Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Pudd'nhead Wilson

3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 · rating details · 7,467 ratings · 512 reviews

At the beginning of Pudd'nhead Wilson a young slave woman, fearing for her infant's son's life, exchanges her light-skinned child with her master's.From this rather simple premise Mark Twain fashioned one of his most entertaining, funny, yet biting novels.On its surface, Pudd'nhead Wilson possesses all the elements of an engrossing nineteenth-century mystery:reversed ident...more

Paperback, 160 pages

Published January 1st 1984 by Bantam Classics (first published May 10th 1893)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Best Southern Literature

103rd out of 598 books — 1,402 voters

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

Best of Mark Twain

7th out of 25 books — 31 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jul 08, 2008 Kressel Housman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, classics, historical-fiction

Huck Finn has biting social commentary, but Puddin'head Wilson has all-out black humor. It's the story of Roxy, a light-skinned slave woman who successfully switches her even lighter-skinned son with her master's baby, and follows how each one grows up. I would have liked to see more inside the slaves' lives other than from the character of Roxy, but Mark Twain's point was mainly to criticize the spoiled slaveowners. In any case, the courtroom drama in which Puddin'head Wilson reveals the truth...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Kevin Lake rated it 5 of 5 stars

Found myself laughing out loud as I read this one. Mark Twain's style of implementing his dry, cynical wit into his writings was magnificent. If you happen to pick up the version with the forward by T.S. Elliot, skip the forward. All he does is talk of why Twain sucked as well as all other American authors except his beloved Henry James. The book is hilarious and has some great, down home wisdom in it.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 29, 2007 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is definitely a well-kept secret. There are a lot of unknown Twain novels that are quite good, but this is sometimes referred to by critics as the third of his truly American novels. I like this book, and considering I had to write a whole research paper on it that's saying something. As a story its good, with a murder mystery, daggers, children switched at birth, etc... But on a deeper level it deals with slavery and miscegenation, humanity and the nature v. nurture concept. Very interesti...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2013 Seif Salama rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my third Twain novel, after Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Although this is a much later work, the similarities are striking: the contrived plot (we have to believe that two babies, entirely unrelated and one with some African heritage, are so alike that even their father cannot tell them apart), the device of having a male character disguise himself as a woman, the cruel treatment by a boy of his adoptive parents, and so on.
"Pudd'nhead Wilson" is Twain's shortest novel and shows sign...more

like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Siria E. rated it 5 of 5 stars

1. The story "Pudd nhead Wilson" relates to the five parts of plot. the exposition starts in a town where david wilson moves in.The rising action increases when the twins arrived in the town. The climax of the story starts when judge driscoll was killed in dueling match.The falling action starts when the twins are arrested and tried on trial. The resolution begins when david wilson clears the name for the twins, and finds the true murderer. 2. The most memorable plot moment was when roxy told to...more 1. The story "Pudd nhead Wilson" relates to the five parts of plot. the exposition starts in a town where david wilson moves in.The rising action increases when the twins arrived in the town. The climax of the story starts when judge driscoll was killed in dueling match.The falling action starts when the twins are arrested and tried on trial. The resolution begins when david wilson clears the name for the twins, and finds the true murderer. 2. The most memorable plot moment was when roxy told tom driscoll that she is her biological mother. This would shock any unsuspecting reader and cause them to think deeper into the story. 3."Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear-not absence of fear." "It is better to be a young june bug than an old bird of paradise." "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." b.The first quote is significance since it explains the theory of fear according wilson.The second quote is significance since it shows how wilson would chose a bad life fro many years,instead a good life with short years. the significance of the last quote is to accomplish something in life. 4.The three most important characters were david,roxy,and the twins. b.The character david wilson, also known as pudd'nhead,is a northern lawyer.He is interested into finger prints,which at the time is considered foolish.his sifnificance in the story is that he helps tto solve the murder of the judge. He is one of the main characters that helped shaped the story.The character Roxy is one of the main characters inthe story,which the story explains her schemes.She is a southern slave,even though she is 1/16 black.Roxy feared the worst for her son, so shr switched childrens with her master's.The twins are the most suspicious characters of all them. They are italian that wondered throughout the world.They were very handsome fellows that many girls can't resist. They were convicted with murder and arrested,until their innocence was proven. 5.The setting of the story takes place in a frontier town in Missouri. For the first few chapters the setting takes place of Wilsons arrival. Through out the rest of the story the setting takes place twenty years after this event. The seasons throughout the book varies due to the month of the year. 6.The opening scene of the story shows thr frontier town which the story takes place.The closing scence of the story shows the closing of the court case. 7.The protagonist's main external conflict was adjusting to froniter life. 8.The protagonist's main internal conflict was able to solve the case in time.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 07, 2013 CJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-book-challenge

