Customer Reviews

The Prince and the Pauper (Barnes & Noble Classics)

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I thought this book was very good. It is about a prince and a pauper who decide to switch places temporarily, so the prince is the pauper and the pauper is the prince.

Although this book has a couple of strange chapters and a little bit of superstition I think that it is the best book by Mark Twain that I have read.

Anyone that likes adventures would like this book because there is an adventure in nearly every chapter.

The two boys only intend to switch places for a short period of time but the prince(disguised as the pauper)gets carried quite a long way from the palace by gypsies, robbers, and much more. Can he get back to the palace before the false prince is crowned king? Or will the two be in their switched positions forever!? You will just have to read the book and see for yourself!

Eliza, age 12

Author Mark Twain (1835-1910) is in excellent form with this delightfully classic tale of role reversal. Through an odd series of occurances Edward VI, young Prince of England and next in line for the throne, meets a pauper by the name of Tom Canty. As the two youngsters share a remarkable resemblance, the mischevious young Prince decides the two should temporarily trade places. Soon we follow the Prince as he must deal with life as a commoner, a valuable education for a future ruler as he learns firshand about the hardships that many ordinary citizens endure. Edward must also deal with young Canty's drunken and abusive father. Simultaneously, we follow Tom Canty as he attempts to cope with the customs and manners of the Court. His fumbling may be humorous to the reader, but it leaves the court nobles and officials in serious doubt about the Prince's sanity. After the King (Henry VIII) dies, young Canty reluctantly finds himself about to be crowned the new sovereign, while Edward must jump through hoops to attend and disrupt the coronation, prove his identity, and get his job back. This tale delights both young and adult readers, and contains several important messages about power, humility, celebrityhood, and societal inequalities.

It's a classic read, well written, entertaining, absorbing. It is also heart rending with life lessons we can use today. A must read!