Can I search for books by William Shakespeare?

Yes! Use the `search_author` tool with the name 'Shakespeare'. It will return a list of his famous plays and sonnets available on Project Gutenberg.

How do I find books about a specific subject like 'History'?

Use the `search_books` tool and include the subject in your query. Your agent will search the entire catalog for titles matching that theme.

Can I get the full text of a book directly?

The current server focuses on metadata and discovery. You can retrieve the official Project Gutenberg ID for any book, which can be used to find the full text on their website.

Project Gutenberg MCP Server for Cursor 3 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Project Gutenberg
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

docs.cursor.com/context/model-context-protocol

Built by Vinkius GDPR 3 Tools IDE

Cursor is an AI-first code editor built on VS Code that integrates LLM-powered coding assistance directly into the development workflow. Its Agent mode enables autonomous multi-step coding tasks, and MCP support lets agents access external data sources and APIs during code generation.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "project-gutenberg": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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About Project Gutenberg MCP Server

Equip your AI agent with the largest library of free public domain books through the Project Gutenberg MCP server. This integration provides access to over 60,000 eBooks, allowing your agent to search for classic literature, retrieve detailed metadata for specific titles, and explore works by your favorite authors. Whether you're conducting literary research, looking for historical texts, or simply seeking a new read, your agent acts as a dedicated digital librarian through natural conversation.

Cursor's Agent mode turns Project Gutenberg into an in-editor superpower. Ask Cursor to generate code using live data from Project Gutenberg and it fetches, processes, and writes — all in a single agentic loop. 3 tools appear alongside file editing and terminal access, creating a unified development environment grounded in real-time information.

What you can do

Book Search — Find classic books by title, keyword, or subject across a massive collection.
Author Exploration — List all available works by a specific author registered in the database.
Metadata Retrieval — Fetch IDs, languages, and detailed info for any book in the collection.
Literary Auditing — Summarize multiple classic works to compare themes and historical contexts.

The Project Gutenberg MCP Server exposes 3 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Cursor in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Project Gutenberg to Cursor via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Project Gutenberg MCP Server with Cursor.

Open MCP Settings

Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) → search "MCP Settings"

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above into the mcp.json file that opens

Save the file

Cursor will automatically detect the new MCP server

Start using Project Gutenberg

Open Agent mode in chat and ask: "Using Project Gutenberg, help me..." — 3 tools available

Why Use Cursor with the Project Gutenberg MCP Server

Cursor AI Code Editor provides unique advantages when paired with Project Gutenberg through the Model Context Protocol.

Agent mode turns Cursor into an autonomous coding assistant that can read files, run commands, and call MCP tools without switching context

Cursor's Composer feature can generate entire files using real-time data fetched through MCP — no copy-pasting from external dashboards

MCP tools appear alongside built-in tools like file reading and terminal access, creating a unified agentic environment

VS Code extension compatibility means your existing workflow, keybindings, and extensions all work alongside MCP tools

Project Gutenberg + Cursor Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Cursor combined with the Project Gutenberg MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Code generation with live data: ask Cursor to generate a security report module using live DNS and subdomain data fetched through MCP

Automated documentation: have Cursor query your API's tool schemas and generate TypeScript interfaces or OpenAPI specs automatically

Infrastructure-as-code: Cursor can fetch domain configurations and generate corresponding Terraform or CloudFormation templates

Test scaffolding: ask Cursor to pull real API responses via MCP and generate unit test fixtures from actual data

Project Gutenberg MCP Tools for Cursor (3)

These 3 tools become available when you connect Project Gutenberg to Cursor via MCP:

get_book_details

Get details for a specific Gutenberg book

search_author

Search for books by author

search_gutenberg_books

Search for books on Project Gutenberg

Example Prompts for Project Gutenberg in Cursor

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Cursor agent to start working with Project Gutenberg immediately.

"Find the book 'Pride and Prejudice' on Project Gutenberg."

"List all available works by 'Mark Twain'."

"Search for books about 'Philosophy'."

Troubleshooting Project Gutenberg MCP Server with Cursor

Common issues when connecting Project Gutenberg to Cursor through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

Tools not appearing in Cursor

Ensure you are in Agent mode (not Ask mode). MCP tools only work in Agent mode.

Server shows as disconnected

Check Settings → Features → MCP and verify the server status. Try clicking the refresh button.

Project Gutenberg + Cursor FAQ

Common questions about integrating Project Gutenberg MCP Server with Cursor.

What is Agent mode and why does it matter for MCP?

Agent mode is Cursor's autonomous execution mode where the AI can perform multi-step tasks: reading files, editing code, running terminal commands, and calling MCP tools. Without Agent mode, Cursor operates in a simpler ask-and-answer mode that doesn't support tool calling. Always ensure you're in Agent mode when working with MCP servers.

Where does Cursor store MCP configuration?

Cursor looks for MCP server configurations in a mcp.json file. You can configure servers at the project level (.cursor/mcp.json in your project root) or globally (~/.cursor/mcp.json). Project-level configs take precedence.

Can Cursor use MCP tools in inline edits?

No. MCP tools are only available in Agent mode through the chat panel. Inline completions and Tab suggestions do not trigger MCP tool calls. This is by design — tool calls require user visibility and approval.

How do I verify MCP tools are loaded?

Open Settings → Features → MCP and look for your server name. A green indicator means the server is connected. You can also check Agent mode's available tools by clicking the tools dropdown in the chat panel.