I'm pretty sure I read this when I was in Middle School, since I had an omnibus collection of Mark Twain that I loved and because I remembered long stretches of it. I also know that we watched the American Playhouse version back when I was in High School, so that also could have been why I knew a lot of it. Still, it's a short book and one that holds up to multiple readings. I put it up there with The Prince and the Pauper and Huckleberry Finn.

Like the latter, racism is a central topic. But unli...more

like · see review

Dec 12, 2012 Alejandro rated it 4 of 5 stars

1. The story “Pudd’nhead Wilson” relates to the five parts of plot. The exposition starts in a town where David Wilson moves in. The rising action increases when the twins arrived in the town. The climax of the story starts when Judge Driscoll was killed in dueling match. The falling action starts when the twins are arrested and tried on trial. The resolution begins when David Wilson clears the name for the twins, and finds the true murderer.
2. The most memorable plot moment was when Roxy told T...more 1. The story “Pudd’nhead Wilson” relates to the five parts of plot. The exposition starts in a town where David Wilson moves in. The rising action increases when the twins arrived in the town. The climax of the story starts when Judge Driscoll was killed in dueling match. The falling action starts when the twins are arrested and tried on trial. The resolution begins when David Wilson clears the name for the twins, and finds the true murderer.
2. The most memorable plot moment was when Roxy told Tom Driscoll that she is her biological mother. This would shock any unsuspecting reader and cause them to think deeper into the story.
3. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear-not absence of fear.” “It is better to be a young June bug than an old bird of paradise.” “Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”
B. The first quote is significance since it explains the theory of fear according Wilson. The second quote is significance since it shows how Wilson would chose a bad life for many years, instead a good life with short years. The significance of the last quote is to accomplish something in life.
4. The three most important characters were David, Roxy, and The twins.
B. The character David Wilson, also known as Pudd’nhead, is a northern lawyer. He is interested into finger prints, which at the time is considered foolish. His significance in the story is that he helps to solve the murder of the judge. He is one of the main characters that helped shaped the story. He is your typical American when it comes to looks.
The character Roxy is one of the main characters in the story, which the story explains her schemes. She is a southern slave, even though she is 1/16 black. Roxy feared the worst for her son, so she switched children with her master’s. This would start the case of the theft/murder.
The twins are the most suspicious characters of all them. They are Italians that wondered throughout the world. They were very handsome fellows that many girls can’t resist. They were convicted with murder and arrested, until their innocence was proven.
5. The setting of the story takes place in a frontier town in Missouri. For the first few chapters the setting takes place of Wilson’s arrival. Through out the rest of the story the setting takes place twenty years after this event. The seasons throughout the book varies due to the month of the year.
6. The opening scene of the story shows the frontier town which the story takes place. The closing scene of the story shows the closing of the court case, and the selling of Tom, which ended the problems.
7. The protagonist’s main external conflict was adjusting to frontier life. He was busy into fingerprinting to notice anything else.
8. The protagonist’s main internal conflict was able to solve the case in time.
(less)

like · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Bryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

