The Prince and the Pauper

The Prince and the Pauper

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3.76 of 5 stars 3.76  ·  rating details  ·  42,178 ratings  ·  732 reviews
100th anniversary edition

Two boys: the same age, almost the same face. The one difference: Tom Canty is a child of the London slums; Edward Tudor is heir to the throne. How insubstantial this difference is becomes clear when a chance encounter leads to an exchange of clothing and of roles...



Paperback, 240 pages
Published May 1st 2002 by Signet Classics (first published 1881)
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Community Reviews

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Holly
Feb 03, 2013 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone
Recommended to Holly by: my father
Shelves: fiction
I read this in 1959 and remember being held captive by the twists in the plot and the possibility of each boy escaping the worst of their own situation. It was interesting then but not deeply - it was about the bringing up of two boys after all, not girls. But my long time fascination with the Tudor reigns started here and has brought me pleasure and a desire to learn all my life. Twain has the ability to empathize with boys, think their thoughts and dream their dreams as no writer of his era co...more
Anne Hawn Smith
This is one of my favorite books of Mark Twain. Tom Canty is a poor boy in the London slums. His birth only brings more poverty to his already dirt poor family. Edward VI is the long awaited heir to the English throne. They are born on the same day and look so alike they can't believe it. They exchange clothes and Edward VI ends up being thrown out of the palace by guards who think he is the poor boy he looks to be. Both boys have difficulty fitting into the other's lives.

Tom comes to like the l...more
Chris
Upon moving to Glenview, I had no reliable bookstore I was aware of, save the bigass Barnes & Nobles near the train station by work. Such a shop near my train station isn’t quite helpful, as the maximum I have at such a locale is about 6 minutes, and it’s a 3 minute walk from the station. Upon finding Books-A-Million, I was quite content; in what I believe to be my first visit there, I had a hankering (for some unknown reason) to get a copy of the much-cited Mark Twain classic “The Celebrate...more
Sonia Reppe
Sep 12, 2008 Sonia Reppe rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: not children
I actually have the junior deluxe edition, printed in the year MCMLIV (what year is that?) but I can't find any junior deluxe editions in goodreads. This is a tale told about the boy prince Edward Tudor VI, and Tom, the pauper boy whom Edward befriends and feels pity for. They trade clothes for fun, intending to change right back, but before they can, the prince runs to give an order and is thrown out onto the street in his rags.
This is known as a children's classic, subtitled "A Tale for Youn...more
Mom
Mark Twain is known for his social satire and I can see that in this book, but I like to read for the story, not for hidden meanings.
Jeff
Everything by Mark Twain is good. I only knew this from a kids' (or maybe Disney) version. The most amusing thing was Twain's Shakespearian flourishes. Check out this little bit of "dialogue" from the dying king:

"He is mad; but he is my son, and England's heir; and, mad or sane, still shall he reign! And hear ye further, and proclaim it: whoso speaketh of this his distemper worketh against the peace and order of these realms, and shall to the gallows! . . . Give me to drink -- I burn: this sorro...more
Clare
This is my most favorite story ever!! I read it when I was 17 and immediately falling in love with it. This book is very well plotted and very entertaining. I always laugh or at least giggle when I read it.

It is basically about a prince and a pauper who are not really satisfied with their lifestyle and accidentally switch places. They experience each other lifestyle and finally realize that it isn't like what they had expected. the story may sound simple, but actually it is not. The plot is gre...more
Kbord
A classic story. Everyone knows the gist of it, but it's nice to actually read the full story.

I read an Apple Classics (Scholstic) edition, ISBN 0-590-44817-X. It has some notes in the back about historical circumstances. I don't know if those notes are inherent to Mark Twain's writings or specific to this edition. There is also a letter at the beginning of the book about the birth of the prince.

