) MCP server?
No hosted endpoint is published; it runs locally over stdio.
›Is Project Gutenberg in the official MCP registry?
Yes, as io.github.bobbyhouse/project-gutenberg-mcp.