So let me start by saying I love Mark Twain. He is one of my favorite authors. I was first introduced to Twain in middle school when my grade watched a play performance of the The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Caravelas County. We then read the story in English class and one chapter later I was in love. Now I read anything that has “Twain” on it. I usually don’t read, but when I do I prefer Mark Twain. I randomly pick Twian’s short stories to read and this time I chose Pudd’nheaf Wilson.
The stor...more So let me start by saying I love Mark Twain. He is one of my favorite authors. I was first introduced to Twain in middle school when my grade watched a play performance of the The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Caravelas County. We then read the story in English class and one chapter later I was in love. Now I read anything that has “Twain” on it. I usually don’t read, but when I do I prefer Mark Twain. I randomly pick Twian’s short stories to read and this time I chose Pudd’nheaf Wilson.
The story open with a description of the town, Dowson’s Landing, located in Missouri by the Mississippi River. A “collection” of one to two stories building, homes with “pretty home” with gardens, and locust tress were on both sides of sidewalks. A new citizen arrives to town, David Wilson, who is recent law graduate who is moving to the country side to try his luck practicing law. Upon arriving he is greeted by a barking anf he makes a “fatal remark” in front of a crowd. He was annoyed by the barking and said “I wish I owned half of that dog”. Someone in the crowd asked him why, and Wilson responded, “because I would kill my have”. This led the gentlemen in the crowd to go on a page long discussion over the fact that if he killed half of the dog the other half would die, therefore he should just kill the whole dog. The men called him an idiot because someone cannot kill half of the dog while the other half lives. To them this comment makes no sense. Someone called him a pudd’nhead and from that point forward he was known as Pudd’nhead Wilson. This ruined his lawyer career and he was force to take on surveying and accounting. For the next 20 years he lives a life he was forced into. Then we meet a slave woman, Roxana and the twins Luigi and Angelo. We see the main plot divide as we are introduced with new issues like swapping children at birth and murder. All this frame stories connect and we have a sort of Shakespearean ending in terms of drama. In other words dramatic, not like the carnage we can see in act 5 of any of Shakespeare’s tragedies.

I loved this short story. The humorous tone is set right from the start when Wilson earns his nickname. This episode is full of irony as it is the gentlemen in the crowd that lack the brain cells to understand the comment Wilson makes. They are the actual pudd’nheads, but things take a twist for entertaining purposes. Then we see this other storylines presented as we meet a few more characters. Love the trio of stories and the way everything just is summed up at the end. It saved me a headache by having a closed ending. I connect with this story, as I’m sure a lot of do, because sometimes we make jokes and they are misunderstood. We make others laugh, but not at the joke but ourselves, because we are labeled as stupid. Moral of the story, don’t make a joke if you people listening needed to know background information before hand or if the jokes needs to be explained in depth.

I was not expecting to see the classic switched at birth situation that we see in Pudd’nhead Wilson, much less did I expect the murder case. There is more than what I’m revealing. Clearly the fascinating aspects of the story are still there, so go find them.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a laugh, entertainment, and a stress reliever. This simple and fun reading might make your day just a bit better after suffering through the struggles of the daily life. When I’m having a day where I don’t feel any positive energy in my body, I take a dose of my medicine, Mark Twain’s writing. When you are feeling down find something to bring you up, is that simple. Or maybe it’s just me and my method making a lot of sense in my head, which ultimately may not work for others. Bottom-line, Pudd’nhead Wilson is a good short comedic story to read.

(less)

like · see review

Sep 27, 2012 P.V. LeForge rated it 2 of 5 stars

Although I enjoyed reading Pudd’nhead Wilson, I enjoyed it more because Twain is generally enjoyable rather than because of anything remarkable about the book. In fact, I found the book to be more than a bit ragged. Hindsight is always easy, I know, but the knowledge of how the book came to be written and published points out the book’s flaws in a way that is hard to ignore.

The book was to have been called “Those Extraordinary Twins,” and was to have been a farcical love story between a lightw...more Although I enjoyed reading Pudd’nhead Wilson, I enjoyed it more because Twain is generally enjoyable rather than because of anything remarkable about the book. In fact, I found the book to be more than a bit ragged. Hindsight is always easy, I know, but the knowledge of how the book came to be written and published points out the book’s flaws in a way that is hard to ignore.

The book was to have been called “Those Extraordinary Twins,” and was to have been a farcical love story between a lightweight heroine named Rowena and one half of a pair of Siamese twins. An interesting idea and one that would not only have leant itself to many humorous opportunities but one that was staple Twain fare at the time. Twain was, after all, known as a humorist; he even called himself a “jackleg” novelist rather than a literary or serious one.

In 1893, Twain had already written all of his best works of long fiction. Although a famous man by that time, he had made several bad investments and, refusing to take advantage of bankruptcy laws, assumed a $100,000.00 debt. Although a world tour helped, the expenses of this tour were in themselves hefty, so it was necessary to sell something quickly. “Those Extraordinary Twins,” which he had begun several years earlier, was the thing closest at hand. Unfortunately, over the years, other characters had crept into his story and had literally taken it over. At the end of the new version, his original characters had become insignificant. He ended up taking out the entire original story of the twins, cut them apart to make them two whole men, and came away with the novel Pudd’nhead Wilson. Unfortunately, in his haste to publish and his creative time consumed with financial matters, Twain didn’t do as good a job of revising the manuscript and smoothing out the story as he could have. Several references to Luigi and Angelo as “freaks” were left in, both subtle and overt. Also left in is a scene where Luigi kicks Tom Driscoll over a bank of floodlights. Not only is the reason for Luigi’s anger unfathomable, but the idea of such a kick is improbable.