In this story, the clothes make the man, as it were. No one will believe either boy that they switche...more
Carelle
The Prince and the Pauper (252 pages), by Mark Twain, is a classic historical fiction story that takes place in London in the sixteenth century. Two boys Tom Canty, and Edward Tudor are born on the same day and happen to look very much alike. Tom belongs to a very poor family where he is unwanted. His father is a thief who drinks and beats his children. Tom has to beg for his food and sleeps on a bench but always dream of becoming a prince. On the other hand, Edward belongs to a wealthy Royal Ki...more
Dave
Jan 08, 2013 Dave marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: calibre
SUMMARY: The Prince and the Pauper, by Mark Twain, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics: New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical,...more
Dong
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain (240 pages)/ Classic Historical Fiction

The Prince and the Pauper is about a sudden change in life faced by the two boys at the same age, living an opposite life. The prince, Edward IV, lives in the palace and is somewhat spoiled in terms of lifestyle. He does not live to survive but he lives with joy and education. On the other hand, Tom Canty, a poor boy living with his family in a very minuscule space, is living everyday for survival. He has to live ever...more
Abbe
SUMMARY: The Prince and the Pauper, by Mark Twain, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics: New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical,...more
Alayna
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

Tom and Edward are the main characters in this book. Edward is the prince, and Tom is the pauper. They got to switch places for a while.

Tom is wandering around and sees the palace. Edward sees him and invites him in. They start talking. Edward is fascinated by the idea of being free and able to play in the mud. Tom is fascinated by the idea of being a prince because of all the riches and never having to beg or steal. They switch clothes, and Edward runs to...more
Lois
This is not the edition I have, but it looked too tricky to trawl through all the options.

I've loved the story of the Prince and the Pauper for a long time. I think I saw I watched a children's adaption on TV a long time ago and became fascinated with the story concept, so much so, that when I picked this up I wondered if I had infact read it before.

I'm not a complete stranger to Twain. I've read Sawyer and Finn as a child, but nothing recently. I picked this up with a great longstanding fondnes...more
Staurt Patterson
Stuart Patterson
English review paper


An idea that looked better than it tasted
Mark Twain is a person that can do what he loves in any way that involves some paper and a writing utensil. He was able to show everyone that he could write elegantly and pull it off in such a way that people thought that he had done this, his whole life.
When he was writing The Prince and the Pauper people were saying that he couldn’t write formal in any way shape or form, this book would prove them wrong. He was also...more
Corinne
Probably you know the idea of this story already: a street urchin and a prince trade places and see life "on the other side." And that is definitely the crux of the plot. Tom, the urchin, thinks that there could be nothing better in the world than being king and Edward, the prince, dreams of a free life out on the streets. Of course, reality is always a rude awakening and both being a prince and being a street rat have their, uh, disadvantages.

I read this one because my sixth grader is studying...more
Admatha
Feb 18, 2012 Admatha rated it 5 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of children's and/or historical adventure stories
I was surprised at how well this was written. I must have absorbed the story early, through children's shows knockoffs as a child, because I knew and yet did not know the basic plot. It far exceeded what I'd expected and somehow, despite the frequent moral lessons, it manages to avoid being preachy. The two boys are both likeable and sweet, and you can't help but be interested in both their fortunes. I found that as it led up to the end I grew impatient with the descriptions of splendor or squal...more
Zachary
An enteraining and cleverly-written tale of mistaken identity, and a classic.

On the surface, it is clearly an unlikely tale that requires the reader to suspend the disbelief, but to step out of our boring universe and entering the universe of Twain is essential to fully appreciating this monumental work of fiction.


In the first place, the main characters are honest - very honest. No main character tells a single lie, excepting one. When John Corney has impersonated the King long enough, he lets t...more
Andrew Ives
The version I read included a few extra pages on the writing of the Prince and the Pauper, which apparently gained an ill-advised lengthening of the Prince-dressed-as-Pauper's time in the country due to a suggestion by Clemens' friend Howells, and was unfortunately kept in. The general premise is such a contrived one that two boys - so similar in looks, stature, voice, age, actions and personality but so different in backgrounds - could swap roles for a while and swap back again, that this extra...more
Samantha
My summary of the story as an 8 year old girl:

Well most of the book was the pauper and then he found a prince at the city gates and then he saw so fine clothes on the prince that he wanted to touch him. A guy came up to him and threw him on the ground and said "Don't touch him!". Then the prince said "Leave him alone!". Then he asked the pauper if he wanted to come into his palace, the pauper said nothing, but came into his palace with him. Soon they traded clothes and then the pauper was in fin...more
Kaung Myat Han
A great juvenile fiction by the classic American author Mark Twain where a young Prince of Wales and a very poor pauper decided to swap their roles as the resemblance between them is striking and as the former wanted to know more about what it feels like to be a commoner and what awaits him outside of the palace. Set in the final days of Henry the Eighth, "The Prince and the Pauper" is a good read for both adults and teenagers alike.

