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Jan 18, 2010

Anne Hawn rated it:

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 c More...

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Jan 05, 2008

Chris rated it:

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 isnâ€™t quite helpful, as the maximum I have at such a locale is about 6 minutes, and itâ€™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 â€œThe Celebrated More...

1 comment like (4 people liked it)

Sep 12, 2008

Sonia rated it:

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 " More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 19, 2009

Mom rated it:

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.

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 26, 2012

Ariadna73 rated it:

Yo tenía 8 años cuando mi mamá decidió que para estimular mi cerebro, debía entrar a clases de arte en un instituto en el centro. Allí nos daban cartulinas y témperas para emborronarlas, nos enseñaban a manejar títeres, y nos daban largas sesiones de transmisión mental. Me acuerdo como si hubiera sido hoy, que después de media hora de esfuerzos por transmitirle a mi compañero el numero seis, de manera telepática, él acababa recibiendo el uno en su cerebro. Siempre pensé que con cinco veces más de esfuerzo, hub More...

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Jan 27, 2009

Jeff rated it:

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 t More...

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Dec 26, 2011

Zachary rated it:

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 More...

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Aug 03, 2011

Andrew rated it:

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...

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Feb 07, 2011

Bryan rated it:

In an autumn day,in London sometime between "the second quarter of the sixteen century" two boys are born, Tom Canty and Edward Tudor. Tom's family is very poor and the baby is not wanted. Edward's family, on the other hand, is rich and powerful, and all of England celebrates the birth of this "long-awaited" heir to the thrown. The Cantys live in Offal Court, a part of London where streets are narrow, crooked, and dirty. The Cantys' house is "small, decayed, and ri More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 13, 2011

Samantha rated it:

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 More...

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Sep 30, 2010

Kaung Myat rated it:

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 mora More...

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May 31, 2010

Jelly Kate rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Oct 16, 2011

Holly rated it:

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...

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Aug 23, 2011

Ben rated it:

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 donâ€™t think I will be rushing to devour the rest of Twainâ€™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...

3 comments like (4 people liked it)

Apr 19, 2011

John rated it:

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 elev More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 04, 2011

Jason Williams rated it:

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.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Lindy rated it:

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 More...

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Jan 29, 2012

Andre added it

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.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 19, 2012

Kierstin rated it:

This was just about the most darling book I have ever read! At first glance, I believed it to be a dull and quite difficult read to understand, but in all reality, it wasn't that at all. The characters were just so loveable and it presented such a good moral story that tugs at the heartstrings and makes you want to keep going back to read. That's how it was for me. Trust me, this is no ordinary 18th century book!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 01, 2011

Camelia rated it:

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, tell a story of two boys born on the same day, Edward Tudor, the son of King Henry VII and Tom Canty, a poor unloved peasant. Both boys meet in Edward's palace and switch clothes curious about each others different life. They soon get mistaken for each other because of their clothes. Edward Tudor must survive the harsh life of a poor beggar while Tom Canty lives in a dream palace as Edward. One King Henry VII dies, Tom Canty is now supposedly king. Edward More...

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Apr 05, 2011

Morris rated it:

Another book where prejudices inspired by Hollywood have proven to be totally and utterly wrong.

I've never watched a complete adaptation of The Prince and The Pauper, mainly because every one I have caught on the television appeared to be very, very poor from every point of view possible. A couple of minutes were enough to spot how bad they were. Should one be poor, it may be expected to be a bad adaptation, should they all be poor, well - that causes me to worry about the source mat More...

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Oct 07, 2011

Wendy rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. I love how the boys relate at first and how the whole mix-up gets started--and I love watching Edward learn and grow, while at the same time maintaining a sense of innocence and ignorance that's charming and amusing (and protects him, as people think he's mad). My only complaint is that Tom, while sympathetic and good, doesn't really learn or grow at all. He already knows he would like a life of privilege; he already knows he hates his father but loves his mother a More...

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Sep 09, 2011

Kristina rated it:

This is a very informal review because I read this book in my English class a year ago, but I will say that this story is a pretty well-known story. It has great messages throughout the story and it deals with the contrasts between the rich and the poor. It also has a bit of King Henry VIII , who I find to be a fascinating person in history.

My class read this in English as a sort of "set-back" or "breather", if you will, from the difficult chunk More...

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Oct 12, 2011

Brittany rated it:

The Prince And The Pauper

The prince in this book was a rich kid, but he was nice. The prince always was trying to help people and unlike his dad he cared. In this story Prince Williams switches places with Tom Canty. Tom Canty is a poor boy abused by his dad. Everyday he would have to beg for food and money for his dad. When he returned home he would give what he collected to his dad and if it wasnâ€™t enough his dad would beat Tom. Tom was just a very nice sweet boy that wan More...

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Oct 10, 2011

John rated it:

Having thoroughly enjoyed both Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, I don't know why it's taken me so long to read this - I suppose the slightly twee concept made me suspicious that it would be a disappointment.

What's most interesting is that Twain takes what is a hugely unlikely series of coincidences and fashions a pretty realistic narrative from it. He never ducks the absurdity of everyone falling for the swap - embraces it, in fact, and makes a point of how people see what they are expec More...

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May 26, 2010

Jing rated it:

A beggar boy who dreams of having a luxurious life. A prince who desires to see the outside. On one faithful day, they meet and exchange clothing. There they will experience their new world like never before. They will never return to their normal life the same again.

The beginning was tedious, but like many interesting books, the progression becomes very intense. There were themes such as loyalty, family and giving to those who were done injustice. These were probably th More...

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Aug 14, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

This book starts out when Edward VI is still the Prince of Wales and Henry VIII is still the King of England. As a young boy, he meets Tom Canty, a pauper who lives in a one-room hut with his abusive father and terrible grandmother, as well as his loving mother and two sisters. Edward witnessses one of the guards abusing Tom Canty as he stood outside of the palace gates and Edward promptly ushered him in to the palace to be fed, etc. The boys start talking and end up discussing how fun it would More...

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Jun 17, 2010

Jenni rated it:

This is, hands down, the best book I have ever read. My dad handed me an ancient copy (handed down from his father, copyright 1909) when I complained of boredom in the fifth grade. Through this book, I developed a fascination with Tudor-Stuart England that has continued to this day, as well as an unusual grasp of old English grammar and an impressive vocabulary for my age. More than this, though, I took from this book a good deal of inspiration and desire for self-improvement, adopting from Tom More...

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Mar 28, 2009

K. rated it:

The ONLY Mark Twain book I like.

Just read this again for bookgroup next week. I liked it, again. I'm not sure it has tons of material for discussion, though. It wasn't all that deep. Just a fun read. You gals in the BG, let me know how the discussion goes!

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 12, 2011

Susan rated it:

I read this when I was VERY young and to begin I didn't get it because the language was so thick. I plan to read this again one day because I know that after a while of getting used to the old language in it I thoroughly enjoyed the story and started questioning the morality of this story and what I would do if in the Pauper's position.

From what I remember:

The prince had a grace about him to allow this young pauper to take his place for a day although obviously he didn't More...

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