Does these omissions half-revisons ruin the book? Well, partly. The relationship between Tom Driscoll and Rowena is only hinted at, as if Twain did not want to take the responsibility of actually bringing that pair together, knowing what was to happen to Tom later. It is an unfortunate omission because it would have been interesting to see how he would have handled it.

Four characters stand out in Pudd’nhead Wilson. Tom Driscoll is hateful almost from the moment of his birth and remains so. Wilson, called Puddn’head, is seems genuine and stable, although the reputation he has with the town is not as believable as it might be. He is obviously a smart man and well spoken. Judge Driscoll, the third important character, changes almost in mid-step. His feeling of warmth and friendship for the twins turns to disgust on only the word of his nephew, who has never shown the slightest tendency toward telling the truth or doing the right thing. Roxana, probably the strongest character in the book, changes as well. She is shown as a likeable young woman early in the book, yet becomes hard and deceitful, supporting Tom’s burglary activities. Of course, her baby was switched at birth with another. Did this harden her? Perhaps, but I would have liked to see it come out more gradually.

It is also disturbing that Twain seems to leave unchallenged Roxy’s assertion that having even a drop of black blood makes a person bad. Even if she had not said it, the example of Tom and Chambers would have made the same statement. And, of course, Roxy had her own streak of evil. Twain never mentioned what Roxy thought when she heard that it was her son that killed the judge. Would she have supported him in that, too, even though she wanted the twins executed for the deed when she thought that they were guilty? Another omission.

All in all, this book should be read by Twain aficionados only, and only as an example of what might have been.

(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 John Harder rated it 4 of 5 stars

After my third readying of Pudd’nhead Wilson it still holds up. Roxy, a slave, switches her child with those of her master’s so her youngster may be raised free and her master’s child raised a slave. What ensues supports Twain’s long held contention that everything is training, not genetics. I have always been a little shocked by Twain’s strong dislike of slavery – he is downright bigoted against it. Who would not want an unpaid personal servant? Well, there is no reforming him, he is set agains...more

like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 James Swenson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mark Twain is always good -- I should just trust that. Still, I'd never read this before, I guess because I'd imagined the title character as a sort of village idiot with a heart of gold, which didn't appeal to me. In fact Wilson is a lawyer, smarter than the rest of Dawson's Landing, whose intelligence is therefore called into question. The chapters begin with Wilson's epigrams, some of which are pretty good:

Adam was but human -- this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple's s

...more

like · see review

Mar 30, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

Pudd'nhead Wilson tells the story of two babies, one white, one a slave, switched by the slave's mother. The story follows those boys as they grow up, and even includes a good old fashioned murder mystery. It is a fantastic read. My favorite parts of the book were the short calendar entries that begin each chapter, a few examples:

July 4 - Statistics show that we lose more fools on this day than in all the other days of the year put together. This proves, by the number left in stock, that one Fou...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 03, 2011 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

Twain's writing seems to always produce characters a reader either roots for or against. This short story falls in line with typical Twain characterization. The premise of the story is about two boys, one slave and one master's son, switched by the slave boy's mother to prevent her son from being sold "down the river." She's able to accomplish this by the fact that she is of mixed heritage and her son's father was a white man. Therefore, he looks white and easily doubles as the master's son's do...more Twain's writing seems to always produce characters a reader either roots for or against. This short story falls in line with typical Twain characterization. The premise of the story is about two boys, one slave and one master's son, switched by the slave boy's mother to prevent her son from being sold "down the river." She's able to accomplish this by the fact that she is of mixed heritage and her son's father was a white man. Therefore, he looks white and easily doubles as the master's son's doppelganger. As the story progresses, one begins to really dislike the new "master's son" as he grows up to be a spoiled, petulant child with zero morale character and is also fairly spineless. The new "slave" is kept in the household and shows all the character traits of courage and humility. However, as they both age, the life of slavery reduces the young "slave" boy to an uneducated and cowed slave.