What I like about the book:
the morality behind the book. Always...more
Jelly Kate
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Holly Olsen
Imagine finally getting the dream of your life and it turned out not as planned. King Edward and Tom Canty's dreams came finally true and then they realized it was not what they wanted. Tom Canty had always dreamt of becoming a prince but he finds out when he gets his dream, he just misses his old life. Prince Edward was tired of being treated like a prince and could of never wished more than being a pauper, and making his own choices. Edward realizes that he is not meant to be a pauper and miss...more
Rachel
Mi opinión es que libro es muy entretenido y se me hizo rapida esta lectura creo que muestra distintos puntos de vista que aquellos tiempos muchos no se atreverian a escribir a profundizar en este tema.
Muestra la riqueza y la pobreza en dos puntos de vista a traves de dos niños uno el principe y el otro el mendigo el primero vivia en una especie de burburja que no sabia lo que estaba sufriendo el pueblo creia que siendo pobre tendria libertad, el segundo creia que si fuera principe seria feliz n...more
Ben Babcock
This is not my first time to the Mark Twain rodeo, but it has been a long time since I last visited. Twain is not high on my list of priorities, sorry to say. However, this lovely edition of The Prince and the Pauper found its way into my possession, so I decided to challenge those priorities. While I don’t think I will be rushing to devour the rest of Twain’s oeuvre just yet, this book has certainly given me a more mature appreciation of Twain as a writer. After all, the last time I encountered...more
John
There have been countless imitations and adaptations, but none of them live up to this, the original. Though ostensibly for children (if you happen to know any brilliant children who like to read violent old historical novels written in Shakespearean English), the ideas that drive the narrative are very grown-up. The only thing that really seems to distinguish it as a "children's tale" is the fact that it's not very realistic. Both the prince and the pauper's speech is far more elevated than any...more
Jason Williams
What can I say: better than a 3, but not a 5. It's hard to find an American author who addresses social-economic class as well as Twain, and I'm surprised he's been solidified in the canon of American Lit for that very reason (although that's usually in the guise of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn). But The Prince and the Pauper also has its endearing moments and, in true American fashion, justice is served and the good guys win for all the right reasons in the end.
Lindy
I picked up this book thinking it would be a quick, one sitting read and it turned into much more than that.

This is a story we all know. A prince and a poor boy inadvertently switch places. Basic enough.

Intertwined in this story are the deeper themes of mercy versus justice and what real dignity and honor are comprised of. I also like the general perspective that the misplaced prince has on the whole ordeal. How can one govern a people he knows nothing about? The prince uses his opportunity as...more
David Sarkies
Nov 09, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like good literature
Shelves: adventure
I have heard of this book but was never really sure what it was about, however when I read the first few chapters I suddenly realised that I have seen the story before – Trading Places. Okay, there are a few differences, and the themes are somewhat different between the two works, however the plot is pretty much the same. However, Clements does indicate that this was not his original idea, suggesting that he has heard this story from some other place, though he is unsure as to the truth of it o...more
Andre Olatunbosun
This book was pretty interesting. I remember reading it in the 6th grade, it showed that you should be grateful for what you have. The Prince traded places with a pauper that was completely identical to himself and they saw life in either perspective. An interesting tale by the famous Mark Twain. They would soon revert and the prince would allow the pauper to live with him and his family. A definite reccomendation for the younger age group.
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The Prince and the Pauper (Unabridged and Illustrated)
The Prince and the Pauper (Paperback)
The Prince and the Pauper (Paperback)
The Prince and the Pauper (Paperback)

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Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He is noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), called "the Great American Novel", and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).

Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which would later provide the setting for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. He apprenticed with a printer. He also work...more
More about Mark Twain...
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Tom Sawyer A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court The Adventures of Tom Sawyer/Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Pudd'nhead Wilson

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