by Mark Twain (Author), Jerry Griswold (Introduction by)

Tom Canty and Edward Tudor could have been identical twins. Their birthdays match, their faces match, but there the likeness stops. For Edward is a prince, heir to King Henry VIII, whilst Tom is a miserable pauper. But when fate intervenes, Edward is thrown out of the palace in rags, leaving ignorant Tom to play the part of a royal prince. Even those who have never read the novel will be familiar with Twain's classic tale of mistaken identity: at once an adventure story and a fantasy of timeless appeal.

Back Jacket

First published in 1881, The Prince and the Pauper is the story of a poor boy, Tom Canty, who exchanges clothes and identities with Edward Tudor, Prince of England. It is at once an adventure story, a fantasy of timeless appeal, and an intriguing example of the author's abiding interest in separating the true from the false, the genuine from the impostor. With characteristic humor and color, Twain brings to life the sixteenth-century royal court, the crowded, boisterous streets inhabited by London's hoi polloi, and the behavior of two young boys who are in many ways smarter than their elders. In spinning his tale, he draws on themes from ancient mythology, the Bible, familiar fairy tales, and popular children's literature of the period. Making a compelling case for the novel's relevance for readers today, Griswold shows how the novel reveals Twain's preoccupation with the elusive nature of identity - an issue that not only recurs in his work but also haunted his life. Also included in this volume is the story "A Boy's Adventure", originally written as part of the novel but published separately.

Author Biography

Mark Twain's (1835-1910) idyllic childhood in Missouri on the Mississippi river is reflected in his best known books, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. His great skills as a novelist, journalist and social observer assure him a central place in American literary history. Jerry Griswold is Professor of English & Comparative Literature at San Diego State University and is the author of The Classic American Children's Story.

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