Most of the characters in the novel are rough sketches with the exception of the title character, Pudd'nhead, the new "master's boy," and his slave mother. Everyone else is given courtesy treatment when their characters are needed to fill in the plot. It is not to the detriment of the story. Twain's story is interesting and moves along rather rapidly. I will refrain from giving anything away -- there are some nice twists to the story -- but will say it was a decent read sprinkled with typical dry Twain wit.

The most interesting part of the book was Twain's epilogue to the story. He shares with the reader how the story developed and how it was actually a composition of two stories intertwined. Twain had difficulty in separating the two but it is educational to the aspiring writer to see how a master storyteller was able to extricate an interesting story from two original thought-lines. His explanation is also quite humorous as he explains how he at first decided to kill off a few characters by having each one fall into a well but decided that, after three or four, the reader may notice.

I'd recommend the book, it's a short story and easily completed within an hour or two.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 13, 2011 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut, I've often wanted to read more Twain because Vonnegut was influenced by Twain's writing. Pudd'nhead Wilson makes this influence abundantly clear if you're familiar with Vonnegut. The title character is among the cleverest in the novel, despite being tagged with the unfortunate moniker Pudd'nhead early on for saying something eccentric about killing half of a dog. Each chapter starts with a bit of Pudd'nhead's wisdom from a calendar he created himself. For example:...more

like · see review

Jan 20, 2011 Anne Hawn Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, classics

This book was such a treat! I love the way Mark Twain creates memorable characters and his wonderful use of dialect. This is the story of a young lawyer who stumbles over a local social taboo and is dubbed Pudd'nhead from then on. He never gets to practice law and spends his time taking fingerprints and even reading palms. For the first part of the book, he is just a periphal character, but it is he that wins in the end.

While that is happening, there is a spoof on slavery where the almost white...more

like · see review

Nov 07, 2010 Bruce rated it 4 of 5 stars

An interesting novel in a number of respects, Pudd’nhead Wilson was one of Twain’s later works. Incorporating common devices from previous literature, such as the exchange of infants that he used in his own The Prince and the Pauper, Twain has created a memorable and unique work that, if not one of his most outstanding, is nevertheless worthy of attention. It seems very much an experimental novel, reaching in creative directions but somehow lacking a smoothness and unity that would elevate it to...more An interesting novel in a number of respects, Pudd’nhead Wilson was one of Twain’s later works. Incorporating common devices from previous literature, such as the exchange of infants that he used in his own The Prince and the Pauper, Twain has created a memorable and unique work that, if not one of his most outstanding, is nevertheless worthy of attention. It seems very much an experimental novel, reaching in creative directions but somehow lacking a smoothness and unity that would elevate it to the highest level of Twain’s accomplishments.

In its diversity of themes, the novel deals with at least two issues. First, Twain raises and explores a host of dichotomies: slaves vs slave owners; black vs white; “culture” vs provincialism; men vs women (in the guise of a man disguised as a woman); the rule of law vs chivalric codes of honor; virtue vs vice; wealth vs poverty - the list could seemingly go on and on. Another issue is that of freedom in its several manifestations. There are multiple twists in plot and psychology that are intriguing. And there are also awkward seams in the novel - the Italian twins seem oddly developed and poorly differentiated, perhaps reflecting that in an early draft of the book they were actually physically conjoined. On the other hand, Twain’s writing of dialogue is masterful. His wit and perceptiveness are everywhere evident.

Reading a book like this leads one inevitably to reflect on issues of race and what would today be called “political correctness.” It is easy to see how the novel might be offensive to contemporary African-Americans. But, and this argument is not new, of course, a book must be read in the light of its own times and attitudes, even if today we might not share the same perspectives. The best literature deals with broader themes of universal and timeless significance, despite its being inevitably rooted within its own period and culture. I think this novel contains enough of interest and relevance to our own time to deserve its continued place in our literary canon.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 18, 2010 Collin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought that Pudd’nhead Wilson by mark twain was an okay book, but probably would have been a lot better if read in the time period it was written in. IT got a little confusing at times, but overall I could tell what it was talking about. I thought that mark twain’s use of finding the culprit with finger prints in the story, even though they weren’t yet used for crime in the time the book was written, shows that either he was creative enough to think of a way to find the culprit or just smart...more

like · see review

Oct 09, 2010 Corinne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm not sure I've heard a less appealing title for a book - but what can you do? Pudd'nhead IS one of our main characters - an underutilized lawyer living in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi with a penchant for fingerprints and palmistry. At the heart of our story, though, is a case of switched identity - that of an infant light-colored slave and the infant son of his master. What different paths each life is then set upon!

It's an engaging story. I appreciated the intelligence of Twa...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 09, 2013 Joyce rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The note of the author at the very end of the book made me laugh more than any of the rest of the book did. Twain wrote at the end there in his candid non-fiction way that is so charmingly witty.

The rest of the book was a delight to read as well. It was a great carrier (as most of his books are) of his opinion and beliefs regarding slavery, albeit put forth in a very creative manner (murder mystery, switched babies, oriental daggers, and all that jazz).

I was almost afraid of the book not havin...more

like · see review

Dec 20, 2012 Tabetha Tabor rated it 3 of 5 stars

1.) A man named David Wilson travels to a little town called Dawson’s Landing so he can start a law firm. People began to call him Pudd'nhead Wilson because to them he had a very weird and sort of odd since of humor. A slave was switched at birth with the son of a white man named Tom chambers, Because of the switch they grew up living each others life, like the slave grew up as a white and the white grew up as a slave. Luigi and his twin brother Angelo also decided to travel to Dawson’s landing....more 1.) A man named David Wilson travels to a little town called Dawson’s Landing so he can start a law firm. People began to call him Pudd'nhead Wilson because to them he had a very weird and sort of odd since of humor. A slave was switched at birth with the son of a white man named Tom chambers, Because of the switch they grew up living each others life, like the slave grew up as a white and the white grew up as a slave. Luigi and his twin brother Angelo also decided to travel to Dawson’s landing. As soon as they arrived people practically bowed down to them because they were handsome and used to be in a circus.David Wilson reads Luigi's hand and found out that he had a really bad past; Luigi told him that he once killed a man who had stole a Indian knife from him. Luigi was arrested later for telling david about the murder.Tom kills his uncle and escapes by dressing up as a woman. Luigi and his twin Angelo are accused of the murder. David Wilson decided to be there lawyer and brought evidence that the twins are not the murders but Tom chambers was.They found out after the case that Tom was actually switched at birth with a baby of African descent.They were finally switched back to their rightful place. Luigi and Angelo were innocent and David Wilson became a lawyer and the mayor of the little town of Dawson’s landing.
2. When David read Luigi's hand and found out he had murdered somebody.
3. Nothing so needs as other peoples habits.- David Wilson
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between a dog and a Man.- David Wilson
One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat only has nine lives.- David Wilson
4. David Wilson was a man who went to live in a small town. The town he ended up in was Dawson’s landing. He traveled there to practice law and do other scientific researches. He later became known as Pudd'nhead Wilson.Tom Chambers was switched at birth by his mother Roxy. He lived the life of a white man. He lived in Dawson’s Landing. He was accused and found guilty of murder.Luigi was one of the Italian twins. He moved to Dawson’s landing after escaping the circus with his brother Angelo. When they arrived at the town they were praised by the people, but it was short lived after he was accused of a murder.
5. The story took place in the little town of Dawson. On the Missouri side of the Mississippi, half a day’s journey, per steam boat, below St. Lewis. The year was 1830. Steam boats were constantly passing by the town, and there were a lot of wooden buildings and wooden side walks.
6.The opening lets you know where the story is taking place and who the story will be about. Closing scene shows the falling action and what the resolution is.
7. External was trying to help Luigi and also trying to pass as a lawyer. Internal were people always talking down to him.(less)

like · see review

Apr 09, 2011 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first Mark Twain book I've read since starting Tom Sawyer as a kid and putting it down in favor of the Hardy Boys. God forgive me, I see now what I've been missing! Pudd'nhead Wilson is the kind of novel I'd give the lesser part of my soul to be able to write. It's incredibly witty and entertaining, as well as chock full of dialog authentic enough to put Elmore Leonard to shame. It contains a lot of familiar Twain tropes, though it also blazes new territory as perhaps the first novel...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 Dusty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graduate-school, read-in-2012

Mark Twain wrote this novel when he was pretty old, pretty crabby, and living in Europe to avoid creditors and the other people who made him feel old and crabby. Really, it's a simple story: A light-skinned slave woman swaps her baby with her master's baby, hoping to ensure the former a happier life without the risk of being "sold down the river," and the rest of the book builds suspense for the "big moment" when true identities are revealed.

I've read a few reviews that allege that Pudd'nhead W...more Mark Twain wrote this novel when he was pretty old, pretty crabby, and living in Europe to avoid creditors and the other people who made him feel old and crabby. Really, it's a simple story: A light-skinned slave woman swaps her baby with her master's baby, hoping to ensure the former a happier life without the risk of being "sold down the river," and the rest of the book builds suspense for the "big moment" when true identities are revealed.

I've read a few reviews that allege that Pudd'nhead Wilson is a book against slavery, but this isn't quite accurate, as the Civil War had made slavery effectively illegal a quarter century before it was published. Instead, Twain writes a book to counter "scientific" claims made in the late nineteenth century in support of (white) racial superiority. Slavery is over, he argues, but people who believe nature (one's heritage) has a larger impact than nurture (the social conditions into which one is born) are essentially slave-holders in their modern reincarnations. On one hand, I'd like to fault Twain for writing a book ostensibly about being black in the United States without including a single character whose skin is noticeably dark. But on the other hand, it's a treat how he points out real and artificial differences between white skins. There is, after all, less difference in color between "white" master and "black" slave than there is between the Italian twins who move into town, who are able to be distinguished only because one is slightly "darker" than the other.

Twain stages his conclusion in a courtroom, where poor Pudd'nhead Wilson finally has the chance to practice the law he studied oh-so-many years ago. For those of us who're accustomed to (and extremely tired of) the courtroom formula that plays out every week in Law and Order and a dozen other TV series, I think this is a bit of a let-down after what is otherwise an imaginative and caustic romp. However, I can't deny that that "big moment," when it finally happens, is written masterfully. Four stars.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 28, 2010 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

To me, Pudd'nhead Wilson is the best Mark Twain book. I know a lot of people would place The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at the top of the list, but I think Pudd'nhead Wilson does just as well demonstrating Twain's signature style. It has all of the things you'd expect from a Mark Twain novel: local color, his typical social commentary, and, of course, humor. But what puts it above the rest? Quite frankly, it's just more entertaining. I think it's underrated among Twain's works, and maybe it'...more To me, Pudd'nhead Wilson is the best Mark Twain book. I know a lot of people would place The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at the top of the list, but I think Pudd'nhead Wilson does just as well demonstrating Twain's signature style. It has all of the things you'd expect from a Mark Twain novel: local color, his typical social commentary, and, of course, humor. But what puts it above the rest? Quite frankly, it's just more entertaining. I think it's underrated among Twain's works, and maybe it's this entertainment factor that's at fault. Because while Huckleberry Finn is frequently noted for its social and literary impact, Pudd'nhead Wilson is either remembered for its witticism and humor or as a quaint mystery/crime drama. Though the book incorporates these elements to tell the story in a captivating way, I think it is a misconception to think that this is all the story is about.

It's almost like Pudd'nhead Wilson suffers from the opposite problem of Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberry Finn stands, rightly, in its own place as Mark Twain's signature work, a culmination of everything Twain does best. But Huckleberry Finn's literary status also discourages people from reading it, or enjoying it, because as Twain said himself, a classic is a book that "everyone wants to have read but nobody wants to read." So some readers get the book force-fed to them at school, which takes the fun out of it, and then other readers get so caught up in intellectualizing Huckleberry Finn that they forget that there's a story involved. This is too bad because Huckleberry Finn is a good book.

For Pudd'nhead Wilson, however, I don't think people in general, even in literary circles, appreciate just how much Twain packed into this short, simple story on a storytelling AND social level. It's mostly just regarded as a clever story in the typical Mark Twain vein, and considered secondary at best among his works. Think about it: If you say the name Mark Twain, what comes to mind? Huckleberry Finn and maybe Tom Sawyer. Who among the general public knows about Pudd'nhead Wilson? I know I would never have known about this book if it hadn't been introduced to me in English class. And then, even if someone has read the book, do they really comprehend the heaviness of the issues Mark Twain addresses in it? In fact, in terms of blending the comedic and the serious, I think Pudd'nhead Wilson does better than Huckleberry Finn. Besides the fact that it's also a good story.

The story of Pudd'nhead Wilson captured my attention more than other Twain books, so its entertainment factor is a strength for me. But it also has everything (i.e. characters and circumstances) that makes you stop and think, just as Huckleberry Finn does. If you need another comparison, consider The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Tom Sawyer, to me, is a purely entertaining Twain read. It has some social satire and commentary perhaps, but not nearly on the level of Huckleberry Finn. Or Pudd'nhead Wilson, for that matter. So, in my opinion, Pudd'nhead Wilson is the best Mark Twain read.(less)

like · see review

Sep 12, 2012 Marcus rated it 5 of 5 stars

The trouble with studying literature is that close examination of a book can drain the enjoyment from reading it. As the feller said, if you take a cat apart to see how it works, the first thing you'll discover is a non-working cat.

Every now and then you strike lucky, and your deep study of a book only increases your enjoyment of it. Puddn'head Wilson blends a fairly standard baby-swap plot device with a proto-crime-novel thing in the second half, but as usual with Twain, it's the dessicated pr...more

like · see review

May 17, 2011 Manrix rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After the dreadful bore that was Huckleberry Finn (had to read it for school, never finished it, something about the accent bothered me back then) this book was a delight to read. It was simple read, light and humorous, but not without its abolishionist sentiments.
Being another book I had to read for school, I thought I would have to trudge through this, but instead, I found myself wanting to keep reading, even though it was already midnight. Imagine that.
The use of fingerprinting was a literar...more

like · see review

Feb 17, 2011 Carla rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's hard for me to rate "classics" because the expectations are somehow different. I had only read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, or maybe I never did read them but they are seared into my sub/consciousness. This book is a farce, but also a slice of life in what feels like the years just prior to the civil war. It's set in Missouri and the main characters are two boys, switched in their babyhood, such that the wee master of the house becomes the slave baby and vice versa. The mother of the slave, wh...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 27, 2011 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics

A+ for Mark Twain! This is my first book that I have read by him, and I found it absolutely amazing. For one, I am not usually a fan of classic books (or maybe I just haven't really given myself a chance at them), but I found myself engaged and ready to finish this book as fast as I could.

Surprisingly, this was one of our books for English III that we had to read. I just finished it, and I just can't stop saying just how great it was. I am shocked by how Mark Twain was able to create such an ama...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 12, 2013 Tim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

An interesting commentary on prejudice. I found it particularly interesting that the prejudice most emphasized was that against the title character. I thought it interesting that the townspeople were able to recognize that they were wrong about David Wilson's intelligence, but unable to see (indeed, I am not sure that Twain's story really demonstrates) that the prejudice against an entire class of people is wrong.
Both Roxy's and "Tom's" attitudes toward their race seems to agree with those of t...more

like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

An odd mix of Twain’s work, Pudd’nhead Wilson combines the character swapping from The Prince and the Pauper and the race drama in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It was not at all what I was expecting. The title character, Pudd’head, is actually the cleverest person in the book.

Roxy is a slave, but is only 1/16th African. Her son is only 1/32nd African and in a moment of desperation she switches her son with her master’s child. The boys are almost identical and after the switch they are ra...more

like · see review

Feb 10, 2013 Ferris rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book had been sitting on my shelves for many, and I mean many, years. I finally read it and what a pleasure! I was gripped by this "prince and pauper" tale. It is a gripping story with fantastic characters. It addresses social issues (slavery), character flaws, family issues, and general difficulties faced by just being human. Twain opens each chapter with a couple of so-called entries to Pudd'nhead's personal calendar which are pithy quips. My two favorites appear at the beginning of the s...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
St. Anne's Readin...: Pudd'nhead Wilson Part 1	4	2	Apr 07, 2013 08:57am
First Switched at Birth type book??	5	11	Dec 23, 2012 01:39pm
Significance of the Italian twins?	3	20	Aug 29, 2011 05:19am
Switching the babies (for those who read the book)	5	37	Jun 16, 2011 07:16am

combine
Other Editions (198)

More editions...

Genres

Classics

288 users

Literature

44 users

Mystery

28 users

Humor

28 users

Literature > American

21 users

Historical Fiction

18 users

Classics > Classic Literature

16 users

Literature > 19th Century

15 users

Book Club

14 users

Novels

12 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Mark Twain

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...

Books by Mark Twain

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer/Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Pudd'nhead Wilson

4 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Tragedy Of Pudd'nh...

“Adam was but human—this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple's sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden. The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent; then he would have eaten the serpent.” — 645 people liked it

“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” — 295 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Pudd'nhead Wilson
avg rating	preview: Pudd'nhead Wilson Goodreads rating: 3.71 (7467 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/682793.Pudd_nhead_Wilson?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320461272l/682793.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/682793.Pudd_nhead_Wilson?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain[/url]

Pudd'nhead Wilson

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website